It’s a Sunday afternoon and you’re feeling like a hot mess from all your “innocent” activities from the weekend. All you want to do is sleep but you realize you have assignments due and multiple exams next week. You need that something to get you in your studying groove.
The solution: Listen to music. But does it harm or help your studying process?
Depending on what you study and what you listen to influences how well you’re able to study with music.
Music with lyrics is very likely to have a problematic effect when you’re writing or reading. Music has less of an effect on math, if you’re not using the language parts of your brain.
“I only listen to music sometimes when i’m studying. If i’m doing math i’ll listen to mostly edm or something. But other than math I don’t because it’s too distracting,” says Student Kaitlyn Yanka. “It’s not played too loud, I play it quietly too.”
Students at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County participated in a music experiment. Each of the participants were told to solve five arithmetic tests with different music conditions.
1st test: Students listened to soft music with low volume intensity
2nd test: Students listened to loud music with low volume intensity
3rd test: No music, just silence
4th test: Soft music, high volume intensity
5th test: Loud music, high volume intensity
The Results: Students’ scores were higher when they worked in silence.
Students also had higher scores when the music they were hearing was at a low intensity than a high intensity on both types of music.
“I do listen to music when I study usually slow music like John Mayer or sometimes broadway music. It definitely helps make it less boring but makes me study slower I would say.” says Student Jillian Fribush.
If you’re having trouble studying with music, silence is okay.
WVU has multiple study spots including the library. The Downtown Library has its own “quiet room.”
If you do better with background noise, it’s better to listen to softer music with less distracting lyrics.
Now you can get your work done and rest before you’re dreadful Monday morning classes.
College Problems 