Music to help you get through the rest of the semester
We’ve only got a month and a half left and we’ll all need a little help getting through it
I’m sure that we all listen to music. Most people can’t go a day without encountering it, even by accident. It’s a huge part of our culture. But do you really listen to music? Putting a bit of time into crafting some playlists (or finding pre-made ones) that can suit your various moods might just be the best use of your time this semester.
Why? Well, here are a few reasons.
It can help you study
For some reason people think that the only music to help you study is classical, but that is certainly not true. What music genre that helps you study is completely dependent on the person listening. Personally, I love to listen to Passenger, The Avett Brothers and other folky bands while studying. A friend once told me that listening to EDM helps her focus because it “pumps her up about her chemistry homework.”
Music can help you focus more, help you remember what you’re reading or studying, and can improve your academic performance. A study done by Chris Boyd Brewer at the John Hopkins School of Education stated that, “Music will activate students mentally, physically, and emotionally and create learning states which enhance understanding of learning material.”
Some of my favorite studying music:
“Turning Page (instrumental)” by Sleeping At Last
“Life and Death” by Paul Cardall
“Feather on a Clyde” by Passenger
“Souls like the Wheels” by Avett Brothers
Really any music by Sleeping At Last, Paul Cardall, the Vitamin String Quartet or Keaton Henson
It is a great stress reliever
When coffee and red bull still don’t help your stress
We all know that being a full time college student means the stress piles up quickly. There are pressures from classes, friends, family and the ever nearing “adult world.” Figuring out how to manage it all can easily make a student go mad at times. But, not to worry, music can help with this as well.
A study done at the University of Missouri showed that your mood can be boosted simply by listening to upbeat music. In addition, listening to music with a familiar melody can bring comfort in times of increased stress to help relieve it.
I have found that music doesn’t have to be cheerful to boost my mood. Those moments when a song feels almost tangible and overwhelming, or when I feel like the lyrics are relating perfectly to that moment in my life. . . those are the times when the stress seems to melt away and I really feel at peace.
Some happy go lucky songs to boost your mood:
“Home” by Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros
“You and I” by Ingrid Michaelson
“Good Day for Marrying You” by Dave Barnes
“You Make My Dreams” by Hall & Oats
It can help with your sleep
When you’re sick of Netflix and Chill
If there is one thing college kids need more, it’s sleep. Between endless readings, projects, studying, jobs and a social life, sleep is often put on the back burner. And with the constant stress that it puts on all of us, actually falling asleep is difficult when our mind is so busy running in circles.
Listening to music can help not only achieve a better night’s sleep, but it can also help you fall asleep faster. According to Sleep.org, “music can have real, physical affects, too, by lowering your heart rate and slowing your breathing.” You can find several playlists to fall asleep to already crafted on Spotify, just waiting for you to listen.
This semester I have been trying this technique. Whenever I find an artist or song that is mellow enough to sleep to, I’ll add it to my ever-growing “sleep” playlist (now around 900 songs) and each night I fall asleep to it. I have definitely noticed improvement in my sleep schedule, getting the most out of the five or so hours I usually have time for.
Great music to add to your sleep playlist
“Above the Clouds of Pompeii” by Bear’s Den
“Nothing Arrived” by The Villagers
“Wisely and Slow” by The Staves
Other benefits
Don’t worry, there are endless other ways that music is key in getting you through the next half of the semester! Here are just a few more:
- Improve your memory for when you’ve got that next big exam
- Keep you motivated at the gym – a huge stress reliever and mood booster
- Perform better under high pressure situations
- Help you stay awake when driving
- Make that long bus ride across campus more pleasant