How Music Helps Students in Getting Better Grades

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Today, it seems like all sorts of websites and blogs offer tips and hacks for increasing our productivity. Some of these are free, others are advertised as online courses, audio programs, books and site memberships that come at a price. No wonder this makes many people doubt if these are worth paying for.

Everyone wants to know how they can accomplish more while avoiding stress and burnout. However, if you are a student, you probably have better things to spend money on. You know, things like travel, some fun activities, or professional essay writing websites whenever getting that paper done is a matter of the utmost importance. Anyway, if you are a student, you are likely to be smart enough to figure out that most of the information of paid online courses can be found for free.

A prompt: What makes some people more successful than others, and what makes some accomplish more over the same period of time, increasing their productivity? The questions may seem different, but the answer is the same. Honorable mentions:

talent,
environment,
self-discipline,
habits,
experience,
self-development,
goal-setting,
prioritizing goals and tasks.

And the winner is…

What really sets the high achievers and low achievers apart is the ability to focus, optimizing concentration and managing to ward off interruptions or distractions. This may sound simple, except that it is anything but.

In other words, longer study or work sessions with focusing on one thing at a time yield better results than multi-tasking and fragmented endeavors. This may seem a no-brainer as well, but how do you get your enthusiastic, sociable, or anxious self to survive such lengthy sessions? Any suggestions besides the old adage of setting a timer and immersing yourself in work without paying attention to anything else until the timer goes off?

Music for concentration

People have been always trying to find solutions for becoming smarter or more productive in less time. The things they experimented with ranged from simple and obvious to more strange and ridiculous (such as wearing a special suit for academic and scientific work to minimize distractions). Years of research didn’t result in discovering the ultimate formula, but here’s the good news: music is the next best thing. Although it isn’t a guaranteed magical way to make one smarter, as ‘the Mozart effect’ theory suggested, the superpowers once attributed to music may not be a complete myth. While listening to classical music does not increase the students’ IQ, it helps them study better.

Across decades and different studies, researchers prove that listening to music can help enhance your ability to concentrate and reduce distractions. It is an effective and affordable tool for everyone to use, especially invaluable in the age of information and distractions overload.

Since the kinds of tasks we may need to focus on are varied and individual, so are the music choices that may work best for one person but not the other. There is no sure-fire recipe for using music to maintain focus or endure monotonous tasks for longer. However, there are some general observations on the matter that can help you find the most effective kind of music for certain tasks and purposes.

Background and ambient music

If you prefer to work or study in silence, but have no private space or need to block out external noise, consider trying low-volume instrumental or ambient background music. “White noise” and sounds from the natural world are also great for creating a peaceful atmosphere and a more productive environment. According to the Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, both natural and ambient sounds are effective at screening out background noise that you find annoying or distracting.

Classical music

Classical music has a proven relaxing effect. It may lower blood pressure and stress levels, it reduces tension and anxiety. Probably due to its well-organized and structured form, classical music actually helps people focus and get organized. According to the latest research results, classical music tracks paced at about 60 beats per minute are optimal for studying. However, if you don’t like the traditional classical works, you can find a variety of improvisations and covers created by modern-day musicians. There are also special music services for helping people work productively by arranging playlists for different purposes, moods and tasks. Finding such a service that you are comfortable using means you will have everything handy at the exact moment when you may need it.

Rhythmical and energizing music

For routinely and repetitive tasks, faster and more energetic music with lyrics or a steady beat can be used to optimize the experience that you otherwise perceive as boring or non-enjoyable. Moreover, it really results in completing such tasks faster and easier while feeling less tired. As the body’s movement patterns tend to synchronize to the rhythm or beat of the music, up the tempo and get through repetitive jobs faster while making them seem less of a chore. In fact, many ancient chants and folk songs were meant to create a work rhythm and motivate people to be persistent while improving their mood to help them feel less exhausted.

To sum it all up, music makes studying easier because it helps you relax and stop reverting to other worries, as well as increases motivation by improving your mood. It also helps students endure longer study sessions while feeling less stressed out. This is especially useful when writing other academic assignments deadlines or exams are looming closer. Music even helps students sleep better, which means they are likely to do better on their tests, get better grades, and generally have more productive days of studying.