I did exactly one thing last weekend: study for my first Chemical Engineering Thermodynamics quiz. On Saturday, after five weeks of internally panicking, I very quickly began externally panicking, which was then followed by 36 hours of learning what I probably should’ve been keeping up with throughout the weeks prior to the quiz. And, while I was cooped up at my desk, I was very aware of my roommates baking, having friends over, and being altogether less stressed than I was. Thankfully, with my headphones on and music playing, it didn’t seem like I was missing out as much.
Weekends like this occur quite infrequently, but they certainly aren’t unfamiliar to me as a student at Stevens. They always begin the same way: since I’m typically a very calm person, I vastly overestimate my knowledge of the approaching quiz’s subject matter. Next, as I realize I have made this terrible overestimation, something happens in my brain that can only be explained by referencing SpongeBob — my brain feels like it’s on fire, and all its files are being burned to a crisp as I regret watching every episode of The Other Two I’ve binged in the last few weeks. And then, the cram begins — hours and hours of textbooks, lecture slides, and formula sheets. Additionally, when cramming chemistry into my brain, there’s always an element on the table (pun partially intended — I’m so sorry) that infallibly helps me focus and brush aside my anxieties, and that element is music.
I listened to about 20 albums last weekend, which included everything from Weezer (The White Album) to Broadway’s The Great Comet soundtrack. And, for this week’s column, due to the general lack of exciting new pop music, I’d like to thank the Gods of Spotify and my favorite musical artists for keeping me sane last weekend while I pulled my all thermo braincells together, and I would like to challenge you to find music that works for you to reduce stress when those exam dates approach.
The myth that listening to Mozart or Beethoven while studying can help students better retain information or expands the brain at all has been proven and debunked dozens of times — just google the issue and you’ll see a number of contrasting headlines on the very first page. Ask your friends and you’ll hear the same contentious discourse — some people can’t listen to music without getting distracted, some listen to music to avoid getting distracted, and even others are more particular. I consider myself lucky to be less particular about the music I’m listening to while I’m studying — it can be something new or something I’ve heard a million times. It can be a movie soundtrack or thank u, next. Although it might seem uncomfortable at first to all the particular people, I want you to try to expand your musical boundaries in your next study session — listen to a completely new genre and see if you like the vibe. I’ll be doing the same.
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