Padd Solutions

As a child, I heard three things from my mother while studying:

1.) “Hilly, don’t read with the light off. You’ll ruin your eyes.”

2.) “Now, Hilary, get your homework done first before you spend your time leisurely.”

3.) “I just don’t know how you listen to music while you study! Don’t you think you should turn it off?”

I can say, unabashedly, my mother was right about 1 and 2. After bragging about perfect eyesight for years, I am required to wear glasses while reading. The stint in my early teens in which I wanted to read every classic novel I could get my hands on (and only by a dimly lit window) “did me in”. And of course, I am queen procrastinator, so there’s another instance in which I should have listened to my mother. But, number 3 on the list still holds true to my study habits.

A corner desk, facing the wall, without music is absolutely boring and I get nothing done. I realize homework is meant to be taken seriously, but studying and writing at a desk facing the wall (sans music) reminds me of Lonely Lunch. Lonely Lunch required a naughty child to eat in isolation while their friends chat and share juice boxes 20 feet away. Back then, Lonely Lunch meant complete damnation and my two experiences with LL definitely served its purpose for punishment. (I was undeserving of Lonely Lunch, by the way, but that’s another story for another day.)

While I hear the rest of my house bustling with television and musical excitement, I cringe because I'm missing out (on the "fun" I usually find absolutely boring and mind numbing during the summer). In essence, the silence is deadly and my mind wanders without something accompanying school work.

In the comfort of my room, I crank up the tunes and study swimmingly alongside Elmer Bernstein’s scoring of To Kill a Mockingbird or Coldplay’s Parachutes. Oftentimes, I find a certain genre of music compliments a specific course. College algebra requires heavier thinking, but ... it’s my least favorite, so I’ll go with something cheerier like Pet Sounds by the Beach Boys to improve morale. English conjures moodier emotions, so I’ll visit the Judy Garland realm of my playlist. But, why am I able to multitask? Am I retaining the information?

Multiple studies show different results - some negative, others positive. But, I think it depends on the person. For instance, a Kanye West fan (do they still exist?) or a Metallica fan would find my iTunes library incredibly dull and boring and the music would (most likely) tally up bad results upon studying. Just as my study habits would suffer if I listened to their style of music. Let’s face it: what is pleasing to one person may be poison to another and displeasing sounds or sounds unfit to your taste are distracting. Construction workers jackhammering, clicking pens, tornado sirens - could you study with a constant stream of any of the above at a consistent rate? If you can, I applaud your patience! I also applaud those who study best in complete silence. I, for one, desire music in a studying situation and I think it shows through my grades.

Here’s my question to you, AC: do your study habits and grades suffer or excel due to music?