Are extra curriculums really extra?

Former Harvard President Drew Faust recently wrote of students overlooking the benefit of following their interest in art or linguistics. The trend towards employable subjects like math and science is reflected in decisions of college students as well as primary and secondary schools. 【小题1】 Great work of cognitive neuroscientists (认知神经学家) reveals what we think of as “extras” are central to strengthening our minds.

Take music as an example. A study shows that musical training, particularly instrumental training, produces long lasting changes in motor abilities and brain structure. The earlier a child starts instrumental training, the stronger the connection between the right and left hemispheres (半球) of the brain. These changes thus affect the ability to listen and communicate as an adult. What is found in musicians is also common among world-class athletes and top-level managers. Is it a coincidence that Roger Federer, Elon Musk and Steve Jobs, all studied music for years as children? 【小题2】 Science backs that up. Children who play an instrument 30 minutes a week over the course of a little over a year have more highly developed brains.

【小题3】 Studying a second language restructures the brain which lasts into adulthood. The cortex (大脑皮层), which has the greatest changes when a second language is learned during childhood, influences thought and consciousness.

How about physical education? New research also reveals children who get aerobic exercise transform their brains due to a protein that is increased during exercise. 【小题4】 Yet 20 percent of U. S. schools put an end to it in favor of increased classroom time.

Concentration, evolved communication skills, and being a good team player are just a few of the benefits research shows extra curriculums have on a developing mind. To me, that list reads as one I might put together for a model employee.