William
Is listening to music while studying productive?
I often listen to power metal or classical music while doing homework or studying. I'm starting to think that it might be distracting. Is listening to music while studying more harmful or beneficial? #music
4 answers
Michael Wright
Michael’s Answer
It depends on the person. For some people it’s distracting, for others it’s soothing, regardless of the type of music. However, from what I understand from different studies, is that if you are listening to music or whatnot while studying for an exam, you’d also want to listen to music while taking the exam.
Michael - Thank you for your answer. We need more advice like this, now more than ever! There are more than 1k unanswered questions on CV right now. Hoping you'll answer a few more this week!
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Tarun Jain
Tarun’s Answer
You can consider listening to nature sounds such as rain, waterfall etc. Anything that helps you focus is good.
Marlena Daecher
Marlena’s Answer
Like Michael said, it really depends on the person. I also believe it depends on what method of studying you plan on doing (ie: memorization, reading, problem sets, coding, etc.)
If you align the genre of music to what you're hoping to achieve, music can have a positive impact. For example, since classical music doesn't have lyrics, it can be good for reading or any kind of language-based work. If you are working on more technical subject matters such as engineering or mathematics, listening to music with lyrics is typically fine won't affect your focus.
Additionally, if studying for a big exam is stressful for you, listening to calming music can affect your mood and make you feel more at ease. Feeling calm and relaxed will allow you to better retain the material you're reviewing, since you will not be distracted by your own stress and anxiety.
Veronica Adams
Veronica’s Answer
Classical music is good for studying because it helps you focus. Rock music is better when you are doing homework assignments.