If you were to look around a classroom today, chances are you would probably see an iPod out on many desks.  It is very common now to find that students work while listening to music in the classroom.  Many students claim that listening to music while studying or doing homework affects their performance.  Some students believe that it helps them focus, while others say that it distracts them.

Research done by students at the John Hopkins School of Education shows that music helps us learn because it increases concentration, improves memory, and increases attention.  When surveyed, five out of ten students said that they always listen to music while doing schoolwork.

“Listening to music while doing schoolwork helps me focus,” said senior Jolie Duarte.

Even though many students can agree that listening to music while doing schoolwork is beneficial, some can only listen to music in a certain way.

“I perform better listening to music only if the music is music I have heard before,” says senior Patrick Cummings. “My main goal when I listen to music while doing work is just to block out the noise around me, reduce distractions and put me into a focused and familiar state of mind.”

Although listening to music while doing homework is a very popular trend, some students are against it and do not think it helps at all.

“I don’t usually listen to music while doing work because it distracts me,” said senior Natalie Kistner. “I get too into the music and don’t focus on my work.” This is a popular opinion of many students.

Senior Julia Tole said, “It really depends on my mood. Sometimes I just want to get my work done fast so I don’t listen to anything.”

Several tests have been conducted by researchers at the University of Wales with the results showing that there is actually no significant difference between students’ performances with music as opposed to without it.  Having music on while students worked was just as distracting as hearing someone talk.

The debate of whether listening to music while doing schoolwork affects students’ performance is one that will probably not be settled any time soon.  It is really a personal preference. The effect of music can vary a lot from person to person and more research needs to be done before any final conclusions can be made on its true impact on students.