Does Listening to Music Help with Studying?

by Zura Gigineishvili

Does it affect our health? Or do we benefit from it? These are two questions that you always hear when somebody brings up the fact that they listen to music while studying. BRAINSTUDY.com and STUDY.com did research on the topic and it turns out that 65.3% of 75 people listen to music while studying, and that 44% of the 75 choose soft music to listen to. STUDY.com explains why so many people answered yes to the question:

“During long study sessions, music can aid endurance. In some cases, students have found that music helps them with memorization, likely by creating a positive mood, which indirectly boosts memory formation.”

I did a survey at our school stopping some students and asking them this question, and surprisingly, the results were really similar. Of the 47 people that I asked this question to, 55%(26 people) said that they do, and the other 45%(21 people) said that they don’t listen to music while studying. Because the results were so alike, I asked all of them to justify their answer and say why they chose either of the answers.

Here are some of the reasons why students in our school don’t listen to music:

• Can’t concentrate on one task;

• Starts thinking about other things;

• Not a calm environment;

• Music gets them to dance;

• Gets on their nerves.

Some of them even said that it’s really hard for them to do homework for hours if you do it with music, so to finish quickly and then have extra time to listen to music, it’s better for them not to.

Now, let’s move on to people who listen to music while studying. Here are some of the many reasons why:

• To not get distracted;

• Relaxation;

• Motivation;

• Shuts all of the noise out;

• To not get bored;

I also asked these people to tell me the main genres they listen to. Most of them said that they listen to everything, but a lot of them said that Pop and calm music with no words helps them with thinking better.

Here is my interview with one of the Russian teachers, Irina Chkheidze, who answered some questions about this topic:

(Z)-Interviewer, Me; (I)-Mrs. Irina Chkehidze

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(Z)-Hello! First of all, thank you for agreeing to an interview.

(I)-Thank you for having me, it’s an interesting topic that a lot of students have opinions about.

(Z)-First question: do you think students should listen to music while studying?

(I)-They can, though are not required or obligated to do so. But it’s their choice and it won’t harm them.

(Z)-What do you think are some of the cons and pros of listening to music while studying?

(I)-It depends on the person, but for some of them it makes them lose concentration. For others, it's sort of a way to have your inner harmony and be relaxed while studying.

(Z)-Did you ever have an experience while being a teacher where a student said that they studied better with music or vice versa?

(I)- No, it hasn't happened to me but I know of situations when a student was listening to music while drawing and they learn something easier, this situation is similar there are people who listen to music and understand things easier. But I think that it shouldn’t prevent them from learning if someone can concentrate. For example, one of my relatives was listening to rock music while studying and he had good grades.

(Z)-Last question: you said multiple times that concentration is key, what is your advice to students who can’t concentrate on a task?

(I)-There are many concentration exercises for them to find even on the internet. Seeking advice from the therapist would also work to understand why they have this problem. There is always a solution, you just have to believe in yourself and find it.

(Z)-Thank you very much!

(I)-Goodbye, thank you as well.

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In conclusion, listening to music while studying is a thing students will argue about all the time, but it isn’t a bad thing. As shown by studies and said by a teacher, it doesn’t affect our mind and sometimes even helps us relax.

Edited by Iviko Sakvarelidze