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Sorry for the U2-inspired title....

I can't seem to study with or without music - I think it's a problem of habit (I've formed a habit of listening to music throughout the majority of my day, so it's hard not to listen to it, but it's simultaneously slowing me down/distracting me).

I'm not sure if there is a type of music that would be more conducive to learning or if I should not be listening to music at all.

Curious to hear what worked for you and/or any recommendations you may have!

Thanks in advance.
-LSAT_hopeful

P.S. If you have any specific website/playlist recommendations PLEASE feel free to share!

Ideally, you don't want to study with music. I sometimes listened to music while I drilled sometimes, but I wouldn't do it during PTs.

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SteelPenguin wrote:Ideally, you don't want to study with music. I sometimes listened to music while I drilled sometimes, but I wouldn't do it during PTs.

Thanks for the insight. I'm definitely NOT talking about listening to music while PTing (I try to stick to test-day conditions as much as possible) - sorry I wasn't clear about that! I meant while reading strategy guides (e.g. while doing the LG Bible, etc.).

Thanks for the response!

I think it can be distracting if you're listening to music with lyrics. I have loud housemates, so sometimes listened to classical music when I was drilling or doing sections and I don't think it was much different than having silence. Obviously you won't have classical music during the real test, so it's probably best to take your PTs in silence if you can.

teampeeta wrote:Obviously you won't have classical music during the real test, so it's probably best to take your PTs in silence if you can.

100% Agree!

teampeeta wrote: I think it can be distracting if you're listening to music with lyrics. I have loud housemates, so sometimes listened to classical music when I was drilling or doing sections and I don't think it was much different than having silence.

I'm trying this out! (Listening to classical music/instrumental music in general). Thanks for your input!

I'm going to go against the crowd. If you study with distractions, then it'll be easier to focus when you don't have those distractions. And if there's a distraction on test day, it won't bother you as much. Additionally, your brain associates things with stimuli from all the senses when you study, so if there's other senses reinforcing memories, that's generally a good thing.

My brain might work differently than others, though... I'm usually watching TV and listening to music while doing work.

As with many cases in test prepping, it's really one of those things that depends on you. You've been a student for most of your life. C'mon, by now you should know what works for you. If you're not sure, try both and figure out which is more effective.

For me personally, I hate listening to background music in almost all situations. I think music should be the main focus of your attention if it's on. One big reason that shopping malls are a nightmare for me.

When I was in loud surroundings I felt like conversations and annoying sounds bothered me significantly enough where my PT scores no longer reflected my actual ability. I started studying with classical music on, pretty much out of necessity. I even took a couple PTs with music. I didn't really think it made a difference either way in terms of my scores and prep.

The goal is to always put yourself in a position to reflect test day conditions. I would study without music when possible, and only when you think it offers actual value to your studying, like eliminating greater distractions.

Just do whatever works for you. If listening to music actually helps you focus, then by all means do it.

I agree with the above poster - do what maximizes your ability to focus.

Personally music distracts me when doing LR or RC, but not games. In fact sometimes it pumps me up for LG, lol. Mostly I work in silence though, and I never listen to music while PTing because I do not want to impact my performance (either positively or negatively).

I agree with bp shinners. Get used to distractions. There's a very good chance that your test center won't be 100% silent. Don't be the person who gets thrown entirely off their game because someone accidentally drops a pencil or the a/c is humming.

Going even further than what shinners said, though: Change up your distractions. Getting used to having a certain type of music playing is bad too. Study in all sorts of conditions--and even take PTs in some non-ideal conditions. Find different environments to try out. Quiet libraries, loud coffee shops, home with the TV on, in a park where people are, etc. Your concentration should be bombproof, not a delicate soap bubble. I got to the point where I could PT while half-watching a movie and it wouldn't affect my score.

I usually do my drilling or just timed section while at a starbucks with some light music in the background and people talking. For PT's i turn on my AC unit and let it hum because I like that white noise and i expect it to be present in some form or another on test day.

rinkrat19 wrote:I agree with bp shinners. Get used to distractions. There's a very good chance that your test center won't be 100% silent. Don't be the person who gets thrown entirely off their game because someone accidentally drops a pencil or the a/c is humming.

Going even further than what shinners said, though: Change up your distractions. Getting used to having a certain type of music playing is bad too. Study in all sorts of conditions--and even take PTs in some non-ideal conditions. Find different environments to try out. Quiet libraries, loud coffee shops, home with the TV on, in a park where people are, etc. Your concentration should be bombproof, not a delicate soap bubble. I got to the point where I could PT while half-watching a movie and it wouldn't affect my score.

A lot of what you have said is definitely a common theme among 180-ers and I am definitely taking that advice to heart. Thanks for the input.

I'm basically a nutcase with regards to studying in the silence. I have been known to rip clocks off the wall.

rinkrat19 wrote:I agree with bp shinners. Get used to distractions. There's a very good chance that your test center won't be 100% silent. Don't be the person who gets thrown entirely off their game because someone accidentally drops a pencil or the a/c is humming.

Going even further than what shinners said, though: Change up your distractions. Getting used to having a certain type of music playing is bad too. Study in all sorts of conditions--and even take PTs in some non-ideal conditions. Find different environments to try out. Quiet libraries, loud coffee shops, home with the TV on, in a park where people are, etc. Your concentration should be bombproof, not a delicate soap bubble. I got to the point where I could PT while half-watching a movie and it wouldn't affect my score.

+1 to all of this.

I think there's a difference between bad distractions (cars outside, noisy students in library) and good distractions (music, something that you like and can get you into a good mood).

Good distractions are bad for studying, imho. You may find it difficult to study/perform without the good distraction.

At least, that was my experience. I used to read with classical music (they're soothing) on at a fairly low volume. Helped me to read longer/focused and in a more relaxed state. Without it, I found my attention being pulled elsewhere by the little things; little random noises annoyed me, or random thoughts popped up that drew my attention from the subject at hand.

Note that this is when I'm reading shit that I didn't want to read at the time.

Getting used to bad distractions is a good thing though.

I would not study in silence or solitude. At the least, you want a place that has people moving around, with ideally a little bit of quiet background noise.

I spent most of my PTs in a busy campus Starbucks with earplugs in -- you look pretty stupid, but it muffles everything to be just enough of a noise and visual distraction. If you can test well under such circumstances, you're prepared for any testing conditions, IMO.

There are certain low volume instrumentals that can be helpful (google alpha brainwave concentration music). You have got to make studying fun. Once you reach your peak in ideal conditions than you can experiement with less than ideal conditions. If you read the debriefs carefully that's what people have done in the past.

I study with music and always have since I was in middle school. It actually bothers me to take pts without listening to music, but that's something that I personally need to get used to, since test day won't have my studying soundtrack playing lol.

I gotta have music on while studying. A little Barry White and I'm in full-focus study mode.

Try listening to white noise, maybe.

Not when I am in a testing environment (quiet floor of the library, early mornings at home when nobody is up), but if there are an unrealistic amount of distractions, I'll throw on the isolation headphones and some ambient music.

anything with lyrics in it especially is going to mess you up. mastering questions takes your full attention. if you are listening to music to stay awake or because you are nervous or hungry, then deal with those issues first and study at a different time. There's no reason to be studying with music. Maybe even change your location if you feel like you are in lsat prep prison. but don't listen to music. You're really not fully absorbing information when you do that despite what you feel you can do. multitasking is a myth and people multitasking even with listening to music during lsat practice will die hard on test day or at least not do as well as they should.