Whether it’s riding a jammed train or washing a towering heap of plates, nothing makes agonizing work more tolerable and enjoyable than music. And, judging by the number of students wearing headphones while reading books and writing reports in libraries across the earth, it’s right to say that the same applies to studying, too. But if you’re still on the fence about whether listening to music can benefit you or not, here’s a list of reasons why you should give it a try and why it will make a world of difference:
I) Makes your Studying Fun:
While the jury is still out on whether hearing to music can benefit everyone or just a particular type of person, there’s no doubt that university life will be a lot duller and tedious without it. A tiny bit of Kanye West or Beyoncé is all you need for that extra lift of confidence to get your head down and crack on with your work.
Sam Browne, Founder of Find a DJ company says “Listening to music has been scientifically proven to cause the release of dopamine; a chemical that makes a person feel happier, more motivated, and relaxed. And, let’s face it, you can’t ace an exam if you’re feeling the contrast of all those things”
2) Better Visualization:
There’s been a lot of discussion on the Mozart Effect’s accuracy, a popular theory in the nineties that claimed that listening to Mozart will make you smarter. And while recent research tends to dispute these claims, that hasn’t stopped hordes of mums and teachers from playing his music during the study period. The reasons being that there are still compelling data out there, which suggests that classical music can indeed improve spatial-temporal reasoning or the ability to manipulate shapes mentally – albeit for a limited time. The study also proposes that the Mozart effect isn’t limited to the maestro only, but other classical masters.
3) Brain Exercising:
You’ve heard about the importance of working out infinite times, but no one’s really talked about the significance of exercising your brain. Like any other organ in the body, the brain grows old too, and without proper maintenance, it can age very badly.
Williams Taylor from Innovative SEO says “There are many ways to take care of the brain like reading, solving puzzles, and writing but listening to music is perhaps the easiest and most convenient one.”
In a paper published in the online journal, Neuropsychology, professor Brenda Hanna-Pladdy states that musical activity serves as a cognitive exercise for the brain, which trains it for more future hurdles. Therefore, people who have musical training early on, specifically before age seven, have healthier brains and are less likely to suffer from debilitating diseases like Alzheimer’s or Dementia. But you don’t have to wait for a specific age before benefitting from music. Regardless of whether you’re a freshman or senior, you can start exercising your brain now, simply by bopping to your favorite tunes.
4) Makes you Less Anxious:
A new survey by YouGov showed that 1 in every 4 of British students suffers from mental health problems. Among those who participated, anxiety and stress seem to be the most commonplace, with 71% of them citing studying as a main source of stress. Given the amount of pressure students are regularly under, this statistic is not entirely shocking but it is still quite alarming. According to research done by Cambridge University Professors Akeem Sule and Becky Inkster, hip-hop music provides an uplifting effect to its listeners that can help them accept, manage, and deal better with mental health issues. While we agree that rap is not everyone’s cup of tea, it also doesn’t bother to try new things if it means giving your brain that extra bit of support it needs.
“Back in my university days, I used to listen to rap music while studying and I would strongly recommend you If you are like the many students suffering from anxiety and stress” says Robin Brown, CEO of VIVIPINS.
5) Memory Improvement:
Ever wondered why it’s easier to memorize the lyrics of Eminem’s Lose Yourself than the table of chemical elements? That’s because your brain looks for patterns to understand better, recall, and process information. It’s the same reason why music producers always put a hook in their songs. It’s designed to do exactly that – to ‘hook’ a listener in. The Germans call, der Ohrwurm, meaning ‘musical itch,’ or more popularly known as the earworm. Coined in 1979 by psychiatrist Cornelius Eckert, earworm occurs when a part of the song gets stuck in your head for an extended period of time (we’re talking days and weeks here), and you can’t get it out. Incidentally, this is also one way of enhancing your brain’s memory, which is why some language courses are set to music since it’s easier to remember information when it’s embedded within a pattern of ear-catching melodies. Some even recommend that the advantages don’t necessarily depend on the kind of music you listen to, but rather how effectively your brain latches on to the song’s pattern.