Take Note, Parents: Gaming Might Actually Help You Get Into Uni

A study conducted by a team at the University of Glasgow has found that gaming helps young people attain valuable skills.

Aside from obvious improvements to thumb mobility, gaming is usually seen as a colossal time-waster and a huge impediment to studies.

But not anymore! The latest study has shown that gaming can help students with gaining "graduate attributes" such as problem-solving, communication, resourcefulness and adaptability.

The games used in the study included Borderlands 2, Minecraft, Portal 2, Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light, Warcraft III, Reign of Chaos and Team Fortress 2.

The study’s author, Matthew Barr, told Mirror that commercial video games can have positive effects on key aspects in adult learners.

"Video games may have a role to play in higher education," Barr said. "The way games are designed often encourages critical thinking and reflective learning, commonly cited as desirable attributes in graduates."

The study looked at 100 students (but this amount decreased to 20 when 80 others dropped out) who were asked to swing by a dedicated games lab and log about two hours of playing time with each of the eight games. This added up to approximately 14 hours of gaming. (Some of the games didn't require a full two hours of playing time.)

Barr suggested that this (very achievable) amount was all that was required for there to be visible improvements.

BRB, you know where to find me.