How to Make Mind Map for Studying: A mind map is an analytical tool used by design thinkers, engineers, business houses and various other individuals and entities to chalk out a strategy and analysis for the future course of action.
This tool is thought to business students in top B-Schools to analyze effectively various aspects of businesses and their strengths and weaknesses. It is thought to designers, engineers, architects, doctors and various other professionals because of the extent of its impact in planning and analysis.
Hence, let us answer some basic questions for you regarding mind maps.
- What is a mind map?
- Why is mind map important?
- Steps in mind mapping for studying
- The objective behind following these steps are
- In education, mind mapping is used for various purposes like
- Uses of mind mapping in general
What is a mind map?
Basically mind map is a drawing or a graphical representation, mostly handwritten one, but there are software and tools that can generate them digitally. It is an easy way to brainstorm thoughts organically without worrying about order and structure. It allows you to visually structure your ideas to help with analysis and recall.
A mind map is a diagram for representing tasks, words, concepts, or items linked to and arranged around a central concept or subject using a non-linear graphical layout that allows the user to build an intuitive framework around a central concept. A mind map can turn a long list of monotonous information into a colourful, memorable and highly organized diagram that works in line with your brain’s natural way of doing things.
A mind map mainly consists of three components:
- Subject
- Ideas
- Sub-ideas
Mind Map for Studying| Five traits of a mind map
- The main subject is crystallized in the central image
- The theme of the subject radiates from the central image, into various branches, usually into four or five branches
- The branches comprise a key image or keyword which is drawn or printed on its associated line
- Topics or sub-ideas or in the chronology of the theme which is of relatively lesser importance are represented as ‘twigs’ of the relevant branch
- All these branches form a connected nodal structure hence forming a perfect mind map
Mind Map for Studying| Why is mind map important?
There are various benefits in using the mind mapping tool, some of which are:
- Creativity and productivity
Mind mapping increases your creative skills and enhances your productivity because this tool helps you generate different ideas and formulate in a graphical structure. This helps in identifying relations and connecting the dots in a well-structured manner. Different data and information are connected and analyzed well with the help of mind maps.
- Clear thinking
Making a mind map is an excellent way for you to be able to sort through your thoughts and ideas. This activity allows you to quickly generate creative and even unique ideas in less time. It gives you the freedom you need when brainstorming so that the flow of ideas is not blocked or hampered as linear thinking does.
- Organizing
This method effectively helps you in organizing and categorizing the various ideas you have in mind. This separation of ideas can help you strategize clearly without any overlaps and confusion.
Making connections is easier to do because you have all the information about a particular topic in a single glance. It can even help you discover new relationships among seemingly unrelated ideas and information.
Memory retention
The use of colours, images, and keywords in mind mapping aids in enhancing your memory and retention. Isn’t it easier to remember information this way rather than reading long sentences? The use of colours, images, and keywords also help make learning more interesting and fun so you become more motivated to remember important details.
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Mind Map for Studying | Steps in mind mapping for studying
The following steps need to be followed to form a mind map for studying, for students
- Think of your general main theme and write that down in the centre of the page. i.e. Study. Or if you are preparing mind map for a particular subject, say Mathematics, then the main subject of your mind map or the central theme can be Mathematics.
- Figure out sub-themes of your main concept and draw branches to them from the centre, beginning to look like a spider web. These subtopics can be anything varying from the way you study to topics within the subject. The whole objective here is to put your thought process onto paper.
- Make sure to use very short phrases or even single words- This is done so as to not complicate the mind map. A mind map should be visually acceptable to read.
- Add images to invoke thought or get the message across better- Because images and use of colours have more memory retention power than sentences and phrases.
- Try to think of at least two main points for each sub-theme you created and create branches out to those
Mind Map for Studying| The objective behind following these steps are:
- Improve reading comprehension
- Benefit students achievement levels
- Enhance thinking and learning skills
- Increase retention
- Support cognitive learning theory
Mind Map for Studying| In education, mind mapping is used for various purposes like:
- Brainstorming sessions
- Data visualization
- Improving critical thinking
- Writing and reading aptitude
- Advanced research papers or graduate projects
- Reporting, documentation, preparation and analysis
- Client or project presentations
Mind mapping is not just used for studies.
There are plenty of application for mind maps, some of which are
Uses of mind mapping in general
- Idea generation:
A mind map is the best tool for generating an idea
From brainstorming ideas to body storming and design thinking, mind mapping helps you jot down ideas in a visually pleasable manner. - Retention from books and articles
Most people complain that they quickly forget what they read. However, there’s a way to remember and retain more of the books and articles that you read. You can achieve this by creating a mind map each time that you read something that you find informative or helpful.When you’re reading a book, the branches of the mind map can be the chapter headings of the most important chapters. Then, write down the main ideas of each chapter as subheadings. Third level branches can include examples, quotes, and even your own comments on what you just read. In the fourth level, you can write down ideas on action steps that the book or article has inspired you to take
- Use Mind Maps For Problem Solving
Any problem, from business to engineering to academics, mind mapping helps give us the right direction to find the solution. Since the structure of mind map is designed such a way that there is a central image which is connected to branches and twigs in a nodal manner, it is easier to visualize a solution for each of the problems indicated in the branches radiating from the central node. Some of the questions we can easily find an answer to, using mind mapping are:
What?When?
Where?
Why?
How?
Who?
- Use Mind Maps to Take Notes During Meetings
When you’re at an office meeting, do the following:
Write the purpose of the meeting in the centre of the page.
Each agenda item will be represented as one of the main branches on your mindmap (get the agenda ahead of time, if you can).
As the meeting progresses, add sub-branches to each agenda item with the main points discussed for each item (ideas, facts, budget, who is going to do what, and so on).
Draw pictures and interlink items.
- Life goals
Mind mapping technique can be used both in the professional world as well as for your personal space. Setting life goals, objectives, day to day tasks, finding personal ambitions, family problems.s etc., are some of the issues that can be tackled using mind mapping principals.The user can also include travel, adventures, family, contributions, career, finances, and so on. Each one of these will be one of the branches of your mind map provided the family is the central node. Specific problems can be addressed by making those particular problems your central node and forming branches around it.
- Writing
You can become the next William Shakespeare or Robert frost, all thanks to mind mapping. If you are an avid writer and aspire to write a novel someday, then the use of mind mapping can help you accelerate the process.
Put your story’s tentative title, or the genre, in the middle of the page. Your branches can be the following: Setting; Characters; Conflict; Theme; Plot; Scenes; and Point of View. The “Character” branch–for example–can be further broken down by creating a sub-branch for each character.
Then, create third-level branches by creating a character profile for each character. You can write down things such as the following: Age; Appearance; Occupation; Income; Education; Special Characteristics; Strengths; Flaws; and so on.
There are many great tools, and software in the market out there to help you organize your thoughts and then automatically export them to an easy-to-read, ordered list.
While it is possible to mind map the old-fashioned way with a pen and paper, why not take advantage of the technology age and save yourself some much needed time?
The mind map is the external mirror of your own radiant or natural thinking facilitated by a powerful graphic process, which provides the universal key to unlock the dynamic potential of the brain.