Skip to Main Content

Study Skills for Neurodivergent Students

Musical Intelligence

  • Strengths: Learn best with rhythm, melody, and sound.

  • Study approaches: Create songs or rhymes to remember information, listen to music while studying (instrumental or with calming lyrics).

  • Tools: Educational songs and podcasts, apps that use music to teach concepts, white noise generators for focus.

  • Careers: Musician, composer, music teacher, conductor, audio engineer, music therapist, DJ.

Study Skills for Musical Intelligence

  • Compose for knowledge: Create songs or rhymes to remember key information, listen to calming music while studying, and associate concepts with specific melodies.

  • Rhythm-based revision: Set a study timer with rhythmic music, use flashcards with rhythmic chanting, and connect concepts to songs you enjoy.

  • Find your focus sound: Explore white noise generators, nature soundscapes, or instrumental music to enhance concentration and reduce distractions.
  • Rhythm to the rescue: Organise tasks with rhythmic chants, categorise information with rhymes or songs, and connect key points to specific melodies.

  • Create study soundtracks: Curate playlists with music that enhances focus and concentration, explore ambient soundscapes for specific moods, and utilise music for timed revision sessions.

  • Visualise with melody: Associate information with colours linked to specific musical notes, create visual representations of data with musical themes, and find ways to link learning to specific music genres.
  • Curate study playlists: Choose music that enhances your focus and concentration, explore ambient soundscapes or instrumental music specifically designed for studying.

  • Connect information to music: Associate key concepts with specific melodies or rhythms, create your own study songs or rhymes to enhance memorisation.

  • Use rhythmic techniques: Utilise the Pomodoro Technique with timed study sessions based on music intervals, incorporate rhythmic chants or rhymes while reviewing material.
  • Turn concepts into songs or rhymes: Create melodies or rhythms to remember definitions, formulas, or historical events.

  • Listen to educational music: Explore educational songs, podcasts, or audiobooks based on your subject matter.

  • Associate information with specific sounds: Connect key concepts with specific melodies or rhythms for enhanced recall.

  • Use background music for focus: Find instrumental music or ambient soundscapes that enhance concentration.
  • Find your writing rhythm: Identify music that enhances your focus, explore writing prompts based on specific genres, and use music to set the atmosphere for your writing.

  • Craft catchy transitions: Utilise rhythmic sentence structures, create internal rhymes or wordplay, and make your essay flow like a melody.

  • Associate ideas with melodies: Connect key arguments with specific musical pieces, imagine your essay as a symphony of ideas, and draw inspiration from sound.

  • Read aloud for flow: Rehearse your essay verbally, identify clunky sentences, and adjust for a smooth and engaging reading experience.
  • Find your research rhythm: Identify music that enhances focus and concentration, explore podcasts or audiobooks related to your research topic.

  • Create research soundtracks: curate playlists with specific genres or moods to match different research tasks (e.g., analysing data, writing).

  • Connect information to melodies: Associate key findings with specific melodies or rhythms, use music to recall specific sources or arguments.

  • Read aloud for clarity: Read research papers aloud, identify unclear passages, and improve your understanding through auditory processing.

Tools and Apps

Music Learning & Creation:

  • Online music creation platforms (BandLab, Soundtrap): Compose music or soundscapes as a study outlet and creative expression.

Background Music & Soundscapes:

  • Endel, Focus@Will, Noisli: Apps offering soundtracks optimised for concentration and relaxation.
  • Brain.fm: Personalised music designed to enhance cognitive function.

Audio Processing Tools: