More often than not the average student will listen to music whilst studying. I personally use it to help me focus on the work I’m doing and not the chaos around me. Some academic weapons here at West were able to give their opinions on whether music helps or hurts.  

I asked if listening to music can later help during a test. Senior Goonj Gautam said “Sometimes I’ll put a song on repeat while studying a certain subject that can help me later during tests.” To contrast Gautam’s answer, senior Suprab Kandukuri said “I’ve never really used that as a strategy.” So, then I asked Kandukuri what he will listen to while he studies. He replied with “I like to do work in silence or maybe white noise in the background because music tends to distract me.”  

Which brings up an excellent point because noise during concentration can distract you from fully developing an idea.  

I wanted to know if music could help students calm down before a stressful exam or test. Gautam stated, “No I think then there is just too much going on, so I’ll have to turn off the music and go do something else before resuming homework.” Whereas Kandukuri said, “I think it calms me down because if I’m listening to music, it’s normally to get away from the anxieties.”   

All excellent points to make, I believe music can help you study to a certain extent but ultimately it is important to allow your brain to focus on one thing at once.