Can Music Help You Study and Focus? | National University (2024)

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Can Music Help You Study and Focus? | National University? ›

The potential of music

When it comes to studying for an exam, many students find that one of the best ways to stay focused no matter where they are is through listening to music. One study found that people who listen to music in either a casual or focused way had higher scores for mental wellbeing and reduced levels of anxiety.

Because music reduces a person's stress, they can study without pressure from outside factors. Research also suggests that studying in a good mood improves the results of learning, and chances are that material will be retained without stress and a happier mood.

Studying music nurtures creativity, builds empathy, and helps people better express their emotions and manage anxiety.

“Music activates both the left and right brain at the same time, and the activation of both hemispheres can maximize learning and improve memory,” says Dr. Masha Godkin, a professor of Marriage and Family Sciences at National University in San Diego.

Listening to music helps you concentrate and focus on tasks that require mental effort. This technique can be beneficial while studying or working on a challenging project. Music can also block distractions and create a conducive learning environment, which helps with staying on task.

We have found that the best genres of music to listen to while studying, reading or writing include minimalist, classical, piano and low-fi music. We've compiled some of the best lyric-free playlists that will act as brain food while keeping your attention on your studies so you can ace that test and earn that A.

Music is even a great tool for remembering key pieces of information. Some students even find it helpful to set information to the beat of music, which can help with learning and memory retention by creating a rhythmic pattern that helps the brain organize and process information.

Music can make us feel, help to calm our nerves, or build us into a frenzy, and make us think deeply or simply allow us to remember vividly. Music is a box of memories to be cherished and admired, something to open frequently and re-visit as a source of inspiration.

How does music help the brain? ›

Evidence suggests that listening to music may help brain cells process information more efficiently and may facilitate the brain's ability to adapt.

Listening to and performing music reactivates areas of the brain associated with memory, reasoning, speech, emotion, and reward. Two recent studies—one in the United States and the other in Japan—found that music doesn't just help us retrieve stored memories, it also helps us lay down new ones.

Listening to happy music causes the brain to release the feel-good chemical dopamine, which helps you feel motivated and see tasks as much more achievable.

Listening to music while studying

For example, familiar music can improve concentration and retention during study sessions by reducing cortisol and stress levels. This can allow your brain to focus without interruption.

The researchers found evidence to suggest that music can engage your brain in such a way that it trains it to pay better attention to events and make predictions about what might happen. How does this help you study? Well, if you struggle to make sense of new material, listening to music could make this process easier.

In a nutshell, music puts us in a better mood, which makes us better at studying – but it also distracts us, which makes us worse at studying. So if you want to study effectively with music, you want to reduce how distracting music can be, and increase the level to which the music keeps you in a good mood.

The bottom line. Music can improve your mood and help you feel more motivated to tackle important tasks, but it doesn't always work as a study tool. Even people who love music might find it less than helpful when trying to concentrate.

No matter how 'background' the music may be and how little we notice it, the brain is still processing sound signals. Almost all research in this area has shown that problem solving and memory recall tasks are performed better in silence than with any kind of background noise.