Thread: Should I listen to music when I'm studying?

I heard that Mozart helps but then I heard that listening to music is just distracting in general and that some people might not even know that they are being distracted. I love listening to music when I'm studying but I'm not sure if I'll do better without. I tried doing music for 2 weeks and no music for 2 weeks. I think doing music keeps me awake longer but no music makes me concentrate really hard for short intervals and a shorter period of time. I'm not sure which one is better. Does anybody know, according to studies and researches, if we should listen to music or not?

It depends on the person

There is no right or wrong answer, it depends on you. When I was in law school, listening to music actually helped me remember certain rules of law, I'd use the song as a memory device. However, if I was listening to my favorite band, I'd get distracted, so I had to find a good balance. For me, when studying, if it's too quiet, I get easily distracted and antsy.

The trick in law school is not to find completely NEW study habits - it's to capitalize on and rework what has worked for you in the past. Everyone learns in a different way, so no one can tell you ONE "right" way to study. This is similar to study aids - what might work for one person, doesn't work for everyone.

Good Luck!

Source: www.lawtutors.net

I agree with the person who already answered regarding doing what works for you. I always listened to music while studying in college and tried it in law school. I found that I couldnt concentrate as much, but I still wanted the background noise. My trick? I listened to music that I did not know the words to the song. This way, I couldnt sing along and lose focus. For instance, I played Nora Jones for a long time until I knew the words to the songs and then moved on. Hope it helps!