How​ ​does​ ​music​ ​help​ ​us​ ​study?

Music​ ​can​ ​either​ ​distract​ ​a​ ​student’s​ ​studies​ ​or​ ​help​ ​them​ ​focus​ ​on​ ​studying.

One​ ​thing​ ​that’s​ ​been​ ​on​ ​some​ ​minds​ ​is​ ​if​ ​music​ ​really​ ​helps​ ​in​ ​studying.​ ​Students​ ​tend​ ​to​ ​either listen​ ​to​ ​music,​ ​have​ ​background​ ​noise,​ ​or​ ​pure​ ​quietness​ ​while​ ​they​ ​study​ ​after​ ​classes.​ ​Each student​ ​has​ ​their​ ​own​ ​way​ ​of​ ​studying​ ​and​ ​how​ ​it​ ​affects​ ​their​ ​ability​ ​to​ ​study.

“Music​ ​keeps​ ​me​ ​focused​ ​and​ ​blocks​ ​out​ ​the​ ​extra​ ​noise,”​ ​says​ ​Maddie​ ​Minton,​ ​SFCC​ ​student. “I​ ​always​ ​listen​ ​to​ ​a​ ​variety​ ​of​ ​music​ ​that​ ​pops​ ​up​ ​on​ ​my​ ​Spotify.”

Minton​ ​has​ ​been​ ​studying​ ​in​ ​the​ ​library​ ​due​ ​to​ ​it​ ​being​ ​clean​ ​and​ ​having​ ​less​ ​distractions​ ​than​ ​at home.

On​ ​the​ ​other​ ​hand,​ ​some​ ​students​ ​don’t​ ​listen​ ​to​ ​music​ ​because​ ​it​ ​distracts​ ​them.

“Music​ ​tends​ ​to​ ​distract​ ​me​ ​from​ ​my​ ​studies,”​ ​says​ ​Marlee​ ​Blua,​ ​SFCC​ ​student.​ ​“I​ ​like​ ​to​ ​study​ ​in a​ ​confined​ ​room​ ​full​ ​of​ ​quietness.”

We​ ​all​ ​have​ ​differences​ ​on​ ​whether​ ​music​ ​helps​ ​us​ ​or​ ​not.

“Music​ ​helps​ ​me​ ​study​ ​if​ ​I​ ​am​ ​listening​ ​to​ ​classical​ ​or​ ​instrumental​ ​music,”​ ​says​ ​Kimberlie Matteson,​ ​SFCC​ ​student.​ ​“It​ ​keeps​ ​me​ ​focused​ ​and​ ​is​ ​good​ ​background​ ​noise.”

It​ ​all​ ​depends​ ​on​ ​the​ ​student​ ​on​ ​whether​ ​or​ ​not​ ​music​ ​helps​ ​in​ ​studying.​ ​It​ ​also​ ​depends​ ​on​ ​the type​ ​of​ ​music​ ​as​ ​well,​ ​whether​ ​it’s​ ​jazz,​ ​classical,​ ​​ ​instrumental,​ ​hip​ ​hop,​ ​rap,​ ​or​ ​heavy​ ​metal,​ ​it just​ ​depends​ ​on​ ​the​ ​mood​ ​the​ ​student​ ​is​ ​in​ ​and​ ​what​ ​helps​ ​them​ ​keep​ ​focused.

“Students​ ​that​ ​test​ ​in​ ​environments​ ​with​ ​background​ ​music​ ​had​ ​better​ ​results​ ​than​ ​students​ ​that had​ ​background​ ​noise​ ​of​ ​people​ ​talking,​ ​traffic​ ​noise,​ ​or​ ​nature​ ​noise,”​ ​said​ ​Max​ ​Baker​ ​Istudent in​ ​an​ ​article​ ​from​ ​Independent​ ​magazine.​ ​“Therefore,​ ​taking​ ​an​ ​iPod​ ​and​ ​a​ ​set​ ​of​ ​headphones may​ ​come​ ​in​ ​handy​ ​if​ ​you’re​ ​looking​ ​to​ ​avoid​ ​being​ ​distracted​ ​by​ ​any​ ​ambient​ ​sounds.”

Teachers​ ​know​ ​some​ ​things​ ​about​ ​students​ ​who​ ​listen​ ​to​ ​music​ ​as​ ​they​ ​study.

“I​ ​think​ ​music​ ​helps​ ​students​ ​immensely,”​ ​said​ ​Nathan​ ​Lansing,​ ​Music​ ​teacher​ ​at​ ​SFCC.​ ​“Music can​ ​help​ ​teach​ ​students​ ​about​ ​the​ ​elements,​ ​the​ ​US​ ​states,​ ​and​ ​about​ ​many​ ​other​ ​subjects.”

Lansing​ ​has​ ​taught​ ​History​ ​of​ ​Pop​ ​Music​ ​at​ ​SFCC​ ​and​ ​sees​ ​improvement​ ​of​ ​students performances​ ​when​ ​they​ ​listen​ ​to​ ​music​ ​while​ ​studying​ ​for​ ​any​ ​subject.

When​ ​studying,​ ​it​ ​mostly​ ​depends​ ​on​ ​what​ ​the​ ​student​ ​feels​ ​they​ ​should​ ​either​ ​listen​ ​to,​ ​or​ ​not listen​ ​to,​ ​to​ ​help​ ​them​ ​with​ ​their​ ​studies.​ ​While​ ​on​ ​the​ ​other​ ​hand,​ ​teachers​ ​and​ ​studies​ ​show that​ ​music​ ​helps​ ​students​ ​when​ ​they​ ​study.