Music and Studying: Do They Go Hand in Hand?

 Do you study with or without music? Personally for me, it kind of depends on where I'm at and what subject I'm working on. I'll listen to music while taking notes or completing some assignments, but with things like writing a paper or studying flashcards, I have to have quiet. I see people all the time with earbuds or headphones on while the study and do homework, but I really want to know if it helps increase productivity. What do you think?

While music can put us in a better mood, thus increasing productivity and motivation to get things done, it can also be distracting and make us procrastinate. It really depends on the type of music you listen to. Many studies have been created to analyze this concept, which has lead to interesting finds and theories about the relationship between music and studying. For example, research has shown that listening classical music such as Mozart actually improves test scores, and this was backed up by the evidence found in the study, which is that the music's ability to stimulate parts of the mind play a significant role mathematic ability. From this evidence, the Mozart Effect was established; the idea that listening to Mozart makes you "smarter". To elaborate on this, it makes sense because of the way classical music is played; it is soft, slow, and contains no lyrics. When I study, I personally listen to what's called "lofi beats" and it helps me tremendously when getting work done. It took me a while to find this genre, but I'm so glad I did.

However, music can also be distracting when studying. This mainly depends on the type of music played, like loud and fast music. The University of Wollongong Australia writes that, "When you study, you are using your 'working memory' -- than means that you are holding and maniputlating several bits of information in your head at one" (UOW).  Much research has been done on this, and all have pointed to one answer: "...when there's music in the background, and especially music with vocals, our working memory gets worse" (UOW). 

So the end goal is: everyone listens to music, and it's okay to...as long as its the right kind. You'll be better off listening to instrumental or soft-beat music, rather than rap or dance music. Don't have it so loud either. All in all, the less "wordy" it is, the better.