Humming to the tune of success...how music can help with revision!

Flashcards, pens every colour of the rainbow, chunky neon yellow highlighters….there are many tools that we use when revising for the CIMA exams. Some of you may prefer to write in plain black and on snow white paper, whilst others will pin notes all over the house to remind themselves of the key areas of the syllabus.



But what about music? When it comes to revision, not many students tend to include revision as a key part of their revision schedule. Whether you have a particular songstress in mind, enjoy opera or like all types of music, did you know that it can be surprisingly beneficial for CIMA revision.
Interestingly, studies did find that introverts (that is, someone who draws in energy from within) tend to revise best when there is no music playing, so they do not get distracted. Extroverts (those who draw energy from the outside world) were much more likely to listen to music and have a more successful revision session. In other words, extroverts like to be surrounded by music, whilst introverts prefer peace. A study recently conducted, however, found that many students find it easier to revise in silence, as too much music made their revision levels drop. Why is this? Could it be that music makes us want to dance, rather than focus on the CIMA material?
There are playlists on Youtube that are specifically made for revision. These songs tend to be slow and repetitive, but they are meant to produce good results. Classical music, too, can be very good for revising. The key here is most likely that the music is instrumental, which may help to drown out other annoying sounds – if you are revising for the CIMA exam in a city, for example, having this type of music may just help you focus. A recent study conducted by a French university found that, when students listened to a lecture with classical music in the background, they remembered more information than a group of students who took the lecture in silence.
So, how can you incorporate this into your CIMA revision and see if it works for you? Why not try a little music whilst you are studying the pre-seen, for example or reading our study texts. Perhaps you may just find that listening to music helps you to focus just that little bit more!

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