Whether you’re a fan of listening to music while you read or you simply live in a household of noisy people, silence may not be something you’re used to finding before hitting the books—but it should be and it can be. Here’s why you should strive to study in silence, and some tips for actually making it happen.
Why should you study in silence?
Despite the boom in popularity of study-based playlists on YouTube and Spotify, quiet is the way to go when you’re trying to retain information you’re taking in. Don’t take our word for; take science’s.
First, research published in 2019 showed that “mental workload and visual/auditory attention is significantly reduced when the participants are exposed to noise at 95 dBA level.” That, per the Center for Hearing and Communication, is about how loud a blender or truck is. The 2019 study focused a lot on the way noise affects people at work, which is where people tend to do tasks they already have a grasp on; noise can be even more detrimental if you’re trying to attain new information. Other research that has focused specifically on studying has found noise to be even more of an issue: On average, participants experienced a 7% reduction in performance on a test when researchers introduced noises, when compared with quiet, per one 2021 report.
Some research is broken down, examining different effects of noise on introverts’ and extroverts’ studying and information retention, but that’s both too granular and pretty irrelevant; for the most part, it still finds that noise is distracting and reduces cognitive ability. Other research is broken down by type of noise. For instance, one study found that while silence was beneficial for cognitive tasks, lo-fi music was better than music with lyrics (with the exception of when participants were doing math, when music type didn’t have any impact).
How to create more silence
If you’re attached to lo-fi tunes for studying, fine; you just have to keep them low and make sure no lyrics sneak in. Otherwise, try to prioritize a reduction in noise as much as possible—especially outside noises, like chatter, household appliances, or traffic. Here are a few tools that might help:
Grab a pair of the highly-rated Loop Quiet ear plugs to reduce noise ($24.95)
Get the Loop Mute ($14.95) for an extra five decibels of noise reduction when you need even more quiet
Try the Grotheory door stopper to soundproof your study room ($9.99 for two)
Use Mudboo acoustic panels to line the wall separating you from exterior noise ($19.99 for 12)
Finally, check out the door to the room where you work or study. If it’s hollow inside, it won’t block out as much noise as if it were solid. Instead of replacing the door, you could consider studying in a room that already has a solid one, if possible.