Is listening to music while studying good

If you’re someone who listens to music because you can’t study in silence, you probably have a high GPA, according to a new study.

A recent survey conducted by OnePoll on behalf of online university CSU Global looked at the correlation between music and studying and found that those who listen to music were more likely to have a GPA above 3.2.

Half of the 2,000 respondents recalled listening to music regularly while studying (49%), and 60% said they studied better with sound in the background rather than in complete silence.

Some other sounds people enjoy listening to while studying include nature sounds (30%), real-life noises (26%) and podcasts (24%).

“There are a variety of platforms students can tap into to aid their studying habits, whether it’s an instrumental music playlist on Spotify, a soothing meditation on Calm or rain sounds on YouTube,” said Dr. Christina Agvent, program director of teaching and learning at CSU Global.

“There is something out there to fit every student’s preferences and study styles.”

The percentage of those who studied with music is larger for younger students, with 58% of 18 to 25-year-olds listening to music while studying versus just 41% of 58 to 76-year-olds.

Eighty percent of those who listen to music while studying agree that it’s therapeutic, and 75 percent said it helps them absorb information.

Those who listen to music also concede that it helps them enjoy their learning experience more (81%).

The survey also found that of the two-thirds of respondents who said they were focused in school, 58% of them still listened to music while studying.

Music listeners were most likely to use mnemonic devices, notecards or other creative tools to help them memorize information. They were also more likely to spend more time studying every week — upwards of seven hours.

Sixty-four percent of those who listen to music said they had an easier time taking tests, and 80% felt more prepared for class on a regular basis.

Listening to background music goes beyond the classroom.

Two in three Americans said they listen to music while they work, with 89% of respondents saying they feel more productive at work when listening to tunes and 84% saying music helps them look forward to work more.

Respondents’ favorite songs to listen to while they study included “Riverside” by Agnes Obel, “Against the World” by Bob Seger and “God’s Plan” by Drake.

Classical music (31%), R&B (28%) and country (28%) were the top genres people listen to while studying.

More than half (58%) of respondents said that schools should consider letting their students experiment with background music to help them focus.

“Listening to music while studying can be an extremely helpful tool for some students in improving their focus,” Agvent said. “I encourage all to explore different genres or other sounds to discover what may be the best fit for them in aiding their educational experience.”

Experts from the department of psychology explain whether or not music is a helpful study habit to use for midterms, finals, and other exams.

By Mia Mercer ‘23

Students have adopted several studying techniques to prepare for exams. Listening to music is one of them. However, listening to music may be more distracting than helpful for effective studying.

There’s no season quite like an exam season on a university campus. Students turn to varying vices to help improve their chance of getting a good grade. While some chug caffeine, others turn up the music as they hit the books.

Although listening to music can make studying more enjoyable, psychologists from the Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences have found that this popular study habit is more distracting than beneficial. 

“Multitasking is a fallacy; human beings are not capable of truly multitasking because attention is a limited resource, and you can only focus on so much without a cost,” cognitive psychologist Brian Anderson said. “So when you’re doing two things at the same time, like studying and listening to music, and one of the things requires cognitive effort, there will be a cost to how much information you can retain doing both activities.” 

In basic terms of memory, Anderson explained that we do a better job of recalling information in the same conditions in which we learn the material. So when studying for an exam, it’s best to mimic the exam conditions. 

“If you have music going on in the background when you study, it’s going to be easier to recall that information if you also have music on in the background when you take the exam,” Anderson said. “However wearing headphones will almost certainly be a violation during most exams, so listening to music when you’re studying will make it harder to replicate that context when you’re taking an exam.” 

Even though experts suggest listening to music can hinder your ability to retain information while studying, some students choose to continue the practice. Steven Smith, cognitive neuroscientist for the Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, provided some suggestions for students who wish to continue this study habit. 

 “In general, words are distracting,” Smith shared. “So if you want to listen to music while you study, try to listen to something that does not have words, or if it does have words, hopefully, it’ll be in a language that you don’t understand at all, otherwise that’s going to distract from the stuff you’re trying to study.”

Smith also suggested listening to familiar background music, because it’s less distracting than something new or exciting. Additionally, Smith provided some principles that generally result in better exam results. 

“Make sure your studying is meaningful because comprehension gets you so much further than raw repetition,” Smith shared. “Also, you must test yourself, because it’s the only way you can learn the material; this is called the testing-effect. And finally, try to apply the spacing-effect, where you spread out your study sessions rather than cramming your studying all together, allowing for better memory of the material.”

Regardless of how students decide to study for exams, it’s important to remember that we all learn differently.

“There are individual differences between everyone,” Smith said. “Some people need a study place that is boring, predictable, and exactly the same so that they can concentrate, and others find it more beneficial to go to different places to study. It’s true that there are different personalities, so try and find what study habit works best for you.” 

Is it good to listen to songs while studying?

Is it better to study with music or silence?