What Music To Listen To When Studying For Or Taking A Test?

Most of the time I do not listen to music with lyrics when I’m reading because they make me lose focus of what I’m trying to read. Many college students would claim that the so-called ‘post-rock’ genre is the one that helps them focus on their studies. This results in a set of songs which are often ideal for background music, as they fade and swell gradually, without drawing too much attention to themselves. This broad category of music is popular on many college and university campuses. From slow ambient music with long drones to fast electronic dance music with quick beats, many songs in this varied genre can be used as good music for studying.

Despite the muting of the Mozart Effect, some research still suggests that classical music can help people learn and focus . For example, one study found that college students who listened to classical music during lecture learned more than those who listened to the same lecture without classical music. Some research suggests, however, that classical music is best when performing simple tasks, rather than complicated ones. Ambient music helps boost concentration and the student canbecome more productive. The low-toned background noise helps to keep away outside distractions so that the student can concentrate on their study. It, therefore, helps boost performance due to a high level of concentration.

White noise has been shown to improve both memory and concentration. In a study of children with ADHD, researchers found that white noise boosted the cognition of the subjects. Another study in the Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience discovered that white noise slightly improved recall. Many students won’t want to hear it, but yes, listening to music does distract you from studying.

As a non-musician or non super music fan they don’t have as much “mental resource” allocated to music, so the difference between pleasurable and neutral music is less distinct. When it comes to learning something new it seems the emotional benefit of listening to music they like outweighs the resource drain that the act of listening to music incurs. In a nutshell, music puts us in a better mood, which makes us better at studying – but it also distracts us, which makes us worse at studying. So if you want to study effectively with music, you want to reduce how distracting music can be, and increase the level to which the music keeps you in a good mood. So, you arrived at the last Conquistadors basketball game, prepared to perform better after a little music therapy.

Research from 2019 suggests music can activate the same reward centers in your brain as other things you enjoy. Rewarding yourself with your favorite music can provide the motivation you need to learn new information. That said, it’s certainly true that some types of music can boost concentration and memory as well as increase alertness. Not only can listening to music make studying less boring, but it can also potentially help you better retain the information.

Visit us at suu.edu/online to learn more about how you can have an accessible, affordable, and flexible education from right where you are. This playlist composed of soft piano music is designed to blend into the background so you can focus your work instead of the music. However - when it comes to testing - it seems to be that Relaxing Music the resource cost of pleasurable music becomes distracting and outweighs the feel good factor.

Want to learn even more about the connections between music and the brain? Check out the podcast Music and the Brain over at the Library of Congress. Do note that these studies are right on the bleeding edge, music is still a relative mystery when it comes to how much we really know about it so take this information as a guide rather than a prescription. When you’re learning something new, when you’re forming neural pathways and making mental connections, you want to have the maximum mental resource available to you to create those channels and associations. If learning is a creative act then you don’t want to be allocating resource to unnecessary activities. So - the subjects chose what music they liked and what music they felt “meh” about and also divulged how much of a music fan they were.

Classical music is especially suitable for those students who don’t already have strong feelings of like or dislike for it. However, if the work you’re doing doesn’t demand deep memorization or recall, music may indeed offer some benefits to both your efficiency and creativity. According to a 2010 study from the University of Wales in Cardiff, listening to music while attempting to memorize information may actually hinder your efforts.

In fact, he was one of the first people to discover music has a measurable effect on the brain, on a deep emotional level. A student in what they call the “Mario Kart Zone,” working vigorously with full concentration on their schoolwork. Video game music is designed to keep you absorbed and focused on the game, and so it’s perfectly suited to keep you engaged with your schoolwork. Classical music is known for being both peaceful and harmonious, creating a calm and serene study environment for the listen.

Even if you think that you're not a fan of jazz, it's often worth giving some of the mellower styles of this genre a chance. You may be surprised at how inspired and relaxed it can make you feel. In fact, using instrumental jazz music to help you study may be ideal if you aren't normally a big fan of the style. As long as you don't totally dislike it, the genre can provide a neutral yet pleasant backdrop that doesn't distract you or make you want to stop and immerse yourself in the music instead of studying. Various studies contradict each other, and they often have major limitations.