It is that time of the year again when students are engrossed in revision for the forthcoming examinations. Many of them question whether it is a good thing to study while listening to music.
First of all, let me delve into the advantages of listening to music. Music has the power to improve focus, reduce stress, increase productivity, boost memory retention, enhance creativity, improve cognitive performance, reduce distractions, and enhance relaxation. Below, I will give you 7 benefits of listening to music while you study.
Research has shown that music can help you focus, concentrate, relax, feel motivated, improve memory and make the process much more enjoyable.
According to Mark Barrow, a music scholar, there are seven reasons why people should listen to music. These are:
Improved focus and concentration
It can be a challenge to maintain your concentration amidst the various distractions you encounter throughout the day. Listening to music while you study can help create a more focused environment by drowning out background noise and keeping you engaged with your work. Certain types of music, such as classical or ambient music, have also been shown to enhance focus and cognitive function, making them a great choice for study sessions. More about this later.
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Enhanced mood
Not only can music enhance your mood and uplift your spirit, but it can also create a positive and energetic atmosphere that helps to motivate you throughout your study sessions. By listening to your favourite tunes, you can make your study time more enjoyable, allowing you to stay focused and productive for longer periods.
Reduced stress and anxiety:
Music can be a great tool to help relax the mind and body, making it easier to focus on studying. When you’re feeling stressed or overwhelmed, listening to music can help you unwind and find inner peace. This is especially important during exam season or when facing academic challenges.
Studies have shown that music can reduce stress levels and promote relaxation. The soothing melodies and rhythmic patterns of music can help calm your mind and alleviate feelings of anxiety and tension. So, the next time you’re feeling overwhelmed, try putting on some calming music to help you relax and focus.
Increased motivation and productivity
Music can be a great tool to enhance your enthusiasm and energy levels while studying, leading to increased productivity. Maintaining high levels of efficiency during study sessions can be challenging, but music can help by creating a stimulating environment that keeps you engaged and focused on your task. The right music can boost your energy, improve your concentration, and motivate you to achieve your study goals, resulting in greater academic success in less time.
Boosted memory retention
Music can be helpful in improving memory and recall, especially when studying for exams. Memory retention is critical for effective learning and information processing. Music has been proven to enhance memory performance by stimulating the brain and creating a conducive environment for information processing. Studies suggest that certain types of music, such as classical music can improve memory retention and cognitive function.
Enhanced creativity
Creativity is a valuable skill when writing essays and solving complex problems. Music has the power to stimulate creativity by activating different areas of the brain, and inspiring innovative thinking. By listening to music while studying, you can tap into your creative potential and approach your tasks from new and imaginative perspectives.
Enhanced relaxation
Studying can be a stressful and demanding activity that can have a negative impact on your mental and emotional well-being. However, listening to music can be a great way to promote relaxation and create a calming atmosphere that helps you unwind and destress during study breaks.
By incorporating soothing melodies into your study routine, you can create a sense of tranquility and relaxation that rejuvenates your mind and body. Whether you’re preparing for a final exam or working on a major project, incorporating music into your study routine can enhance relaxation and help you maintain a healthy balance between academic responsibilities and self-care.
Whether we like it or not, Music surrounds us. It can be a companion throughout the day – listening on the way to school or work, checking out a favourite artist with friends, hearing it live at concerts and sporting events, enjoying or enduring it in stores and restaurants, and then listening again in the evening to unwind.
As meaningful and uplifting as music can be, it might also help you while studying, working on school projects and doing homework. As someone who has spent a good part of his life researching and dealing with music, I can tell you the research shows that music can increase your focus and even motivate you. More, so, one can have a really good time through listening to music.
The 5 000 or so music fans who thronged Harare’s Glamis Arena for the Burning Spear concert recently are not idiots. They spent their good money in order to have a good time.
This is one of the reasons we listen to music. Apart from helping us during studies and increasing our focus, People listen to music for a variety of other reasons.
This connection depends somewhat on the individual. Some people need silence while doing homework. Human brains are limited in their ability to multi-task, and some people are better at doing two things at once compared with others. The style of music, the activity you’re doing and the effort it takes to complete the work also matter.
Numerous studies have discovered how music can affect study and work habits:
Listening to instrumental or familiar music in the background competes less with a given assignment than music with lyrics or unfamiliar music. Instrumental music also seems to interfere less with reading comprehension and assignments requiring verbal and visual memory than does music with lyrics.
However, there is need to be cautious when listening to music while studying:
According to recent studies, listening to music can lower your productivity by a minimum of 10%. Intensive studies trying to prove that classical music helps people study have been repeatedly debunked.
Listening to music with lyrics in is the worst thing you can do because your mind is forced to dedicate a portion of your mind to interpret the song. That is partly why you may find it easier to concentrate if you already know the song off by heart. Music with words “will” dramatically affect your reading comprehension.
That is why music with words in it is only suitable for repetitive tasks such as working out.
Music without words, such as classical, drum & bass, jogging music, etc., removes your mind’s need to interpret words, which means your productivity suffers less, but it will still suffer by at least 10%.
But before listening to your favourite sounds while studying, don’t miss an important detail: the volume.
If it’s too loud, the sound from speakers, headphones or earphones can contribute to noise-induced hearing loss.
Whether listening through speakers, headphones or earbuds, too high a volume can damage your hearing. It’s known as noise-induced hearing loss, and it happens more often than you might think – those high-volume sounds can destroy tiny, delicate hair-like structures in the inner ear that help you hear.
Typically, sounds at or below 70 decibels are safe for listening. Conversations generally register at about 60 dBA, city traffic at about 80 dBA.
Sounds that may be harmful include lawn mowers, at roughly 95 dBA, rock concerts, at around 120 dBA, and fireworks, at about 140 dBA.
If listening through speakers, the sound-level app can warn you if your tunes are creeping toward too loud. When wearing headphones or earbuds, keep it at or below 60% of the volume allowed by your device. One rule of thumb: If someone else can hear the sound emanating from your headphones or earbuds when they are an arm’s length away from you, the volume is too loud.
Music is therapeutic and this is why we should all bother listening to it.
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