Studying for the NBDE I for hours in the dark corners of the library can be exhausting, especially when your Facebook friends keep uploading pictures of parties, dinners, and overall happiness.  So it's only natural to want to make studying more fun by listening to some of your favorite tunes. 

According to the research cited in this article, listening to distracting music (i.e. Katy Perry or any loud lyric-heavy music) is only making your retention worse.  Differentiating between the superior orbital nerve and the superior peri-lateral hemicircumferential neural ganglia is hard enough.  Adding music that makes it more tough to concentrate is not helping you any bit! 

If studying in silence isn't your thing, here are some non-lyrical tracks that may be less distracting, as long as you're not blasting the volume:
1.   Thank You Space Expert by Mogwai
2.   I Know You Are But What Am I by Mogwai
3.   Your Hand in Mine by Explosions in the Sky
4.   First Breath After Coma by Explosions in the Sky
5.   Brennistein by Sigur Ros
6.   Guilty Cubicles by Broken Social Scene
7.   Loro by Pinback
8.   Intro by The XX
9.   Wrecking Ball by Miley Cyrus  (...just kidding!)

Do you have any good songs that would make non-distracting background music to study to?   Let us know in the comments below!