Studying with Music

Almost everyone has listened to music whilst doing homework or studying, right? But have you ever wondered what music is the best ‘study music’?  Studies have shown that some music can not only focus and relax your mind, but also improve your concentration and give you short-term mind-boosting effects! 

Classical music, and in particular, baroque classical music, is well-known for relaxing the mind and body. Composers such as Bach, Vivaldi, and Telemann are the most popular when it comes to soothing and peaceful music. Recent studies revealed that baroque classical music lowered the stress and enhanced the concentration across all age groups, including young children.

The ‘Mozart effect’ is another popular study tool used worldwide. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, perhaps the greatest classical composer of all time, remains one of the most listened to composers of this modern era. The ‘Mozart effect’ refers to the short-term improvement of tasks performed by a listener of Mozart’s music. Such improvements include deeper concentration, lower stress levels, and improved creativity. A common belief of the Mozart effect suggests that “listening to Mozart makes you smarter”, and that an early childhood exposure to classical music has a positive impact on their mental development.

Classical music isn’t the only way to calm your mind, however. Genres such as smooth jazz, country, and even techno, can relax your body and help your focus. Researchers believe that the best music for studying is at a slow tempo, usually under 60 beats per minute. 

Other ‘study music’ include ambient sounds or pulses. This music is designed to keep your brain engaged and alert on a subconscious level. The sounds of rain, waterfalls, wind, or waves crashing against a beach, might be just what you need when studying for that upcoming exam!

Here is an example of a classical music for study period. 

Soothing Websites

Are you stressed? You don't need to spend money on spas and yoga sessions just to relax and calm yourself. You can stay at the comfort of your own bes while visiting these interesting ambiance websites.

Jazz and Rain (http://www.jazzandrain.com/)

Unlike rainymood.com, It doesn't just play the sound of rain and thunderstorms but also the sound of jazz music. It's very relaxing to hear and you don't need to waste time finding for the perfect song since the website is already the one picking for you. All you need to do is play, rewind or skip to the next music. You can also play the music alone. You might imagine yourself an an old Jazz club. 

Shower Time (http://www.showerti.me/)

If you are one of those people that find shower as a very relaxing sound, then you surely want to try this website with a virtual shower. The thing is, you don't need to get wet. You can adjust how many minutes you will take a shower, the shortest time is 1 minute and the longest is 10 minutes. You can also pick the size of your shower room, which affects the sound of the shower. Pressure is also a choice and why not add radio to the ambiance? Don't forget to adjust the temperature of the water. 

But don't just shower using this. 

Coffitivity (https://coffitivity.com/)

The website offers different kinds of background noises of various types of coffee shops. If you visited one, what you usually hear are murmurs, chatters, plates and coffee machines. There are 3 free modes you can choose from, these are "Morning Murmur", "Lunchtime Lounge" and "University Undertones" which imitates more on a typical college coffee shop. If you want more, there are other types you can pick but you have to be a premium member. According to the owners of the said website, it actually increase your creativity. It will be better if you play it with your favorite soothing music.