Do you listen to music while studying ?

[Guyton Killah]

what kind of music do you listen to?

I m just curious, cos I have tried this but it didn't work out for me. I need complete silence during study time. but I think music n studying simultaneously is kinda cool especially when you have crap to study.

so for a beginner, how should I start, or what do u recommmend to get rid of destructions.</p>

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[UTMBMD2012]

<p>what kind of music do you listen to? </p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>I m just curious, cos I have tried this but it didn't work out for me. I need complete silence during study time. but I think music n studying simultaneously is kinda cool especially when you have crap to study. so for beginners, how should I start?</p>

Check this guy out www.kavinhoo.com . Its pretty relaxing and stimulating. I always listen to him when i'm studying and on his website they have about 30 mins of free music playing.

 

[jilliumm]

I listen to a lot of movie soundtracks and Christopher O'Riley's piano albums where he plays Radiohead. They're awesome!

 

[ZagDoc]

Listen to a lot of acoustic/folk/relaxing/post rock/electronica stuff. Something with a beat but that I can tune out. I like studying in coffee shops (the library is too prison-like to me) so the music helps block out distractions but I can still have a little activity around me.

Some artists I've digging at the moment:
William Fitzsimmons, Surfjan Stevens, The Weepies, The Shins, Ryan Adams, Ray LaMontague, Priscilla Ahn, Peter Bradley Adams, The Perishers, Patrick Park, Nick Drake, The National, Missy Higgins, Michelle Featherstone, Matt Pond PA, Maria Taylor, M. Craft, Katie Herzig, Kate Havnevik, Jump, Little Children, Joshua Radin, Joshua James, Josh Rouse, Josh Ritter, Joe Purdy, Iron & Wine, Ingrid Michaelson, Greg Laswell, Explosions In The Sky, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Elliot Smith, Eliot Morris, Electric Winter, Electric President, David Gray, Damien Rice, Colin Hay, Chris Walla, Chris Bathgate, Cary Brothers, Califone, Catie Cutris, Allie Moss, Brett Dennen, Bonnie Somerville, Benjamin Gibbard, Ben Lee, Amos Lee, Alexi Murdoch, The Album Leaf, Amie Mann

 

[MrBurns10]

I listen to anything from darkwave/electronica to thrash metal while I'm studying. My only rule is no rap...too many words is distracting.

If you really want to try music while you study, I'd try the former genre I mentioned first. Bands like Collide and Portishead are slow with a good beat and relaxing.

 

[rama kandra]

Trip hop, jazz, classical, acoustic, soft electronica

try ambient artists like... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_ambient_artists

that should do you good

 

[OrnotMajestic]

DJ Tiesto and Thievery Corporation FTW!

 

[mcc5]

I used to have the same problem: requiring absolute silence during studying, but I picked up listening to music in college, while studying for P chem (kind of ironic). It seems that the rhyme in music keeps up my endurance at keeping my head over boring, mechanical stuff, just as they do in long-distance running. I think you should try something soothing

 

[MsJLewis]

A variety of stuff.. usually instrumental/classical/movie soundtracks.

Musicovery.com - Also vital to my studying. You can pick your mood/genre/decade and you'll get a generated playlist of free music to listen to. Love it!

 

[skijumpbump]

If you want to try some classical music, Reader's Digest makes some albums called Homework Hits. If you can get past the ridiculous title these albums actually have lots of good classical stuff to study to. I got mine off of iTunes for $9.99 (search for study music in the store) it is ~20 songs. I plan on using a lot once school starts. I find the music very relaxing and it helps me isolate myself from everything and focus on studying.

 

[number]

I cannot study anything verbal (reading notes, trying to figure out a concept for the first time, etc) while listening to music, but music is nice while doing things like flipping through Netter.

 

[spospo]

if i am reading, i do just classical

if i am preparing for a small group or typing anything, i can do lyrics. slower stuff usually though. no techno or hard rock


zagdoc: yeah josh ritter!!!

 

[DrKuroneko]

I listen to classical when I feel like pretending to be "civilized". Music helps especially if I'm reading something light. My secret confession is I listen to foreign music (because I have no idea what they are saying), the rhythms and beats are usually good and I don't get distracted listening to the lyrics because well.... I have no idea what they are singing about! alright now its time for more people to make their own confessions

 

[MediumDef]

Classic Cat www.classiccat.net has links to all sorts of great free classical music. I already give Steve Jobs enough money so I try to avoid buying stuff on iTunes.

 

[coldweatherblue]

I usually listen to music when I study. I can't listen to anything too obtrusive because I'll focus on the music rather than what I'm supposed to be learning, so I stick to Renaissance, Baroque, and Classical music. Lots of chill organ stuff by Bach and Sweelinck, tons of Mozart, D. Scarlatti etc. It is very organized (both in the form of the music and the frequency ratios, etc that your auditory cortex interprets) and I play it at a very low volume so I basically just tune it out and focus on studying, but it still has a relaxing, stimulating effect. I can't listen to Romantic music because it has too much variation in dynamic/tempo and I focus on the music instead. Anything with a beat and I'll start unconsciously moving with the rhythm so that rules out most popular music. I love listening to some good Trance (DJ Tiesto especially) on the WAY to the library to get psyched, or something like T.I., old Snoop, Nas, etc, but I can't listen to that while studying cause it distracts me.

 

[BigRedBeta]

If you're not used to using music, I'd suggest starting with instrumental tracks.

I'd recommend Explosions in the Sky.

 

[alphaholic06]

http://www.pandora.com/

 

[Seph09]

I have never listened to as much music in my entire life - than in the last four years of med school. I find it helps keep the repetition interesting - keeps me entertained as I study.

What works for me? Mostly trance, classical, new age. Pretty much anything without lyrics.

Hope this helps!

 

[turkeyjerky]

Gangsta rap

 

[meister]

I listen to anything but it has become a problem. I tend to get very, very distracted.

I've started to listen to Godspeed You! Black Emperor and Explosions in the Sky and that has helped since there are no lyrics, but really I need to figure out WTF is wrong with me since I can't seem to sit still for more than five minutes.

 

[rama kandra]

explosions in the sky is great. also check out the six parts seven.

 

[Savannah]

For me, the point of music is to keep me awake and interested. So, I can't have any instrumental/sleepy stuff.

I would start with music you already know like the back of your hand...your old favorites so that you are not distracted. I can't listen to new songs while I study because I would be listening to the words.

 

[themudphud]

what kind of music do you listen to?

I m just curious, cos I have tried this but it didn't work out for me. I need complete silence during study time. but I think music n studying simultaneously is kinda cool especially when you have crap to study.

so for a beginner, how should I start, or what do u recommmend to get rid of destructions.</p>

If you wanted to be cool, you wouldn't be in medical school. Stick with what works for you Poindexter.

 

[nlax30]

Usually something without words like trance, house, electronica, etc.... Sometimes classical.

Usually just use iTunes radio or pandora. Though Spotify is a new/free service out, not currently available in the US but there are ways around that.

 

[Guyton Killah]

Gangsta rap

Wow ! Maybe i should give it a try.

By the way, i have been on classical all day long, gues what?

 

[alehar]

I always just picked an alt-rock station on pandora and rocked out. If I just have my iPod, I usually pick something I don't know too well so I won't be tempted to sing along or get distracted.

 

[Anotherface]

If you want to try some classical music, Reader's Digest makes some albums called Homework Hits. If you can get past the ridiculous title these albums actually have lots of good classical stuff to study to. I got mine off of iTunes for $9.99 (search for study music in the store) it is ~20 songs. I plan on using a lot once school starts. I find the music very relaxing and it helps me isolate myself from everything and focus on studying.

I used to love listening to classical and trance/progressive while studying. Nowadays I find it to be a distraction. If the song has any motif whatsoever or is supposed to engage your emotions, I concentrate on the song rather than the work at hand. Then again, it really depends what type of work I am doing: the music helps when I am doing computational work, and writing; it distracts me when I am reading or doing problem sets.

If music helps then try the electronica or any NPR classical stream.

 

[Hematopoet]

I used to study in complete, cosmic silence, but recently tried doing histology with music and i love it. Indietronica, glitch, psytrance, idm and various types of ambient works for me.
The sound gives me energy to focus and the rythm keeps me in a state of trance allowing me to study for long periods of time without having to "steal" breaks by going to the bathroom or getting a drink of water even if i don't need to. As opposed to classical music, which i offcourse have nothing against - quite on the contrary, but it makes the studying just as tiring.

Truth be told, i have never given this genre (electronica) a chance as i have allways associated it with mindless headbanging and the type of people representing this subculture. Offcourse i had only heard the mainstream songs from this by some pretty revolting artists (e.g. DJ Alligator), but now that i've listen to it for a while on lastfm i'm amazed by some of the brilliant songs i've heard! Artists worth mentioning are: MGMT, Carbon Based Lifeforms, Sigur Rós & Crystal Castles.
When im done i put my industrial metal back on though hehe...