Sarah Edwards

How do Mind Maps Work

Mind Maps are used to represent information and ideas in a visual form that the mind finds easier to remember. A central image or theme is located at the centre of the Mind Map and topics and subtopics are arranged around that central theme or topic.

Whether you want to plan, organize, memorize or be creative Mind Mapping is the most effective note taking technique and there are now a number of different Mind Mapping software tools available to facilitate the creation of Mind Maps.

Why use Mind Maps

Mind Mapping provides a quick method of generating new ideas, organizing and summarizing the information that matters and are much more efficient then normal notes when organizing information that you later want to review before an exam. They can also be used to facilitate creativity, decision making and problem solving.

When revising for an exam it is crucial to be able to review the information quickly and efficiently. Mind Maps enable you to do this as they contain images which are easier to remember and can summarize the information and enable you to review that information at a glance. Also the most important information is located nearer the centre. The mind works best when it can see how the different topics or ideas are associated. With Mind Maps related information is linked by branches and connections. All of this insures that the mind has more connections or hooks to retain the information and prevent it from being lost from long term memory.

Revising for exams using Mind Maps

Lets say you want to use Mind Mapping to revise for an exam. It is a good idea to first determine how much knowledge of the subject you already have. This will help when you want to build upon that knowledge later by developing associations and connections from the knowledge you have already gained.

Obtain a large sheet of paper or if you are using Mind Mapping Software create a central image or theme at the centre of the page. This will represent the main topic. Then write down the main subtopics related to that central topic by creating branches moving out from the central keyword. Add sub- branches to these subtopics containing keywords or short phrases summarizing key ideas that you can recall from memory and try to see how the different sub-topics and elements are associated.

With linear note taking you write in sentences which are monotonous and boring. Also the key information does not stand out and revising for exams using normal linear notes can actually be more of a hindrance then a help. With Mind Maps the key information is nearer the centre and summed up in a few keywords. If you can sum up key information with one keyword or an image this is even better. Dont forget to use plenty of colour and images to make key topics stand out with larger writing and images nearer the centre. This can help you to visually organize the main topics from the sub-topics and make the most important information stand out.

When you believe you have recalled as much of the topic as possible then speed read books related to your subject so that you can quickly determine the different categories that the topic is composed of. Don’t forget to look at the content pages of the books to get a broad summary of the different sub-topics and elements of the subject you are studying. This will help you to focus on the most important information when reading the subject in greater detail.

Give priority to those books that provide the most usefully and comprehensive information for study and exam revision and study them in greater depth.

Now add more detail to your Mind Map by adding branches and keywords and phrases after reading each category or section. These keywords or phrases should encapsulate the main ideas and sub-topics.

This will aid in recalling the information you have just read, will help to maintain important knowledge in your long term memory and will greatly assist when reviewing the subject before the exam.

Don’t forget to keep adding to your Mind Map after gaining knowledge that you consider important for the exam. Your Mind Map should become larger over time and more branches should be created moving even further from the central topic. Your Mind Map should become more detailed so make sure you use a large sheet of paper. If your using Mind Mapping Software you should add notes providing more in depth information if needed. Keep reviewing your Mind Map every few days to reinforce the information you have learned.

As the exam approaches you can review in detail what you have learned by glancing at your Mind Map which should now contain a detailed summary of your entire topic or subject.

Not having to read though lots of notes to find the key information for the exam will be a great time saver. As already stated the mind works best via images and creating associations between related information. The images, branches, and keywords will have helped you recall and reinforce the information during each review of the Mind Map and will enable you to recall at a glance what you have studied.

The mind can remember and recall knowledge much easier when it can visualise a subject from a broader perspective and can see how the different topics and subtopics are ordered and associated. . Combine this with the power of images which speak a thousand words and give the mind more mental hooks to latch onto then you have a very powerful and effective method for learning.