To be completely honest, no one really likes studying, especially if there is an important exam coming up. However, did you know that if you choose to study to the right genre of music or the genre you like, you can feel less anxious and stressed, and instead more focused and motivated to learn?
Yup, listening to music while studying can be extremely beneficial for you and your studying process. And, if you are interested in how music can help us study, this article might be able to help you. Let’s take a closer look at the 10 ways music can be helpful when studying, as well as what genres might be useful for particular subjects:
1. It Can Help You Stay Concentrated And Motivated
As you already know, studying is a physiologically intensive process. And, this is why you might want to get rid of any and all distractions in your environment while preparing a subject. Since these distractions can drain your energy, listening to music can help a lot. When you listen to some songs, you’ll be able to block out external noise, hence, you won’t feel distracted. Instead, you’ll be concentrated and motivated.
2. Help With Boredom
A lot of people – I included – often feel bored when learning something, You have probably gone through the materials and notes several times, nothing is interesting, you are thinking about other things… If you find yourself getting bored, you can choose to turn on your favorite songs!
Doing this will not only help you with monotony and boredom but, it will also be able to improve your mood. What does this mean to you? Well, it means that you’ll stay interested in the subject, and you might feel more energized when listening to your favorite songs.
3. It is Stimulating to Your Mind
The rhythm and tunes of music can actually stimulate your brain. And, you should know that various studies concluded that specific genres can even boost your creativity! This means that you can actually finish learning a specific thing faster, and you’ll probably be able to memorize everything easier.
4. No More Anxiety And Stress
As mentioned earlier, preparing for an exam is extremely stressful and overwhelming, especially if you are not learning something that you like. And, if you are constantly under stress, you’ll also start feeling anxious most of the time. If you want to completely avoid finding yourself in this situation, it might be wise to listen to music because it does have the ability to alter your mood and feelings. Keep in mind that not all genres can do this. You cannot, for example, listen to black metal while preparing a math exam.
What Are The Best Genres For Studying?
You already know that there are hundreds, if not thousands of music genres in the world. However, not all are suitable for studying, which is why it is worth mentioning the ones that can help you with particular things and subjects. The genres you might want to opt for listening include:
1. Ambient
The very first genre that you should consider is ambient. Why you might ask? Well, the calming and soothing nature sounds such as rain falling or waves crashing on the coast can help you mask white noise or any other noise that you find annoying while studying or revising for an exam.
Luckily for all of us, there are various platforms such as ChilloutRadio that offer ambient music that is calming, and soothing. This means that you’ll want to find a radio and play songs whenever you need it. Ambient might be best if you need to read quite a lot – especially literature.
2. Classical
Before you go and say that ‘no one listens to classical music anymore’, you should know that it is not entirely correct. In fact, most people opt for the classical genre when they are preparing different subjects. Besides allowing you to eliminate any noise, it will also help you with lowering your stress levels, as well as improving your concentration.
3. Instrumental
The very last thing that you’ll want to hear are additional words in your head when you are revising your notes or writing an essay for class. And, if you are in this situation, you might want to choose to listen to instrumental songs a.k.a, songs without lyrics. Besides providing you with all the aforementioned benefits, it will also keep you focused on what you are doing, instead of making you want to stand up, dance, and sing to the song.
Can Music Actually Distract me From Studying?
Now, this is something that is truly worth mentioning – although there are various advantages and benefits that you can gain, this strategy might not be best for everyone. Some individuals that try this method find it extremely distracting, which can often happen when you are too concentrated on the material you have in front of you. If so, this learning strategy might not be for you.
But, you should know that it is extremely important to choose the right tunes. It would not be comfortable if you were studying for your ACT exams – that can help you get into the college of your dreams – and if you chose to listen to metal music. This will not only hinder you from concentrating, you won’t be able to memorize what you need to.
This is why it might be best for you to create a playlist that you’ll use for studying only. Whatever genre you choose, ensure that it is not something that is aggressive and that might cause discomfort. If it does, you won’t be able to prepare your exam properly, nor will you enjoy listening to those genres when learning.
Conclusion
As you can see, there is a wide range of benefits that can make the entire learning process easier, less time-consuming, and more importantly, less stressful and overwhelming for you. Of course, you do not need to choose the genres mentioned above, instead, you can choose the one you prefer most.
So, now that you know how music can help you with studying for your exams, you might not want to lose any more of your time. Instead, find an online radio, determine which music genre might be best for you, gather your studying materials, and get ready for that exam.
