All About the Brain

On Friday 24 March, Year 10 students at Braeside and Normanhurst had a fantastic opportunity when neuroscientist, Dr Sarah James, from University College London (UCL) paid them a visit. Sarah gave an exciting and thought provoking lecture on her scientific research on the brain. Pupils learned how their brains work and how different study techniques can help them learn better. They listened, joined in with activities, and asked lots of questions about their various revision techniques.

The talk looked at what each part of the brain does and how to revise efficiently based on simple memory tasks. They looked at the myth of ‘learning styles’ and how it is unhelpful and limiting to believe you can only learn using one type of style. The pupils picked up some useful memory enhancing tips, such as linking facts, chunking the information and focusing on the middle sections of the course which tend to get forgotten.

Pupils now know that the brain DOES use more than 10% of its total potential – against popular belief, and that the best way to memorise facts is to ‘rehearse and repeat’. Dr James’ expert advice comes at a good time in the lead up to the Year 10 mock examinations to be held in the summer term.