Haley Galvin | Perspective Editor

My weird study habit is listening to music I do not know or instrumental music. I have a hard time staying focused on studying and sometimes find it hard not to get distracted. I have found listening to music helps me stay focused.

If it is music I know, I sing along and get distracted by what was supposed to be helping me study.

I need to listen to music that either has no words for me to sing along to or that I simply don’t know the words to. I have discovered playlists on Spotify specifically tailored to studying that have really helped me.

Chillhop Music is my go-to for study playlists. They created several playlists with wide range of songs that fuse together jazz and hip hop. The playlists are also long, so it’s easy to listen to them for hours without repeats.

No matter how many times I listen to these playlists, they still feel new, and this is what helps me focus.

I can enjoy a little music to keep me motivated without getting distracted.

Sam Malone | Editor in Chief 

My weird study habit is mind mapping. I have a difficult time studying and staying focused, and a few years ago I stumbled on a new method: Mind mapping. It’s really easy to do and is explained in a number of Youtube videos.

Basically, you organize your study material in a visual way, drawing diagrams, connecting key points, color coding and using sticky notes.

The method kills two birds with one stone because you’re studying while making the mind map, and then you can use it as a study guide to quiz yourself with later.

It’s more fun than flashcards and has been incredibly helpful for me. I also keep my mind maps for each exam so I can study with them for cumulative finals.

My study habits and test scores have both increased since I’ve started using this method.

Noah Thornburgh | Assistant News Editor 

I listen to music I know extremely well when studying.

When a deadline is looming, be it a research paper or an upcoming exam, I put together a playlist of about 15 to 20 songs and will put it on exclusively when I am working on the corresponding assignment.

By keeping these exclusive playlists, I think my brain gets trained to assume certain mental states advantageous to the assignment at hand.

I had a major research project for a history class last semester and a corresponding record to go with it: Edvard Grieg’s “Lyric Pieces” recorded by Emil Gilels. I’d go into hyper-focus mode any time I heard the first notes float out of my headphones after about one week of working.