How do you study?

[Babe_Ruth]

My tenant is studying for a job exam right now, and he's listening to music at the same time. I could never do that.

So, it made me think of this thread. How do you study?

For me, I need it to be completely quiet so I can concentrate on what I'm studying. If there is noise around me, I wouldn't not be able to retain the information.

 

[thealigator]

I used to listen to music when I was studying for an exam. I also used to listen to music when I was coming up with a script or poetry. For me the reason for this is that it blocked out thoughts that would occupy my mind. In a way I wasn't listening to the music, I was blocking out any outside thoughts that were prone to distract me if that makes sense? It stopped me from over thinking things and allowed me to be more creative.

 

[EdgeHead]

I was like that too when I was in school. It's not that you're listening to the music or watching what's on TV. It's just having something going on in the background that made me more comfortable. I just hate silence for some reason. I get exactly what thealigator is saying.

 

[Dr4gon]

I always grab the cans or the earbuds. It blocks all the noise everybody else is making so I can study. I can also concentrate more if Im hearing stuff thats totally me. I seriously doubt that I could ever study without music. I would be way too distracted to think.

 

[BJBirdy]

I gotta agree with EdgeHead. I never exactly listened to the music or paid close attention to what I put on tv, but I really just needed some sort of white noise in the background to help me focus.

 

[NewGamePlus]

You gotta get really good instrumentals appropriate to what you're studying, and then loop them for 80 minutes with fades in between so you can't tell where it begins and ends, and then just play the 80 minute loop on a loop. That's the only way I can listen to music while studying or concentrating on anything.

That being said... the most popular song I've ever "studied" this way to in my time is noneother than...........

wait for it.........

Between the instrumental and lyric version, it has played a grand total of 2771 times on my computer since roughly 2010/11 and I've never looped it because it was never quite "intentional" so much as it simply "fit the best".

Perfect for "figuring shit out".

But there are others. Plenty others.

EDIT:

Might as well just round-out the top 10 all time played list on my iTunes library (before I started 80min looping things, which aren't on this list because this is stuff I chose for specific things):

1... Sunny Came Home Instrumental ................ 2071 plays... Shawn Colvin
2... Underneath Your Clothes Instrumental ......1543 plays... Shakira
3... Truly, Madly, Deeply ...................................... 1076 plays... Savage Garden
4... Ninja Gaiden II Act 3 Part II.............................. 935 plays... (NES game)
5*.. Not Afraid Instrumental...................................... 892 plays... Eminem
6... Going Under Instrumental................................. 862 plays... Evanesence
7... Don't Bother......................................................... 773 plays... Shakira
8... Sunny Came Home........................................... 700 plays... Shawn Colvin
9*.. Tomorrow from Ali Soundtrack........................ 672 plays... Sauf Keita
10. Battletoads and Double Dragon level 4......... 661 plays... (SNES game)

*These have since been 80 min looped

The ones that work for study themes are 1, 4, 5 and.... maybe 6 and 10. Some, like 3 and 7, have been for possible video project preparation. 3 was scrapped, 7 was done.

 

[Twitch]

I actually get way too distracted if I don't listen to music while studying, as well as if I listen to music with any lyrics. Usually it's stuff like this:

 

[NewGamePlus]

I'm not sure if it's just my browser, but that thing takes forever to load here, while on YouTube it's just like anything else (so I'm guessing it could be the forum this time).

 

[Twitch]

You mean the embedded youtube video? That's interesting, I've never had a problem with it and I have quite the crappy computer.

 

[Smelnick]

I never studied in highschool. Up until we kicked out my stepdad, i was never allowed to study/do homework because he figured schoolwork was for school and not at home (don't ask, long story lol). Anyways, so I never really learned how to develop a study routine or anything. However, when I'm working on projects or something, I have to have music. I find I get way too distracted by other trains of thoughts and such. I think its because music fills up so much of my thoughts, There's so many parts and stuff to think about. One part is concentrating on the rythm, one the pitch, one the words etc etc. All those different directions your brain could wander, all focused on the one thing, the music. So with the music taking care of all those other tangents my brain could go on, I'm able to stay focused on my work. Usually I barely notice the music in the background, but I get way too distracted if its not there.