What are the best tunes to listen to when revising? We share some revision music recommendations!
Revising for exams isn’t known for being the most fun activity in the world, even if you have taken our advice on how to create the best possible environment for studying. However, that’s not to say that you can’t make it more enjoyable than it currently is!
One of the best ways that you can inject some life into your revision timetable is by incorporating music into your studies – the perfect revision soundtrack can get you motivated, keep you relaxed, and help you learn!
We’ve created a list of the best songs and albums to add to your revision soundtrack, divided into three different categories: Motivational Tunes, Concentration Tunes, and Educational Tunes. So read on if you want to figure out the key for a top enjoyable studying sesh!
Motivational Revision Tunes
First up, it’s time to get psyched up for some studying. For a lot of people, getting motivated to study can be really difficult, especially if you’re feeling nervous about your exams or if you have a tendency to doubt yourself and your abilities. One way to break through the nerves is by listening to some optimistic, upbeat bangers with positive, motivational messages which will get you into the perfect studying mindset. Here are our top suggestions:
· Move on Up – Curtis Mayfield
· Feel Good Inc – Gorillaz
· For Once In My Life – Stevie Wonder
· Shiny Happy People – R.E.M.
· More Than A Feeling – Boston
· Zero to Hero – Hercules Soundtrack (TT Team Favourite)
· Harder Better Faster Stronger – Daft Punk
· Right Here, Right Now – Fatboy Slim
· Ain’t No Mountain High Enough – Marvin Gaye, Tammi Terrell
· Feeling Good – literally any version, but our top picks are Nina Simone and Muse!
Concentration-Inducing Revision Music
Upbeat tunes might get you feeling the positive vibes necessary to start studying, but they might not be so good to have on in the background, especially if you have a tendency to get a little bit distracted… So, when the studying starts, it’s time to switch the motivational tunes for some concentration-inducing background music.
For some people, classical music is the perfect score for studying, but for many classical music fans this can be just as distracting as show tunes! For others, ambient or minimalist music which features few melodic hooks to distract your mind are a perfect alternative. We’ve chosen a mix of classical and ambient picks to keep both types happy, so why not give both a go and see what you prefer?:
· Chopin’s Nocturnes (why not try the recording by Luis Fernando Perez?)
· Jardin du sommeil d’amour from Messiaen’s Turangalila Symphony
· Satie’s Gymnopedies and Gnossienes (there are so many recordings of these classics – you really are spoilt for choice!)
· Getsomerest/sleepwell – Quickly, Quickly (we’ve moved onto lo-fi beats now!)
· Dawn on the Side – Nujabes
· Blankets – Aso
· An Ending (Ascent) – Brian Eno (or anything from his 1983 album 'Apollo', for fans of ambient music)
Educational Revision Songs
As well as being a great soundtrack, music can actually form a valuable tool when learning new information for your studies. Some songs (or parodies of songs) can help you learn valuable facts which might otherwise be difficult to memorise!
From language-learning to History or Science, there are songs that have been crafted for the very purpose of studying:
· French students – confused by the passé composé? In need of a laugh? This should kill two birds with one stone.
· Geography / History / Politics students (or anyone looking to expand their general knowledge) – this one’s for you.
· A classic one for Scientists, essential for learning the periodic table!
· And finally, another one for fans of Tom Lehrer, especially Mathematicians.
So now that you have the perfect soundtrack to your studies, there’s no reason why revision can’t be a more enjoyable experience for you!
Do you have any favourite study tunes? Let us know!
Blog Post Crafted by Madeleine
Madeleine runs our Admin Team. Despite the fact that she read Japanese at university, Madeleine’s main passion in life is opera and she hopes to become the next Maria Callas some day...
Madeleine manages the staff on our Admin Team, liaising with tutors, clients and applicants. She is responsible for processing the ID, Qualifications, DBS Check and References for all our newly joining tutors.