Listening to music while studying and working has been up for debate for a long time. Does it help students, or does it distract students? Is there a benefit? And, if so, what is it?
It’s not uncommon to see someone wearing an earbud while studying or working for a teacher. There is a lot of discourse on whether or not music should be on while studying and working. There’s even debates on what type of music should be listened to. The music that is recommended is something without lyrics, like instrumental, lo-fi or classical music, or something that won’t make a student focus on the lyrics instead of the work or notes in front of them.
Teachers are the ones who are observing students all day, and so they should know if music is a good fit. A teacher who sees this everyday is Mrs. Godwin. Students use music to focus while doing many assignments such as Chemistry. She said, “I think some students perform better during work/study time when they are listening to music as it helps them focus, but I can see it as a distraction a lot and sometimes students even listen to it during lectures, notes, or instructional information, which causes them to miss out on information.” Music can be a tool or distraction in certain situations. Students can miss out on important instructions if they get into their music. Though, for other students the background noise makes for the perfect thing to help one focus.
On the other hand, a student’s opinion may differ from a teachers’. Freshman Victoria
Trevino says, “Sometimes I do listen to music when I study, and I like doing it because I hate the silence. I’ll listen to instrumental or classical music, sometimes just random playlists, but I try to stick to instrumental so I can focus. I think listening to quiet, soft music can help someone concentrate on school work. I think yes, students should listen to music when working, but I think it’s their preference.”
In all, music is mostly allowed by staff and used heavily by students. Many have stated it helps them focus during assignments while keeping them more engaged in their work, whereas having no music would instead have them un-focus. Music is a universal tool that can be accessed anytime and anywhere as long as students have a way to listen without bothering other students.
