Studying in Sync

How Honors Students Use Music To Manage Stress and Stay Focused During High-Pressure Weeks 

By Daniel Fuentes

By the time midterm and final exam weeks arrive at the University of Iowa, campus libraries fill up, coffee orders grow longer, and many students quietly, but surely, shift into survival mode. For students in the Honors Program, the routine of using carefully built and highly personalized playlists helps them stay on track through the most stressful academic weeks of the semester.

From late-night review sessions before midterms to all-day studying during finals, music has become an essential part for many. It works as a way to manage stress, set pace, and stay motivated when academic pressure is at its highest. For many honors students, playlists are used accordingly to match their study plans. 

Dean Sequeira is a third year honors student majoring in sports recreation & management. “I use music in my daily routine to kind of put on some background noise as I go throughout my day,” he said.  

Sequeira explained that he often turns to softer and more familiar music when facing deadlines or exam pressure. The goal is not necessarily to improve productivity, but to help him remain calm before diving into difficult work. 

Playlists can be useful as tools for shifting among different academic modes. Students may create separate playlists for reading-heavy courses, problem-heavy courses, and writing assignments. Streaming platforms such as Spotify and Apple Music make this simple, allowing students to build multiple playlists that match their routines and study environments. 

“To me personally, music is an escape and an avenue to relaxation,” Sequeira said. “It helps lift my mood when having a tough or bad day.” 

Rather than trying to eliminate all distraction, students can choose music that feels emotionally comfortable to help them get through long study sessions and make stressful weeks feel more manageable. 

“Artists like Huntrix, Tyga, and Lil Mosey are especially important to me as they make music that I can relate to,” said Sequeira.

Music can also be a way to structure time. Playlists can be built to last exactly as long as a planned study session. Faster or more hyped-up music can help get students going during slumps. In this way, music helps them track when it is time to start, keep going, or take a break. 

Beyond its popularity, the emotional connection between music and learning is also supported by research. 
Adam Harry, who teaches psychology of music at the University of Iowa, gives lectures on how sound interacts with attention, memory, and emotional regulation. 

According to Harry, music can help students regulate their emotional state before beginning academic work, especially during high-pressure periods like midterms and finals. However, its effectiveness depends on the context and the type of music. Familiar music may help reduce stress and improve focus, particularly when it is instrumental and the task involves reading or writing. More complex assignments may limit the benefits of background music. For this reason, some students may find music more useful during simpler or repetitive tasks, as a way to reset during study breaks, or to unwind.

This is the case for Sequeira, who explained, “Music helps me the most when I am trying to relax after a long day. I get to listen to music I like and know, as well as music I'm not as familiar with.”

Ultimately, each student needs to determine whether, when, and what type of music is helpful. 

As midterms and finals continue to set the rhythm of each semester, UI Honors students will keep showing up to libraries, classrooms, and late-night study sessions with laptops, notebooks, and headphones. Their playlists may vary wildly, but for many, music will remain the first step toward staying calm, focused, and motivated through the most demanding weeks of the academic year. 

As Sequeira observed, “When there's downtime in my day, I will probably be listening to music.”