Tick, tick, tick — the metronome maintains a steady rhythm of 120 beats per minute as sophomore Rasia Yu crams for tomorrow’s Science Olympiad competition. Yu finds the incessant beeping of the metronome in the corner of the room gives her just enough pressure to keep working. As the proximity of final exams begins to dawn on Paly, students cram through the night with tried-and-true study methods like studying with friends, staying in a quiet library or listening to music.

Music is often seen as beneficial for focus and concentration; however, for students like Yu, research on the topic takes a more nuanced stance. According to a study of college students published in the Journal of Cognition, lyrical music hinders verbal memory, visual memory, and reading comprehension.

“Sometimes, you don’t want lyrics,” Yu said. “You don’t want sound. You don’t want different notes, so I lock myself in a room for a few hours, just with a metronome and my study materials.”

But for casual studying, Yu said listening to ambient music helps her focus and avoid distractions.

“If you’re feeling sad, you could put on rain ambient music, and it just puts you into a calm mood for studying and that (calm) mindset,” Yu said. “Or if you’re feeling a bit more relaxed or energetic, you could put on ambient sounds of nature or wind and trees that are rustling.”

Meanwhile, sophomore Ishaan Juyal said he uses headphones to listen to ambient music, which helps him navigate the stressful environment of school.

“Whenever I walk around school, sometimes it’s uncomfortably quiet, or everyone is talking and (being) annoying,” Juyal said. “With headphones, I’m still in my little school environment, but I can at least stay back in this more quiet, relaxed world.”

Students also find other non-lyrical mediums to improve their focus or simply just to relax. Yu, for instance, listens to horror music from video games.

“But it’s not the scary type of horror,” Yu said. “It’s more of the existential we’re-all-going-to-die eerie (type).”

Similarly, Juyal said he used to listen to “Arachnophobia,” a track from the horror game “Omori.” “It’s ambient, slowed down and really creepy,” Juyal said. “It’s a track that’s played when the main character is fighting with his fear of spiders, and he’s absolutely terrified. He’s having a panic attack, so he’s trying to calm himself down.”

Though horror music may seem counterproductive, Yu said a healthy amount of stress can improve her productivity.

“It gives me just enough stress to motivate me,” Yu said. “It’s also quiet and calm enough for me to actually get my thoughts out.”

While non-lyrical music may have certain advantages over their lyrical counterparts, not all lyrical songs are necessarily distracting. Chemistry teacher Margaret Deng said she sometimes listens to music in other languages while reading.

“Does it help you focus?” Deng said. “Not really. Some of the time I don’t even understand what they’re singing, so it doesn’t bother me. It’s very nice.”

Beyond studying and leisure purposes, ambient white noise can also improve sleep. For example, Juyal said he has struggled with his sleep quality ever since he was little.

“I’ve always had trouble sleeping, especially by myself,” Juyal said. “When there’s a fan in the background, I don’t have to feel like I’m completely (alone). It helps not add to that feeling of being alone in a dark room.”