Music and the studying mind

By: Emily Abbate

Posted: 12/8/08

Final exams force students to spend a lot of time with their books. Social gatherings move from Huskies to study rooms in the library, where many students find themselves getting less work done than if they had just stayed in their rooms to begin with.

And all that quality time with your books lets the mind wonder into areas it may not otherwise have gone. As you sit down and debatably think about every single aspect of your life over the Norton Reader for your Literary Journalism course, realize that maybe you need some music to get your mind over the silence.

"Music drowns out background noise and helps me focus," said Lauren Casasanta, a 5th-semester biological sciences major.

According to Buzzle.com, music also helps develop a positive attitude and increases motivation.

"If work is accompanied by quiet and soothing music, it helps the listener think, analyze and work faster in a more efficient manner," according to the Web site. "Surveys have shown that music brings about remarkable improvements in the academic skills of students, who are made to listen to certain kinds of music while studying or working in the lab. Listening to pleasant music, while doing a difficult task, can make it seem easier."

However, not all types of music make studying a whole lot easier, and some can even be distracting. Try listening to music with a slower pace.

"I listen to Ray Lamontagne, Bon Iver, Slightly Stoopid and Ratatat when I study," said Aaron Roy, a 7th-semester journalism and political science double major. "Damien Rice, stuff like that."

If slower acoustic music isn't your style, then try listening to music without any words at all. Sure, classical music isn't exactly your first music of choice on a Saturday night, but it could do wonders for your grades.

"The only music you can listen to when you study is stuff that doesn't have lyrics," said Drew Magiera, a 3rd-semester exploratory major. "I can't listen to rap. The lyrics distract me."

"I listen to Playlist.com when I study," said Lauren Boylan, a 7th-semester communications major. "It has a huge variety."

Music also has the ability to make students feel as if they are in their own worlds. According to the BBC news, music "acts as a shield, aura or cocoon." In our primarily visually dominated culture, it is helpful to put your ear buds in to escape the overwhelming reality, especially during finals time.

Some suggestions for your study playlist include artists like The New Frontiers, Regina Spektor, Tracy Chapman, James Morrison, Paolo Nutini and John Mayer. For music with fewer words and more rhythm, check out different movie soundtracks ("American Beauty" is excellent) or classical pieces.