Exam season is also around the corner and students love to listen to music when they study. However, most of the time it just distracts you and gets you singing Leona Lewis at 12 o’clock at night when your dissertation is due the next morning. At the same time, music can be very peaceful and help you concentrate when work is on the table.
According to study international, 60% of students tend to listen to music whilst studying. Everyone’s preferences are different, some may prefer classic orchestra, while others go for heavy metal. However, is it really helping your focus or is it just another distraction?
Music and Concentration
Music can possibly have a mixed effect on concentration levels when studying. Kingston University lecturer, Alistair Harvey, specialises in behavioural and cognitive psychology. He said: “Music with lyrics is particularly burdensome to process as it requires additional verbal working memory, which is often also required for study.” This isn’t good news for students who like to have a singsong whilst they study.
However, it is entirely dependent on the task. If it is a huge task at hand that requires hours of concentration, it could become a distraction. One minute you might find yourself scrolling for a song and a minute turns into an hour. Phones aren’t allowed in most classes for a reason, but at home no one is stopping you. Harvey isn’t entirely against the idea of music whilst studying as he believes “listening to our chosen music may boost our mood and help us relax, which may facilitate study, especially for tasks that are boring”. So if you’re rearranging a few notes, don’t hesitate putting Frank Sinatra on.
The Best Kinds Of Music
So lyrics are a no go, but what about the genre of music that best suits studying. Anna Maximenko is a therapist who used to be an opera singer. She argues that “classical music annoys some people” and so better options would be “trip-hop, lounge or ambient music”.
If you haven’t heard of trip hop, it is a blend of hip-hop and electronic music. It became quite popular in the 90s with huge bands such as Massive Attack and Portishead being trip-hop figureheads. They might get you dancing though as some of their songs are brilliant. Lounge and ambient music usually don’t have lyrics and help put their listeners in a place of comfort. This is perfect for setting yourself in a relaxing environment before studying.
Another great option for studying isn’t necessarily music, but background noise. Maximenko suggests “white noise, pink noise, black noise and natural sounds.” If you haven’t heard any of these before, it’s definitely worth giving them a go. Think when you are in an aeroplane and you can hear the wind outside constantly. It’s rather peaceful.
Based off our helpful psychologists, The River has collectively created a Spotify playlist which can be downloaded on the app and hopefully help you crack down on some much needed studying.
