Listening to music is a great way to relax and have fun, but what if it could improve your studying habits and make you more productive? Recent research shows music may have the power to do just that.

I’m sure I’m not the only college student in the world who suffers from a complete lack of motivation to study and do homework from time to time. Sometimes there is just zero desire to do anything productive, especially when you feel like you have plenty of time to get it done later. If we’re being honest, I think most college students can add procrastination to our list of academic qualities.

If you have an issue with it, listening to music might actually help your mind focus and give you a sense of motivation. It stimulates the parts of the brain that control your ability to think, plan and analyze, often making it easier to think things through and organize your thoughts.

Overall, music can trigger improvements in many academic areas, especially the analytical parts of math. This is why there are currently many advocates promoting performing arts and music in high schools, since they can benefit students in other areas of academics. They can also heighten self-trust, personal discipline and focus, help overcome mental blocks, make tasks seem easier, put you in a positive mood and help fuel your overall desire to complete tasks.

Music affects the brain in a few ways. Rhythm affects the autonomic parts of the body (such as heartbeat, breathing and involuntary foot tapping), while harmony affects emotions, the limbic system and the mid-brain. Music can help trigger a rewarding feeling in your body caused by the release of dopamine in your ventral tegmental area in the center of your brain. Dopamine has many functions, such as turning into either a neurotransmitter or hormone that helps regulate emotions and various physical aspects of the body. It can get your blood pumping and make you more attentive, similar to how you feel when you’re at the gym working out with that “I can do anything” feeling. Basically, humans get a certain pleasure out of listening to music, which can actually be compared to the euphoric pleasure you get from food, sex, drugs or chocolate (or pretty much anything people like a lot).

One particular area of research is known as the Mozart Effect, where researchers have studied the effects of listening to classical music to see if there is any correlation to an increase in intelligence. Some argue it can definitely improve a person’s IQ, but others say there is little to no difference or that it’s a short-lived intelligence boost. In a 1993 study, researchers at the University of California, Irvine found that after listening to a Mozart sonata for 10 minutes, a student’s IQ score improved by eight to nine points on average (which might not seem like much, but it’s actually a pretty big deal), but it only lasted for about 10 to 15 minutes. They hypothesized that complex music may act as a “warm-up” for neurotransmitters in the brain that can improve performance, which would be beneficial for anyone trying to get in the groove of studying. And by “complex,” they mean music from people like Mozart, not the talent-lacking Justin Bieber and other pop singers whose lyrics hardly make sense.

While a majority of the research linking music to brain power is currently inconclusive, it also depends on the individuals. Some prefer to study in complete silence, while others can’t retain anything if they aren’t listening to music or watching something on television. Maybe listening to music helps you write a paper more efficiently, but makes it hard for you to memorize facts. Or maybe you work better with nonlyrical music playing in the background compared to those with strong vocals. These kinds of things vary with each person. I personally wrote this article as I listened to various instrumental scores, since I find vocals to be a bit distracting when I try to focus on writing. Basically, it’s all determined by personal preference.

Additionally, listening to music is not going to suddenly make you a genius or give you an easy A on your next exam. Music can simply be a way to rev up your brain and get you more focused on completing tasks.

Next time you’re studying for a test and feel completely uninterested in doing so, try turning on your radio or Pandora (dancing is optional) and see if that helps you get motivated. At the very least, it should put you in a better mood so preparing to study isn’t so daunting.

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Caitlin Ellingson is a junior in journalism and mass communication and environmental studies from Milo, Iowa.