As many of us graduate from this school and go on to high school, which, from what I have heard, are some of the hardest years in terms of studying, a question may come to mind: does music actually help us study?

     Personally, I’ve noticed oftentimes that studying can get quite monotonous and, though I have now found some methods that help to lengthen my attention span, I always turn on some music to distract myself a bit, but is this actually helpful?

     Simply put, the answer is very individual. While one person may find listening to songs distracting, another may find it to be extremely beneficial. 

     In all fairness, listening to music can lead to some benefits. These include an improved mood, as listening to your favorite music when stressed from studying can lead to this, increased motivation, as listening to classical music can help activate the reward centers in your brain, and enhanced memory and brain stimulation, as classical music has been shown to improve the ability one has to perceive and understand things around them. However, listening to music while studying can also lead to some poor results during study sessions. For example, it can lead to more distractions, as, especially with music with lyrics, one may focus more on the song than on what they are studying, a negative effect on one’s memory, as listening to music can make one to not focus on their homework, and lower reading comprehension, as listening to music with lyrics or music that is loud and fast can distract one from their reading, thus, lowering their comprehension. 

     If you do end up deciding that listening to music while studying is for you, keep this in mind: classical music has been proven to be better than music with lyrics. In essence, music that contains lyrics grabs your attention away from your lessons and brings it to it, thus, you are less likely to fully understand your homework. 

     So, soon-to-be freshmen, before you move on to high school, spend this last week deciding, is music for you?