Studying, revising and preparing for exams can be a challenging and stressful experience for many students; some may struggle to discover ways in which they can relieve stress while still focusing on their education. Could listening to music help, or is it simply another distraction?

Throughout the past, some studies often discovered disadvantages of listening to music when revising, but not all students agree with this. Numerous recent studies have highlighted the benefits of this, concluding that listening to music while studying can actually relieve the feeling of stress and anxiety related to exams. Many schools do not allow students to listen to music when they are learning yet many students do this when they are at home.

After carrying out a survey among a group of randomly selected year 10 students at Gumley House Convent School, the results showed that almost two-thirds of the students who were asked believed that listening to music was beneficial in their studies. Many added that having background music play during their studying made them feel calmer about any exam related pressures that they may face.

One student, Julia Bahadrian, stated that “I don’t understand why some people believe that listening to music is not beneficial at all, while not all people may enjoy listening to music when learning, I find it helpful. I especially enjoy listening to peaceful songs as background music.”

Another student, Alice Foster, added that “listening to ambient music is the most beneficial when revising. Music with lyrics can become distracting but having ambient music in the background calms me down.”

There are many different opinions about whether listening to music while studying is useful or not: some students many completely agree but some may not find it beneficial. If more research continues to be carried out in this topic, the benefits and disadvantages may become clearer with more evidence. However, this topic may always remain a personal choice that remains unchanged, even with evidence that may differ from their opinion.

Klaudia Karcz