Improve the Sound of Studying
Music Can Hold Progress Back
Listening to music during a study session can be complicated. I know an endless amount of people who just listen to everyday music like pop or country while writing an essay and act like it's no big deal, but here's the truth: listening to music with lyrics while studying is holding you back.
The brain can hardly multitask. In one of my college classes I took last semester, our professor showed us a video on how difficult it is for our brains to multitask. And although the act of listening to music while writing is different, your brain is still wasting time processing the words you hear in the song while trying to comprehend what words fit into a sentence that eventually forms a whole essay.
So, I urge you, dear reader, to not listen to music with words while studying or doing a school assignment. It simply wastes time and distracts your brain from reaching its full potential.
Changing the Way You Study
Your brain can still thrive from music. Many people listen to classical music while working because while listening to it, the brain produces more dopamine, as well as improves learning and memory, according to Jenna Iacurci's article.
A Playlist
There is more than just classical music that you can listen to in order to enhance the quality of your studying. I, personally, do not love classical, but there are nature sounds that you can listen to, or any soothing songs that are good for relaxation and increasing the ability to focus, some of which I compiled into a study playlist for anyone who needs it:
-Embers by Tracy Chattaway
-Passage by Lowercase Noises
-Branches and Constellations by the Echelon Effect
-Twentytwofourteen by The Album Leaf
-WEIGHTLESS by Marconi Union (Note: I found this song from an article that expresses WEIGHTLESS to be the most relaxing song on Earth because there is no rhythmic pattern to it, teaching the brain to not try to find pattern in it; great for relaxation and focusing purposes)
-Concentration Relaxing Songs by the Calming Music Academy
-The Sound of Silence by The Abassi Brothers
-Milos by Kungs
-Creep by Deadmau5
-The Big Ocean by Ben Solice
-The Great Pacific North West by Glenn Jones
-Pú ert Jörôin by Ólafur Arnolds (It's a foreign-named song, so pardon the lack of correct characters on the keyboard)
-My Mind Was A Fog... My Heart Became A Bomb by Hammock
-Rooftop Kiss by James Horner
-Garden of Peace by Philip Guyler
-Silver Sky by Enzo
-Countryside Life by Nature Sounds (this one is basically all nature sounds, hence the name of who it's by)
-Relax by Tranquil Music Sound of Nature
-Power of the Mind (Exam Study) by Tranquil Music Sound of Nature
-Improve Concentration by Tranquil Music Sound of Nature
-Your Hand in Mine by Explosions in the Sky
Find it plus a few more songs on Spotify here:
*Disclaimer: Yes, don't think I'm going against my own word by adding a few songs on the playlist that have words, but I was thinking if played on shuffle, when a song with words starts to play, it's time for a study break! Those songs have been chosen because they are calming and will not break the mind away from its state of focus.
Sources
An article covering a study on classical music's effect on the brain:
The article my professor showed the class:
