I was in lecture a couple nights ago and my professor insisted that while doing readings, in this case, scientific readings, you should not listen to music because both use the same parts of the brain.

Personally, I've always been inclined to listen to music because silence itself can be distracting. However, it's mostly instrumentals, nothing that requires being attentive to lyrics.

I'm just wondering what you guys think about this subject. Do you listen to music when you study. Has it worked for you or do you find it disadvantageous. What do you listen to when you study? Rap? Classical? Trance? Soft rock?

micronesia

United States24673 Posts

October 10 2009 21:01 GMT

I like absolute silence when I concentrate, but I've noticed that younger generations are the opposite... I think it has to do with how you are brought up but I could be wrong.

Scorch

Austria3371 Posts

October 10 2009 21:04 GMT

I like Drum&Bass for studying. It has no distracting lyrics and uses the same recurring beat in every single track. I find it great as background music while studying or working.

Kaialynn

United States242 Posts

October 10 2009 21:05 GMT

On October 11 2009 05:55 ProbeSaturation wrote:
I was in lecture a couple nights ago and my professor insisted that while doing readings, in this case, scientific readings, you should not listen to music because both use the same parts of the brain.

Personally, I've always been inclined to listen to music because silence itself can be distracting. However, it's mostly instrumentals, nothing that requires being attentive to lyrics.

I'm just wondering what you guys think about this subject. Do you listen to music when you study. Has it worked for you or do you find it disadvantageous. What do you listen to when you study? Rap? Classical? Trance? Soft rock?

I study so much better when I have Classical/15th Century Gothic Choir or Trance playing in the background.

HOWEVER

Anything else and I study worse. A lot worse.

UFO

582 Posts

October 10 2009 21:12 GMT

I like learning in slience is better , I`m albe to concentrate more easily that way ^^

I believe things like music do take your attention nonetheless , even if you conciously don`t realize it - your subconciousness records it . I can`t rly tell if this disturbes the learning process but there is a high possibility that it does cuz subconcious is taking part in your learning process.... anyways the best method is to test it out , just learn with music once and without once then compare results

Aresien

United Kingdom305 Posts

October 10 2009 21:13 GMT

It's weird, the only music that I study better to is a good quality version of Pachelbel's canon.
Literally anything else I can't concentrate with, very strange

Fontong

United States6454 Posts

October 10 2009 21:17 GMT

Listening to jazz while studying is so distracting. I always end up getting caught up in how good it is.

caldo149

United States469 Posts

October 10 2009 21:24 GMT

sometimes I like to have some background music, or even just noise because usually the silence really gets to me. But when I'm absolutely focused 100% it doesn't even matter either way. It cant be too catchy, sometimes I go classical or maybe the one of the channels at www.di.fm like lounge, techno or hardcore, but I don't play it very loud because then I'll get into it too much XD

Kaniol

Poland5551 Posts

October 10 2009 21:32 GMT

Depends on kinds of music. Some hypnotic rhythms really help me to focus. OFC anything energetic doesn't, it actually makes me wanna stand up and do something, anything

I really like to listen to Chemical Brothers while studying, Autechre works well too. And Metallica's Call of Cthulu

And quite a few other instrumentals (as well as ballads, for example Kat's ones), but Call of Cthulu is my fav. one.

maga33

United States247 Posts

October 10 2009 21:34 GMT

#10

When I'm doing math homework which is usually busy work, I like trance/classical/touhou music or most other songs with no lyrics. When I'm studying anything else, I like complete silence.

Carnivorous Sheep

Baa?21242 Posts

October 10 2009 21:36 GMT

#11

Depends on my mood, I do both. Sometimes I feel like listening, sometimes I don't.

Caller

Poland8075 Posts

October 10 2009 21:38 GMT

#12

i've found that listening to rock music or anything that i can understand is terrible for my studying.

But J-Pop, Techno, some Rap songs, and people's streams are often really good for studying.

Xd

ForTheSwarm

United States556 Posts

October 10 2009 21:43 GMT

#13

On October 11 2009 06:17 Fontong wrote:
Listening to jazz while studying is so distracting. I always end up getting caught up in how good it is.

Agreed man! Agreed

CaucasianAsian

Korea (South)11577 Posts

October 10 2009 21:44 GMT

#14

when i am reading for my American Literature class I need it to be absolutely quiet, so i go to the silent study area of the library. In other cases, I listen to Yndi Halda, Daturah, Milosh, This Will Destroy You, and Do Make Say Think

Jayme

United States5866 Posts

October 10 2009 21:45 GMT

#15

On October 11 2009 06:34 maga33 wrote:
When I'm doing math homework which is usually busy work, I like trance/classical/touhou music or most other songs with no lyrics. When I'm studying anything else, I like complete silence.

It depends on the person.

I hate silence really. I like having noise in the backround and it doesn't hurt my concentration at all if I have blaring rock music pounding in my ears. I like it that way.

Studying is different for everyone. Some professor will rarely be able to tell you how to study that works best for you. I would have flipped him off as I aced his tests...rock music studying and all.

Also Touhou music is amazing.

Slaughter

United States20254 Posts

October 10 2009 21:50 GMT

#16

I cannot listen to anything, in fact any sound is highly distracting to me. Just 2 people talking in the same room and I have a hard time reading.

Last.Midnight

Australia903 Posts

October 10 2009 21:53 GMT

#17

i typically play my playlist and i dont get distracted but if a great riff comes up my mind switches to it and i must headbang frantically until it is over. i then resume studying.

Kingfisher

Canada144 Posts

October 10 2009 22:00 GMT

#18

I actually saw a psychology study on this.

The results was that music with lyrics regardless of genre did in fact contribute distraction. However, music with instrumentals (in this case, a classical music was chosen) did not affect a person's performance in studying at all. But as a psychologists mentioned that the best studying environment is the one that most resembles the testing environment and thus, by studying with music it also suggests that you'd do better while listening to music during the test as well. Since this isn't possible, I guess it would be better to study in silence; but the actual listening to instrumental music theoretically would not hinder in studying.

On a personal note, I can't study math or any other repetitive work without music cause it gets tedious but in case of readings, I'd prefer without music.

The Raurosaur

198 Posts

October 10 2009 22:25 GMT

#19

I like to listen to music, preferably instrumental stuff like D&B or classical, while studying. However, when trying to wrap my head around something really complex, or reading a really complicated proof or whatever, I turn the music down or off so I can concentrate more intensely.