Classical music has been widely touted as favorable to intelligence. According to Sylvan Learning centers, studies indicate that soft, classical musical aids in concentration, and, according to Scholastic, studies also indicate that classical music stimulates the section of the brain used in math.

Loud music with words can often be more distracting than beneficial if you are trying to study.

Your favourite rock band where you sing along to all the lyrics for example is not a good choice.

You can also use music to break up your study time. It's great for example to study for 40 minutes with music then 30 minutes without, each time you make a shift it will seem like a fresh study period and can actually help you study more effectively for longer.

We know that music can alter your mood

. Films have been using musical scores for years to create the right mood for a scene. At times you hardly notice the music at all but you are very receptive to the mood being conveyed. So can we use music to put us in a "productive" mood?

Research seems to support such a claim. For example, a trial where 75 out of 256 workers at a large retail company were issued with personal stereos to wear at work for four weeks showed a 10% increase in productivity for the headphone wearers. Other similar research conducted by researchers at the University of Illinois found a 6.3% increase when compared with the no music control group.