Ask the Seniors: What Music Helps You Study?

The senior class’s time at IMSA is nearing an end in several months but during their IMSA careers, many have developed unique habits to help them study, write papers, and finish problem sets. Music can be instrumental in certain people’s study habits, so let’s hear from several anonymous seniors about what kind of music helps them study.

“I can only listen to music when I study for math, usually its instrumental. Specifically Disney.”

“I listen to 8-bit music because it doesn’t have words that distract me.”

“A song that I always listen to while studying tediously is the track ‘Time’ from the movie Inception by Hans Zimmer. On a 10-hour loop. Firstly, being a 10-hour loop, I don’t have to worry about stopping and changing the song. It’s also nothing too flashy, so it’s enough to keep my brain stimulated, yet not distracted. And the steady beat just keeps me going!”
(Here is a link to the 10-hour loop of “Time”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LqRZ2_w56U0)

“I can usually listen to The Beatles and not get distracted by the words, so it’s a good background music for studying.”

“When I’m studying, I’m listening to genres like chillhop and soft jazz as they help me focus. Then to psych me up I like listening to kpop.”
(Sample of Chillhop: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DCoY5ot8zg4)
(Sample of Soft Jazz: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3jWRrafhO7M)

“I listen to lo-fi hip hop. It’s very much ambient music, so I can do work easily but still have something to groove to. It’s also really easy to find, just go on Youtube and look up ‘lo-fi hip hop’. I also recommend it for having an interviz or just trying to fall asleep. Depending on the mix, you get a range of scenarios where the sounds just click.”

“I like to listen to classical music like Mozart, Bach, etc. because there’s no words so I don’t get distracted and sing along. Also, I just feel like a sophisticated smart person every time I listen to classical music. And I think there are some studies that show listening to classical music stimulates the brain, or something like that, so I like to believe it makes me learn more.”

From just these seven seniors, there is a wide variety of music that helps studying. A general theme is the lack of lyrics to prevent distraction and maximize focus. If you are having trouble focusing, try listening to some of the music listed above. Good luck with the rest of the semester, and don’t be afraid to ask seniors, or anyone, for help on improving your studying habits!