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Do you study with music on?

I used to, until I read (am a psych student) that it makes it harder to concentrate and take in information, so curious how many of you do?

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Original post by Noodlzzz
I used to, until I read (am a psych student) that it makes it harder to concentrate and take in information, so curious how many of you do?


What kind of studying, for me it makes a difference.
i study with music on:biggrin:
it keeps me motivated and I also have rules.For example: at the end of two songs I should have finished 3 question etc instead of looking at the time constantly.And every-time I recall a song in my mind I remember what I studied,kind of.But my memory of revision while listening to music is way better than no music.
And for some weird reason when I study last minute I get way better results than studying for a few hours.
Reply 3
yes i need music to study. my degree is mainly online/though books with little teaching so its so hard to concentrate and read so much shi* i find music helps me focus.
Reply 4
Original post by Noodlzzz
I used to, until I read (am a psych student) that it makes it harder to concentrate and take in information, so curious how many of you do?


Music? Yes. Songs? No. I tend to listen to movie and TV scores but never songs because more often than not, I focus on the lyrics instead of what I should be studying.
Original post by Noodlzzz
I used to, until I read (am a psych student) that it makes it harder to concentrate and take in information, so curious how many of you do?


Hello,

I listen to music - but nothing that has singing over the top of it.
Piano music and background music helps chill me out but I'm able to stay focused. I listen to it when doing assignments and what not!

:smile:
Original post by Noodlzzz
I used to, until I read (am a psych student) that it makes it harder to concentrate and take in information, so curious how many of you do?


There was a study that showed how active one's memory is in the presence, or lack of music. There were three groups; one memorised a list without music playing, another memorised a list with classic/acoustic music, while the other memorised with pop/lyrical music. The group that didn't listen to any music recalled the best, while the group that listened to classical music recalled second best.
Reply 7
Interesting, I did some research and found:

'Results from the current study demonstrated how important it is to consider the effects of distracting music on cognitive performance. It was shown that the volume plays a crucial role and could be more important than the type of music played. However, data from this study has demonstrated that silence seems to be the best environment to maximize performance when engaging in cognitive activity. Classical music was not shown to enhance performance contrary to the study’s expectations. Hence, the direct benefits of listening to music on cognitive processing could be more of a fantasy than a reality'
I like to have music on while I type up my notes, but when it comes to actually learning them I need to have quiet (metal isn't really conducive to concentration, I love it too much so it distracts me!) :lol:
I almost always study with music on, though (as a music student) I tend not to listen to the music I'm writing on, whilst writing.

So for example, at Oxford I'd write about Bach whilst listening to the Spice Girls. Now I write about ABBA whilst listening to a non-ABBA playlist, etc.

I find music gives me extra bounce and incentive to get going :yep:

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Silence bothers me a lot. I find it harder to concentrate. Last night I revised in a room where there were a lot of distractions (fish tank spray bar, a movie on TV, parents talking, troublemaking cats) but I managed to block it all out. All those sounds mixed together just felt like generic background noise. I took in enough to get a mark I'm really pleased with on the assessment today. However when it's too quiet I find every little sound will distract and irritate me.

If the room is too quiet or I'm finding I get distracted too much, then I plug in my earphones and open up http://rainymood.com.
If i'm doing Maths homework or Accounting, I like listening to Music. However if I'm trying to memorise economics notes, NOPE

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Reply 12
when im doing coursework or any type of work where i dont need to memorise something i just need to collect/ analyse/ put together info music helps me a lot
its gotten to the point where if i dont have an album to let play while im doing my work i just cant work at all :lol:
it ruins the music for me though, i put Melanie Martinez's Crybaby album on during my chem cwk and now it makes me nauseous if i listen to it x_x

but if i need to actually learn something - like understand a concept to explain in an exam for example - photosynthesis with the calvin cycle and the light dependent and independent stages
i need complete silence
Reply 13
I wish I could study with music, but I just find it impossible.
I envy you people who can:tongue:
Original post by GradeA*UnderA
There was a study that showed how active one's memory is in the presence, or lack of music. There were three groups; one memorised a list without music playing, another memorised a list with classic/acoustic music, while the other memorised with pop/lyrical music. The group that didn't listen to any music recalled the best, while the group that listened to classical music recalled second best.


This is interesting! However, we must take into account that these groups would have studied for the same period of time... you see in real life people stay focused and motivated with music running in the background... thus those listening to classical music may be able to study for longer with greater motivation compared to those without :smile: #Moooose
I listen to the words of the Prophet Muhammad. :2euk48l:
(edited 7 years ago)
Reply 16
Depends on what I'm doing. If it's something which requires me to remember it ie revision then no. If it's just a list of questions I'm doing or after a long days work yes just to keep motivated
Original post by OvergrownMoose
This is interesting! However, we must take into account that these groups would have studied for the same period of time... you see in real life people stay focused and motivated with music running in the background... thus those listening to classical music may be able to study for longer with greater motivation compared to those without :smile: #Moooose


Good point. Guess you need to factor longevity too.
I can't concentrate WITHOUT music. The silence just makes me think about what music COULD be playing tbh.

i.e. music ain't ideal, I do sing along, but it's in the back of my mind - no music makes me actively think about music.
Yes. It motivates me. Whilst of course my concentration is lesser, at least I'm actually getting the stuff done.

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