InState Magazine

It’s finally December, and the countdown to Christmas began long ago, however the only thing many of us are concerned with at the moment is finals week and its impending arrival. Naturally, students want to amp up their regular studying routines.

Focusing and staying on task while studying can become difficult, especially in the weeks before the holidays. But so many are found to be listening to music while studying. Why is this? Wouldn’t you think that music would be yet another distraction? Perhaps not; recent studies have come through to help us figure it all out.
A study published in the Journal of Consumer Research by Ravi Mehta, Rui Zhu, and Amar Cheema, titled “Is Noise Always Bad? Exploring the Effects of Ambient Noise on Creative Cognition,” tackled many questions involving music and ambient noise on productivity. What they found: the costs and benefits of listening to music depends on a variety of aspects.

The study suggests that listening to music when learning something new is a bad idea. Save it for when you are studying or doing tedious homework.
Classical and instrumental music does the most for productivity but studies found that listening to your music from your favorite genres can help lower tension and keep your juices flowing. It is far more beneficial to listen to music without lyrics to keep your brain focused on schoolwork.

Listen to familiar music when when studying. Listening to songs that you recognize triggers your brain to release dopamine, which is the key ingredient in what is called the “rewards system.”  Your mood and attention levels will respond positively

When you listen to new music, it is typical that your dopamine levels will be higher, especially if you were to run into a new song that suddenly became your new favorite.
During finals week preparation, it is important to take a break from studying every once in a while. Working out listening to your favorite upbeat tunes is an awesome way to relieve stress. A study by Thomas Fritz recommends that you listen to music while exercising because it “reduces perceived exertion during strenuous physical performance.” This could also be a time for you to check out some new music and get those dopamine levels to skyrocket.

Music reduces how much pain you will feel, helps you maintain your pace, keep your mood up and keep your mind flowing. Adequate exercise can be very instrumental in keeping your mind sharp, so be certain to make some extra time this month for exercise.

Don’t be discouraged if these techniques don’t seem to work for you - everyone is different! Stephen King, one of present days most successful and prolific writers, wrote in his book “On Writing” that he actually prefers to listen to hard rock while he works.

So, whether you plan to hit the books hard or spend your days on the treadmill, try to be mindful of what you are listening to and the effects it may have.
Keeping these tips in mind, good luck on your finals and enjoy some good tunes in the process.