A group of student who participatd in Round One of the Brain Bee Challenge in March, were invited to attend a fun, interactive learning day at the University of Auckland to prepare for Round Two.
The students were (pictured from left): Debbie Lee, Kenzie McKay, Sydney Brandolino, Lina Amer, Felicia Sihui Chen and Sophia Santayana.
The group got to listen to presentations from leading neuroscientists, meet scientists from the UoA and discuss career opportunities in science, participate in a neuroscience quiz, tour working labs, visit the UoA anatomy museum and hear from a previous Brain Bee Challenge participant who had come 3rd in the world. It was a wonderful day for all students involved and got them inspired and ready to complete Round 2 of the Brain Bee Challenge next week.
Here’s what Sydney Brandolino had to say about the day:
Tests have always been nerve-wracking for me. No matter if they’re small or just for fun, my heart starts racing and my stomach drops to my ankles. Brain Bee Round 1 wasn’t any different, but it definitely was something worth getting nervous about. Unlike an arbitrary topic test or a spur-of-the-moment quiz, it was something that, despite the cold pit in my stomach, I was very excited about.
This isn’t to say that I’m proud that I monopolised my form class’ whiteboard to draw labelled diagrams of neurons, (and I sincerely apologise to 11WSD for rambling about circadian rhythms and the amygdala) but there’s a certain buzz (not to make a bee pun) that comes with the nervous energy of being tested on something you enjoy.
I’ve always been fond of the brain. Not just because I’m the proud owner of one, but because of how intricate and complex something so small (and vital) could be. Not to mention the fact that to think about neurons, I’ve got to use some of my own. And as I sat in a tall chair in an S-block classroom, I’m sure my synapses were firing faster than they had in a while.
But the payoff of those hours of Education Perfect and messy notes was arguably better than the learning itself. That Thursday the 6th of May (10:36am) email that told me I had made it was the cherry on top of the neuroscience-sundae. It’s one thing to enjoy something, but to enjoy something and know you succeeded in it, that’s one of the best feelings in the world. So, that’s all the buzz (ax-)on Round 1 of Brain Bee! And yes, those puns were intentional.