These days, it would be rather difficult to find many UOW students without a set of earphones on them. 

It could just be me, but I’m willing to play make-believe for my own benefit.

Speaking of me: hi. I’m a second-year student at the UOW, taking on a double degree in Arts and Communications & Media with a casual work position on the side. My background originates primarily from the UK area, with English being my first and only language. Among the hobbies I’ve picked up in recent years, music has remained dominant. Whether I’m playing on my piano, or (mostly) just listening to it, music takes up a large portion of my day. In moments of silence, I turn to Spotify to listen to a classic album I’ve yet to hear, with Pink Floyd and The Velvet Underground serving as my most recent ‘subjects’. 

On the other hand, I’m also someone who struggles to maintain focus on my studies.

I know for certain that I’m not the only one who has trouble with this, for phones are simply too tempting. My high school teachers tried their best, but nothing seemed to stop most of my class from beginning essays the night before the due date. It is yet another instance of technology posing as both a blessing and a curse.

And let’s just say that old habits die hard.

For my research project, I’ve decided to combine these two traits of mine and attempt to gain a consensus on whether or not listening to music can serve as a hindrance to study. I will be taking my own experience into account, in addition to the experiences of students who share the BCM 212 tutorial space with me. As a result, the project will consist primarily of qualitative research.

In order to gain a complete understanding of student experience, I will ask a series of questions – either in person, or via an online survey. Their genre of choice will likely be one of the topics to be brought up, in addition to alternative methods of focusing. I don’t intend to obtain a definitive answer by the end of all this, but rather my goal is to gain an understanding (an observation, if you will) of the different ways UOW students both manage and/or fail to maintain concentration in the current day – and the effect that music poses in both scenarios. 

With the sheer amount of playlists currently available on Spotify that are dedicated to improving focus, I believe this to be a topic worthy of discussion. It is also one that extends far beyond the UOW environment, which will allow me to collect a wide variety of valuable sources to assist in my research.