We are always looking for that little something that will make us that will help us perform better no matter whether it is a sport activity, work, studying, focus, and so on. Music is definitely on the list of “that little somethings” but we have to point out – not always and not any kind of music.

When we talk about the music and whether it really helps with studying and concentration we have to say that it greatly depends on the student itself and the type of music being listened.

Students who are easily distracted should avoid listening to music while studying. They simply won’t be able to focus. On the other hand, those who are better at doing several different things at a time can only benefit from music because it will boost their concentration.

Based on this we can take a note on the good and bad sides of studying with music.

The good sides of studying with music

There is nothing unusual to see students with their headphones on in the library today. But the question is – does music really help you study better? Well, although it greatly depends on the student and the music being listened, we can say that there are some good sides of studying with music.

• Students have to deal with stress and anxiety on a daily basis. Music helps them relax and feel better.

• Listening to some background music will help you feel motivated and even stay focused for a longer period of time.

• It helps you memorize things better.

The bad sides of studying with music

Although there are definite benefits, listening to music in some cases can easily distract you from studying.

• Doing some reading or writing tasks is bit more difficult if you are listening to music with lyrics

• At the same time, if the music is too loud it would be almost impossible to stay focused.

• If you are studying for a test with music, it would be best to listen to the same music while taking the test. However, this isn’t possible.

There are several factors which greatly affect whether your studying with music experience will be effective or not. These are your personality, music genre and time.

Listen before the task

Music helps you relax, clear your mind, relax, and get ready for the upcoming tasks. So, if you were using music to study it will be much easier to recall information if you listen to the same music shortly before the exam or similar event. So, make sure to grab your headphones with longest battery life and listen to the same music you have listened while studying. Of course, this doesn’t mean that the silence at the exam will obstruct you and make it harder to recall information.

Your personality type

How you will react to music while you are studying or doing some other work greatly depends on your personality. It has been proven that if you are an introvert, you will find music distractive. On the other side, extroverts find music motivating and it generally helps them stick to the task they are doing.

Music Genre

If you have decided to listen to music while studying make sure to avoid music with lyrics. You will find it very difficult not to pay attention to the words. However, if you are listening to songs in a foreign language chances are that you won’t pay too much attention to the lyrics. At the same time your music shouldn’t be too loud or have drastic changes in tone and volume. Therefore choose peaceful, repetitive background music and your focus and performance will improve. A great choice in this case is classical music or natural sounds, for example ocean waves or rain falling.

Another thing about music is that when you are listening to the music you love, there are greater chances it will distract you. You simply won’t be able to ignore it. Instead choose music you are familiar with. Listening to music you are not familiar with can easily distract you because you will try to pay attention to the new sounds. This is why we highly recommend listening to instrumental music with normal beat and which is not too uplifting. Listening to such music is always better than listening to your favorite playlist.

Your focus will also be much better if you listen to jazz, classical, or acoustic music.

A few tips about music for studying

• Choose music you are familiar to

• Avoid rap music and hard rock

• Choose slow and smooth music

• When going through a stressful period use music to chill out

• When taking a test or an exam, listen to the same music you have listened while studying just before it starts

To sum things up, if listening to music distracts you easily, then you should avoid it while studying. On the other hand, if it makes you feel pleasant and relaxed, try to play some relaxing and soothing music in the background, with no lyrics. It will definitely improve your studying performance and focus.