A number of competitive and board exams are around the corner, and you have a full syllabus to revise. However, halfway through, you start losing your concentration. Well, this could be a frustrating affair. Now, did you know that among other things, music can play a significant role in improving your process of preparation?
The impact of music on our soul is too well-known a fact – it can have different effects on the mind as well depending on context and situations. Music could be a stress buster in times of emotional turmoil emanating from different circumstances of life and its concomitant features.
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Consequently, it can play a big role in the life of students preparing themselves for various kinds of examinations. It could both reduce stress and motivate students to improve their cognitive skills, thereby leading to a positive mindset which is essential in times of exam preparations.
Aroopa Das Patgiri, an accomplished Bharatnatyam exponent, and a former principal of a government senior secondary school in Guwahati, Assam said, “Music has been for me a great booster in not only meeting my academic pursuits but also in developing a positive attitude towards life at large.”
“I have always advised my students to espouse music along with their career goals to both maintain an equanimity of emotions and achieve their targets,” added Aroopa.
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This article seeks to underscore the ways and means through which music could help students in matters of examinations and studies in general, as suggested by experts and students alike.
1.Creating mood
There is no denying the fact that during moments of study, students need to maintain a stability of mind and mood. Often it is seen that the mood is subject to mutation and change depending on contextual perspectives. Music could very well come as an aid to provide psychological equilibrium and create a celebrious mood for students.
This in turn could lead to a healthy attitude towards studies and problem-solving. “I remember the times when music came to my rescue during my rigorous preparation regime,” says Ritwik Sharma, an MBBS graduate who recently cleared the PLAB test. “I would often start my preparations for the day by spending 20 minutes on my piano. This automatically reduces my stress and helps me to get on with my studies,” added Ritwik.
2. Augmenting focus and concentration
Research over the ages has shown that music could help students improve their focus on the subject as music enables them to maintain a pleasurable state of mind. It automatically helps the brain absorb more and more data and information as required for the purpose at hand. The ear for music could be different for listeners. But the fact remains that the music that pleases could also enhance the attention span of learners.
3.Boosting memory
By way of relaxing and motivating the mind, music could also help students boost their memory in the way other forms of mental exercises could. Music stimulates the brain to enrich cognitive functions which in turn leads to better retentive abilities. Amrita Sanagavarapu, a corporate executive and an Odissi dancer said, “There is no gainsaying the fact music is a great therapy both for the mind and the body. While my dancing energizes my mind, it keeps me physically fit as well. As a result, it keeps my cognitive faculties healthy and my memory and concentration well nourished. I have also tried inculcating the practice of music in my sons and the result has been quite rewarding.”
4. Low music and the soothing effect
While the music could be quite soothing and relaxing to the mind, it is also important to bear in mind that loud music could be detrimental to the effect intended. It is advisable that students while preparing for their exams should necessarily keep the volume low and adhere to more instrumental music than songs with lyrics to not be distracted from the purpose. According to Dr Amal Kumar Sarma, a medical expert, “It is soft music that always has a lasting effect on the mind as a result of which students listening to such music get a more rewarding result.”