Writer: Kotomi T.
Editor: Yukinobu N.
Translator: Natsumi K.
Introduction
Are you aware that there are various perspectives on listening to music while studying? According to a survey conducted by the educational website, “#HighSchoolNow,” which targeted 300 high school and university students nationwide, about 65% of respondents listen to music while studying. Now, let’s take a closer look at the relationship between studying and music among TIU students.
Studying and Music
First, we conducted a survey with 18 students from Tokyo International University (11 J-Track students and 7 E-Track students) to learn about their habits regarding listening to music while studying.
| YES | NO | |
| Q: Do you listen to music while studying? | 66％（12 individuals） | 34%（6 individuals） |
We can see that the proportion of students who listen to music while studying is almost the same as the general trend. Let’s take a closer look from here.
Results for those who answered, “YES”
Q: Why do you listen to music while studying? (Choose the most applicable reason)
| Because it’s relaxing | Because I can focus on studying | Because I like music | |
| J-Track | 〇 | ||
| E-Track | 〇 |
Q: What kind of genre in music do you listen to?
| Pop | Classic | Nature Sounds | Others (Western Music) | |
| J-Track | 50% | 33.3% | 0% | 16.7% |
| E-Track | 100% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
The most common reasons given for listening to music were for relaxation and simply because they enjoy music. As for music genres, pop music received the most votes among both J-Track and E-Track students. Some J-Track students also reported listening to classical music or Western songs.
・Results for those who answered, “NO”
Q: Why don’t you like to listen to music while studying?
| Because ambient sounds are enough | Because I can’t focus on studying | |
| J-Track | 40% | 60% |
| E-Track | 0% | 100% |
The majority of students who answered that they do not listen to music while studying gave the reason, “because I can’t focus on studying”.
The Impact of Music on Studying
What kind of impact does listening to music while studying have? Generally, it is said that performance may decrease or distractions may increase in complete silence. Therefore, listening to music while studying can boost motivation, enhance concentration, and promote relaxation. Additionally, listening to music not only improves performance during studying but also during other simple tasks, and recent studies have shown that it can help stimulate creativity. Moreover, the choice of music can be more effective when tailored to your state of mind during study sessions. For example, when you’re not feeling motivated but need to study, listening to upbeat music can elevate your mood, while calmer music like classical pieces may be ideal when you want to relax.
On the other hand, there are cases where listening to music while studying may have negative effects. For instance, when reading or memorizing, listening to music with lyrics can make it harder to retain information as the lyrics can be distracting. Similarly, if you play a favorite song, its melody might play in your head, making it difficult to concentrate. As such, there are instances where music can have a negative impact on studying.
Conclusion
Through this survey on the theme of studying and music, we found that more than half of TIU students listen to music while studying. However, this does not mean that listening to music while studying is the “correct” approach. It became clear that the ideal study environment differs from person to person.
How did you find this survey? For those of you who will be studying for upcoming exams or qualifications, we encourage you to find the learning environment that best suits you.
We would like to extend our thanks to the TIU students who participated in this survey for their cooperation.
Times Of TIU 
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