Studying with music seems to be a subject with mixed opinions. Some people think it is something that can help a lot with concentration while others consider it a big distraction. Personally, I’ve tried both studying with and without music, here are my personal thoughts and opinion on the matter.
Music has always been very present in my life. I taught myself how to play piano when I was about seven years old and taught myself how to read music not long after with some help from friends who took music lessons. It was something that always came very natural to me.
School, on the other hand, was never as easy. I was diagnosed with an anxiety disorder at the age of nine and was later diagnosed with dyslexia at the age of ten. This meant school was never my favourite thing. I dreaded having to do homework and studying. However, my amazing mother, who was extremely involved and helped me with my studies, had the brilliant idea to incorporate music into my study routine. It started with making up songs with the theory I was learning. This helped me a lot with retaining information.
High school was when I started listening to music while doing homework and studying. I would have to say it was hard trying to find the appropriate music for studying, but I figured it out after a few times. I realised that different genres of music were good for certain subjects. For example, if I were going to write an essay, I would try to avoid songs with lyrics. This way I would block out the noise around me that could cause a distraction, but would also not get distracted by song lyrics. However, if I were going to do a math problem, I would listen to more upbeat music with lyrics, since the part of my brain that I was using for homework did not need to work with words.
To this day, I can’t study in silence. I need some sort of background music for me to concentrate, but that is personal to me. Music is a very personal thing and that is why something that works for me might not work for someone else.
According to study.com, which is an excellent resource when it comes to finding tips and tricks for studying, listening to music while studying can actually reduce stress, increase focus and can also increase the endurance of the student while they study. However, you do have to be careful with which type of music you pick to study with. Songs with lyrics should be avoided for certain tasks like reading.
Personally, music is something I can’t live without, especially when it comes to studying. It is something that helps a lot with my concentration and stress. I do suggest people try it a lot more because I feel like it is very beneficial and has a lot more of a positive effect than people think.