Listening to music while you study has become a very common practice for students everywhere. If you prefer to listen to music while you work on your firefighter promotional exam prep try out these types of music and see if they keep you going.
Does Music Help You Study?
There is a lot of back and forth research to try to understand if listening to music while you study truly helps improve your memory and do better on exams. One benefit of listening to music while studying is that music engages and activates both the left and right hemisphere of your brain. The result of this activation is improved memory. Surprisingly though, the biggest benefit from listening to music while studying has nothing to do with your memory and everything to do with your mood. Listening to music has been shown to improve your overall mood which can be wildly beneficial to you as you study for your firefighter promotional exam. Studying can conjure up a lot of stress, anxiety, boredom and so on. So if listening to music while you study (or before or during breaks) is able to reduce those negative feelings, you may be able to study for a longer period of time, and ultimately have a less stressed study session. Studying while under a great deal of stress can actually be harmful to your brain's ability to retrieve information come test day. Adding music to your study routine may be the key to keep the stress levels low and motivation high while you study for your firefighter promotional exam.
Types of Music
Classical/Instrumental Music
Classical music is a fan favorite to listen to while studying. The biggest reason classical music resonates with so many students is because there are no distracting lyrics. Listening to music with lyrics can be very distracting if you get caught up focusing on the lyrics instead of the material in front of you. Save those playlists with lots of lyrics for pre-study pump up sessions or during your study breaks. Classical music or instrumental music is a perfect option if you just want some music to drown out the silence in your study area or if you are studying with headphones in a crowded space like a coffee shop and need to drown out some distracting noise.
Examples: Two Cellos, Mozart
Fast & Loud
There is a time and place for all types of music. If you listen to music while you study to keep you motivated and keep you going, listen to music that is fast and a bit louder. By no means is blasting music while you study beneficial, but louder music, a larger variety of instruments and more musical changes can help keep some people motivated and your brain moving. Again you may want to avoid music with a lot of lyrics and focus on songs with upbeat fast instrumental components versus lyrical.
Examples: EDM, Jazz, Orchestral
Slow Tempo & Soft
For the person looking to have a relaxed study session, try out music that has a soft, slow tempo. This gentle music will help ease your mind and get you nice and relaxed as you study for your firefighter promotional exam. Some classical music falls in this category but a lot does not, so be sure to screen your music so you aren’t surprised by a roaring orchestral production in the middle of your study session. Remember, music doesn’t have to have instruments or voices at all, you can always just listen to sounds of waves crashing or birds chirping.
Example: Nature sounds, R&B, Classical. Ambient
Other Considerations
Keep the volume low
Don’t listen to music with commercials-huge distraction
Make a playlist before you begin studying for various moods
If it becomes distracting, turn it off
The Takeaway
The benefits of listening to music while studying varies hugely from person to person. It is hugely beneficial to some and just a major distraction to others. As you begin or work on your firefighter promotional exam studying, see if music is beneficial to your journey of passing your firefighter promotional exam or not.