The other day as I was about to embark on an all-nighter to study for two exams I spent a good hour of my time trying to find the perfect Pandora station for studying. As much as I love country and the latest pop, if I play one of those stations I become more caught up in the song than actually studying, and after a half hour goes by I realize I have taken in 0 information and have read several lines multiple times in my head.
If I am on a quiet floor, the silence is too much for me and when I am on a floor with a lot of people others voices are also a distraction. Music is key to my studying, BUT the perfect Pandora station can be hard to find. The stations also depend on your mood; if I am feeling tired, turning on a station that is more relaxing is just asking for me to shut my eyes. Here I have provided stations depending on your mood that are great for studying.
1. Mood: Calm / Relaxed >>> Station: Explosion in the Sky
The light music and all the sound effects and instrumentals is great to sit back and dive into a reading or a paper.
2. Mood: Tired, and need to be awake >>> Station: Belly Dancing
Two semesters ago I tried out the Belly Dancing Club (highly recommended I just could not fit it in). One night before a study session, since the practices were so late I went before my trek to the library. Beforehand I was so exhausted, but the music woke me up and when I went to the library I looked up the station and jammed out.
3. Mood: Happy >>> Station: Joe Purdy
Although it is not instrumental, the alternative and light songs here wake me up and keep me motivated and happy doing my work.
4. Mood: Want to be out, but stuck in the library >>> Station: Instrumental Hip Hop
You are stuck in the library and would rather be out (usually how I feel), the rhythms of this station will make you feel better about the fact that you’re in the library and give a nice beat to the beat of studying.
5. Mood: Stressed / Not confident >>> Station: Trance/Electronic
This will wake you right up and sometimes have you feeling like you can do anything when the beat drops. Turn it on when you’re about to write a paper or begin to make some study guides or flash cards and you will get it done in no time!
If none of these tickle your fancy for studying, one of the best things to do is choose an artist you do not know well, but like the type of music so it keeps you from not singing. Or choose anything instrumental – there are so many, ranging from genres to types of instruments. The right Pandora station always makes for a good study session.