What do Miami University students listen to while they study?

The streets of Oxford are flooded with Miami University students left and right frolicking over academic quad, avoiding the Seal. The dining halls are full of friends and strangers alike eating together. The study rooms of Armstrong Student Center are fully occupied with groups and individuals, laptops and books in hand.

This can only mean one thing: class is back in session.

Unfortunately, this means studying is back as well. But not all students use studying as a silent and grim time. Plenty of students enjoy listening to music while they study in order to improve focus, accuracy and precision on their exam scores.

The benefit of study music

Photo by Caitlin Dominski | The Miami Student
Caroline Krueger studies for an exam on microorganisms and human disease. The first-year undeclared major bumps classical music through her Airpods Max.

Research shows that listening to music while studying is proven to assist students’ memory of academic material, increase focus, help students relax and motivate them to complete their work.

This theory is known as “The Mozart Effect,” adopted from a study by Dr. Gordon Shaw. While all of us don’t necessarily listen to Mozart in particular when we study, the sound waves and vibrations produced by music show the same effect for all other genres as well.

When listening to music, the soundwaves activate the auditory, motor and limbic systems of the brain, stimulating the whole mind with a full brain workout and an expansion of academic and general knowledge. There is also a reduction of negative emotions such as anxiety and depression.

So the next time you may be sitting in your room rocking out to your favorite song, your brain will be rocking out with you.

The genres students are listening to

Here at Miami, students listen to a wide variety of music. From pop to country to indie to classical to even lo-fi instrumentals, Miami students all come together with diverse minds and music to complete the common goal of studying for exams.

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Results from a study by The Miami Student with about 50 responses show that students listen primarily to 10 different genres, with pop and country holding a tie for the most popular.

Caroline Mason, a junior media and communication major, claims that listening to country music helped her do significantly well on her exams.

“I listened to country music while I was studying for my Greek Mythology exam, and I earned a 100%,” Mason said. “Country music helped me reduce distractions in the background, and without distracting noises around me, I can focus more on my actual schoolwork.”

Mason acknowledges that many people, herself included, enjoy a wide range of music genres, but she strongly recommends country music because of the calm and happy nature of the tracks.

“I’ve had multiple phases of music and I’m in my country phase right now,” Mason said. “I like listening to country music because the music is so upbeat and happy that it improves my mood and my focus. If you like country music, I totally recommend it for studying.”

The artists students are listening to

Photo by Caitlin Dominski | The Miami Student
Chris Hutchens, first-year Sport Management major, reads from a textbook about sports concepts. He has his Airpods in to watch the Cincinnati Reds game.

Miami students listen to a wide range of artists, from high-charting artists such as The Weeknd, SZA, Zach Bryan and Hozier to underground artists such as Fashion Week, LeelaMarz, Annahstasia and Nick D.

Molly Teets, a first-year computer engineering major, said listening to alternative band Interpol while studying created a mellow atmosphere that made it easy to focus on her academic material.

“I get distracted very easily, and their music is very easy to listen to,” Teets said. “Calming music really helps me focus and more specifically with Interpol, it’s really nostalgic and easy to listen to.”

Although each student had a different artist they liked, only one artist was mentioned multiple times by students — and surprise to nobody, that artist was Taylor Swift.

According to the student research survey, students who listened to Swift while they studied had a GPA range from a 3.6 GPA to a 4.2 GPA, making them the most academically bright listeners out of all the other artists mentioned by students. There’s truly no “Bad Blood” between Swift and Miami.

The songs students are listening to

Photo by Caitlin Dominski | The Miami Student
First-year French major Gretchen Nevel writes a biology reflection while watching Netflix.

When it comes to studying music, no one listens to the same exact songs, but a wide range of songs in different genres instead.

These include mellow songs like “Yellow” by Coldplay, “Dark Red” by Steve Lacy, classical music pieces like “Swan Lake” as well as upbeat songs like “Jodie” by SZA and “Mad it's my fault” by Graham.

Some listeners even preferred their songs to not have any lyrics at all, believing lyrics make it difficult to concentrate on their assigned material.

Mason said that the song “Honey” by local alternative band Fashion Week not only helps her exam scores improve but also helps support Fashion Week as a local band.

“I love their music, and it makes me feel good knowing that my streams helped support local bands,” Mason said. “It’s important to step outside the mainstream once in a while and help boost the talent of local bands.”

Education is something that is not only heavily enforced but also greatly valued. The education received at Miami helps prepare students for their designated career fields in the workplace and the world around them. But it never says how you have to learn and how you have to study.

Music is shown to help improve memory and concentration, as well as work out and challenge the brain. So what are you waiting for? Put your Airpods on, try listening to some new artists that your classmates enjoy, grab your books and laptops and get ready for a great year.

whitehke@miamioh.edu