Does music help or hinder studying?

Another benefit from playing music is that it has the ability to keep the mind from zoning out. Focus is a key factor in being successful when trying to learn new information.

Undecided

–CORRECTIONS–

Volume 122, Issue 6

Page 1: The date of Getty publicist Amy Hood’s presentation was incorrectly listed April 20 in the #Piercewire. The correct date is April 30. See this issue’s #Piercewire on the front page for more information.

ASHLEY LʼHEUREUX alheureux.roundupnews@gmail.com @LHeureuxAshley

Music has been scientifically proven to stimulate brain activity that would be essential when studying. Listening to music while preparing for the next final would only improve thought quality, leading to a better chance of passing.

People study differently, but there are certain ways of boosting attentiveness. Most people enjoy listening to music, so adding something of interest to a stressful task like studying is appealing.

There is a concept called the Mozart Effect that shows that music without lyrics actually improves the concentration of the cognitive process. This method also blocks out any background noise that could distract a student from focusing on the material at hand.

However, depending on personality and music taste, the Mozart Effect may not suit everyone. Therefore, whichever music is most pleasing to you will work just as effectively.

Music also has a dramatic impact on mood that could convenience the studying task. Since studying brings a tense atmosphere, relief from that stress with the cheerful sounds of music would be a smart balance.

Overall, the presence of entertainment while spending hours reviewing chapter after chapter will make every study session less painful. It will create the illusion that the learning process is something to enjoy, especially when there are multiple tests in one week.

The key to success when studying with music is choosing a suitable playlist. And once the list of songs is perfected, there will be a better understanding of your learning ability.

The volume level and genre of music is also an important aspect to consider when creating the right way to study. Just as there are different methods of studying, there are many different ways that music can help with that procedure.

Next time the stress of homework or tests becomes unbearable, put on your favorite tunes and relax. The harmonies and melodies are only trying to help your brain learn.

SAL FARIAZ sfariaz.roundupnews@gmail.com @S_Fariaz

When you study without music, you are more likely to retain what you have studied.

In a study done at the University of Wales, they placed people in five different rooms with five different types of noise and recorded how they did on a test they had on the material studied.

One room was silent, one played music of the subjects’ choice, one played music the subject detested, one looped a single word to mimic a continuous background noise and the last room played a variety of words to simulate an environment with a conversation taking place.

The results showed similar test scores between the two music rooms and the conversation room. The biggest difference was seen comparing those rooms to the quiet room and the one with a word repeated continuously.

People listen to music while studying because they hope it will help them remember, concentrate or eliminate distractions around them. This seems as if it will work until we realize that lyrics are distracting.

When listening to music with lyrics, as many people do, it accesses the language processing centers of the brain, according to University of Phoenix. This makes studying even more difficult when you try to read for meaning.

The Mozart Effect is a theory that states when you listen to music without lyrics, like classical music, it will actually raise your overall intelligence. This is a myth and the original study showed an improvement in spatial intelligence of it’s subject, which helps more with realistic problems instead of test knowledge.

Classical music is just a more calming, less destructive noise to listen to while studying.

It comes down to the person asking his or herself if making study time feel shorter and more enjoyable justifies the decision to make studying less effective. If the answer is yes, then put your Beats back on in your corner of the library.

If your answer is no, you will be better off in a quiet and comfortable area to study where you can give your text its full, undivided attention.

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