What environment do you work in? Complete silence or headphones and music? I thought I would purchase headphones to stop interuptions as I share a large office but I have found I am listening to music but still seem to absorb my reading. What do you like and what are your thoughts of the other tactic?

No chance of concentrating unless you have headphones on in our large office. Music doesn't stop the missiles from the cricket, however (eg squidgy plastic brains being batted about).

Our office is very cold so I don't spend much time in there. I go in the PC room which is usually really quite so I don't need headphones.

I agree with Mia (not for the first time). I think a bit of music is good for reading but writing demands silence. How does everyone feel about the type of music. Any particular genre that makes you work better? Does the radio work for you with intermittent chat? Level of music on headphones- just enough to drown the background noise or fairly loud?

It depends. When revising then I like complete silence. But when writing I need music, although, sometimes I can get a little carried away with the music, start singing and then all concentration flies out the window... Hence why I try to listen to classical when updating reports etc.

Mia, you may remember I had a report to hand in a week or so ago. I have had feedback from both supervisors and they were pretty positive in their commnets so I was over the moon. Just need to concentrate on an area now as I have not developed a research question as yet. Hope your research going ok.

Cheers

I used to have a real problem working with music, but I've done a complete u-turn recently. Almost anything goes! The only thing I find distracting is having to switch CDs or if a really great track comes on - I tend to repeat it over and over without using the repeat-indefinitely function (!) Can't stand the radio though, it's a pet hate of mine (I'd be quite happy to lose the presenter). Some internet radio is presenter-less. Loud music for lab works best - to drown out other people's non-work chat.