10 Steps to Earning Awesome Grades (While Studying Less)

Study Music
Listening to music while studying is one of those little things that people like to 
argue about. Some people think it hurts your concentration, some think it helps.
For me, it definitely helps. So all I’m going to say about this before 
recommending some great music sources is to experiment. Figure out what 
works for you, take steps to know yourself, and study better going forward.
Also the whole music vs. no music debate is pretty black and white on the 

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10 Steps to Earning Awesome Grades (While Studying Less)
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surface, as there are a ton of different varieties of music and “music” you can 
study with:
•
Music with vocals
•
Purely instrumental music
•
Ambient noise
•
White noise (or pink/brown noise)
The type of music I prefer depends on the type of work I’m doing. If I’m going 
through a process, such as creating graphics for a post (something I’ve done 
countless times), I can listen to anything. It might be metalcore, it might be rap, 
or it might be weird remixes of anime theme songs. Basically, whatever boosts 
my energy levels is good. This goes for purely logical tasks as well, such as 
programming. Even if I’m writing code I haven’t had to write before, I can put 
on any kind of music and be fine.
When it comes to writing, reading, or studying, it’s a different story. At that 
point, I need music that’s 99% instrumental, and it needs to be somewhat calm. 
I can recommend several artists if you’re looking to expand your selections:
•
65daysofstatic - electronic-influenced post-rock
•
Jordan Tice - instrumental bluegrass
•
Pretty Lights - chill electronic
•
Balmorhea - post-rock
…and if I don’t stop myself, I could probably fill another book with 
recommendations (I like curating music).
Actually, a lot of my favorite study music picks are individual tracks off of 
albums that wouldn’t otherwise be fit for studying; for example, many metal 
bands have one or two instrumental tracks or interludes in the middle of their 
albums.
Additionally, you’ll find plenty of great study music in the soundtracks of 
movies, video games, and anime. There’s also a thriving online community for a 
PC game called Touhou, and within it you’ll find hundreds of fan-made songs - 
many of which are piano-only or otherwise fit for studying.
If you’re looking for a good place to find great new study music, I’ve been 
working on a YouTube playlist for the last year called