As the second semester comes to a close this school year, many students have come to realize that they have underestimated the difficulty and level of commitment required to undertake their finals and AP Exams. The level of rigor ranges from class to class, with some requiring a couple of hours to completely study and others taking more than a day.
Students are affected by these academic struggles throughout all grade levels, overwhelmed by the long list of finals. I seek to find a way current students can manage their study habits and achieve a solution to this problem.
Juniors Harber Lampl, Grant Reed, Grant Bomersbach, Noah Nicosia, William Wayne, Harry Dow, Luke Nettune, and Nate Fabriga shared advice on how they manage their studying through the use of music.
How Often Do You Study?
Harber L: “Maybe once or twice a week. Depends on how much stuff I have.”
Grant R: “Fairly often, probably two or three nights a week.”
Noah N: “Every school night for an hour and a half.”
Nate F: “Almost every day, unless it’s on the weekend.”
Grant B: “A couple nights a week, usually the day before the test, for about 20-30 minutes.”
William W: “Basically, every day, pretty much.”
Harry D: “Oh, I don’t study too much but usually I will on some tests.”
Luke N: “I try to study every day.”
Do You Listen to Music When You Study?
Harber L: “Sometimes. But, if I’m studying with a friend, then I don’t.”
Grant R: “Yes, sometimes.”
Noah N: “Yes.”
Nate F: “Yeah, most of the time.”
Grant B: “I always listen to music while doing homework or while studying.”
William W: “Usually, but when my work is something super intense, I’ll try and concentrate and put nothing on, but for the most part yeah.”
Harry D: “I usually do listen to music while studying.”
Luke N: “Sometimes, it depends on the subject. If I’m studying for English or trying to write, I find listening to music really hurts my performance and I can’t recall stuff as well. If I’m studying for something that’s more numbers based, like math or science, I really like to listen to music.”
What Music/Genre Do You Listen to?
Harber L: “Mostly classical stuff, because there’s no lyrics, but sometimes I’ll also put on a new album from someone I want to listen to. Like an album I haven’t heard before, so I wouldn’t get caught up in like the lyrics.”
Grant R: “I’ll listen to whatever I normally listen to, so that might be a little rap or a little rock. Whenever I have to read, like when I did my summer reading, I listen to classical music.”
Noah N: “Lo-fi beats and mostly slow music, like not rap or anything.”
Nate F: “Usually anything, but if I’m really trying to lock in, I listen to classical music. If it’s something I need to read, I’ll use classical.”
Grant B: “All genres; usually, I listen to country and rap, sometimes classical or chill music.”
William W: “I listen to soft and quiet music like jazz or piano. Just something in the background that’s nothing super upbeat and it has no lyrics. That way I don’t get distracted. It’s just there to drain out any noise.”
Harry D: “Usually, I listen to classical music, and I gotta go with Mozart or Beethoven.”
Luke N: “I listen to mostly country music.”
Which Genre/Type of Music Helps You Study the Most?
Harber L: “I think classical, just off of the principle of it not having lyrics.”
Grant R: “Classical, because I’m not thinking about the lyrics. Classical helps me the most while the other ones make studying more bearable. I think listening to music is better than just watching a YouTube video because if I study while watching one I’m not gonna be effective at all. So when I watch a YouTube video while studying I’m only like 50% effective, but if I’m listening to music I like while studying, I’m like 75% effective.”
Noah N: “I like to listen to slow and calm music as it helps me concentrate on my studies while providing little distraction with the lyrics or the tempo of the song.”
Nate F: “Yeah, not gonna lie, the music I listen to just does not help me. It mostly just kind of slows me down, but it does make it enjoyable. I’ll use Classical when I think ‘I’m gonna need to finish this.'”
Grant B: “Usually whichever genre I like the most at the time helps me focus the most. The more I like the music that I’m listening to the easier it is for me to work.”
William W: “Instrumental; I’d say like classical and also piano or jazz just for studying, because if I listened to what I usually like listening to, like country, I would not be able to do anything.”
Harry D: “Classical for sure; it definitely does help the most especially because in other music there’s a bunch of words and it gets me really distracted, especially with ADHD.”
Luke N: “I listen to a lot of bluegrass country; I like how a lot of the songs I listen to have a very fast beat and I find that the really fast tempo helps put me in the mindset of ‘OK, I’ve got to really study hard and go fast, quickly, and efficiently.'”
Do You Use a Speaker or Headphones?
Harber L: “Headphones.”
Grant R: “I use headphones.”
Noah N: “I use headphones because the noise canceling helps eliminate external noises and actions from my study.”
Nate F: “Headphones.”
Grant B: “I try to use a speaker when I can, but I mostly only use it when studying at home. I’ll use headphones when I’m in public spaces, but I’d prefer using a speaker.”
William W: “Usually headphones but if I know I’m gonna be asynchronous or when I have to spend all my time in my room, I’ll usually put on the speaker so I’m not wearing headphones all day.”
Harry D: “I use headphones. I don’t need other people to listen to what I’m listening to.”
Luke N: “I have headphones.”
Has Listening to Music During Study Impacted Your Results on Tests/Productivity?
Harber L: “I think it helps me study. If there’s a subject that’s just really boring to study or when I’m reading something, then I’ll listen to music. I think classical helps with being able to get it through it faster, but I’m not sure it has a super big impact. I think it mainly helps with reading things.”
Grant R: “I don’t think so; I probably could’ve spent less time studying for things if I didn’t listen to music and had no distractions, but I’ve never done badly on something because I was listening to music.”
Noah N: “I think listening to music can increase productivity while studying and test scores if done the right way. So if you listen to music that’s not distracting it can create a positive environment because it can lead to more focus.”
Nate F: “I don’t know about the impact on results on my tests but music just makes it bearable to study.”
Grant B: “I think it’s generally helped me to focus, therefore working more productively and indirectly helping me with tests and helping my grades.”
William W: “I think for the most part it has improved my productivity but nothing super major. It’ll allow me to keep studying, it helps me to stay focused, and makes it a little bit more enjoying.”
Harry D: “Yeah, it helps me study longer because I’m not thinking about how long I’m studying every day.”
Luke N: “While I study, I have no idea.”
How Does Music Affect Your Focus or Attention Span While Studying?
Harber L: “Neutrally. If I’m listening to something really good, then I might get kind of distracted and just start listening to it rather than working. But most of the time that doesn’t happen.”
Grant R: “It can make me study for longer because music can make me enjoy studying, but sometimes, depending on the song, it can be a little distracting.”
Noah N: “Music helps me eliminate distractions and focus on the subject because there’s nothing else to look at. I think instrumental music is simpler because I have less on my mind like the lyrics.”
Nate F: “Like I said, only classical really helps my attention span and focus. I feel like listening to music I enjoy can low-key distract me. But at least I enjoy it.”
Grant B: “Time goes by faster and I feel like I consume information faster and more effectively.”
William W: “I think for the most part it helps, but sometimes it’ll be a distraction because if I don’t like a song I’ll try and find a new one to listen to. For the most part, as long as I don’t mess with it, it helps me quite a bit.”
Harry D: “Yes, it helps me maintain a longer time of focus.”
Luke N: “Music can help me stay focused for longer.”
Do You Ever Get Distracted by the Music Itself? If so, When or Why?
Harber L: “Yeah, every now and again. If there’s an overture of the piece, or I’m listening to an album, or an actual song, sometimes I might get distracted by the good parts, but usually it doesn’t happen. I don’t listen to music that’ll make that happen.”
Grant R: “Yeah, I’ll listen to a song that’s thought-provoking and I’ll start thinking about what it’s saying. I just get completely lost in the lyrics.”
Noah N: “Only if I listen to music with lyrics that are too distracting or too loud loud, and I find that my mind will wander.”
Nate F: “Oh yeah.”
Grant B: “Sometimes I do. Usually when I’ve been studying for a long time or when I’m not interested in the work that I’m doing it’s easier for the music to distract me.”
William W: “Yeah, just a little bit if it’s a new song I’m playing or it might be too fast paced or loud, but for the most part no.”
Harry D: “No, unless I’m listening to music with words, but I won’t get really distracted by it.”
Luke N: “I try to listen to music that I’ve heard before because if I’m listening to new music, I will get caught up in listening to the words and lose track of what I’m doing.”
Would You Recommend Listening to Music While Studying to Others?
Harber L: “Well, it just depends on the person. But I think overall it’s helpful, especially for reading and things like that.”
Grant R: “I think it depends on the person, but I would.”
Noah N: “I recommend listening to music if it is used correctly and does not distract the listener.”
Nate F: “I recommend classical music. Just search up TikTok piano songs.”
Grant B: “Yes for sure. Some people may get distracted depending on the genre but it’s helped me a ton throughout high school.”
William W: “Yeah, I would because I don’t like studying but I also don’t want to have no noise around me. So it makes studying better, but if you don’t like jazz, I would just play it in the background, but for the most part yeah.”
Harry D: “Yeah, I definitely would recommend listening to music to others.”
Luke N: “I would say it depends on the type of person that you are and the type of work that you’re doing. For some people it can be helpful to elongate their attention span, for other people, It can really distract you from the work.”
According to the many interviews conducted, it can be determined that music, when used thoughtfully, can enhance focus, increase productivity, and make studying more enjoyable. Most students who were interviewed said that classical or instrumental music, especially without lyrics, tends to be the least distracting and most effective for concentration. However, the impact of music varies based on the individual and the subject being studied. Some find fast-paced or familiar music energizing, while others acknowledge that the wrong song can easily make them lose focus. Ultimately, the decision to study with music comes down to personal preference, but for many, it offers a powerful tool to manage studying and prepare for finals and AP exams.
Stay tuned to The Roundup for more interviews!
