Education is the way to living a life in a better way. It is not just a way to mint money, but a path which improves our personality, mentality and way of expressing ourselves too. The ones who know the true value of education never face away from it and keep looking for new ways to learn more, understand more and express more.

If studies are so important for us, then why not try better ways to study too? The human brain is a wonder. It can do bizarre thing that we probably do not even realize during our day. It can take us to the most vivid imaginations or make us think about the deepest bed of secrets. If so, then how can we further improve the way of studying?

Mind Map.

Heard about it before? It is a diagrammatic representation of information in an organized manner. It is created around a single concept which is the chosen topic for the mind map. Mind map is a great technique which can be used to keep a lot of information in just a single page, to get more and more ideas, to expand your imagination and to improve your creativity. Yes, it all can be achieved with just one tool-mind mapping.

how to make mind map

Some of the features of a mind map are listed below:

  1. Mind Map is a graphical tool that keeps a track of images, thoughts, ideas, numbers, colors etc and various other kinds of information.
  2. Mind Map lets you get more, since the information is recorded in a pictorial manner. The human brain can memorize images better than a list of points. This is the reason why you often remember the picture printed below a headline better, rather than the headline itself.
  3. A mind map connects various concepts together through natural associations. Going as per the way of mind mapping, you can develop new concepts and ideas.
  4. You can keep a track of the flow of the information. It means that a mind map helps you to reach back to the source of information or where you begin from. Since the ideas are inter connected with each other, hence we can track back to the previous idea, or to connect to other concepts as well.
  5. A mind map can give an overview of a topic, whether small or large. It can be rightly said that it is a pictorial representation of a summary of a topic.
  6. It is a good way to show how the brain thinks. A mind map looks as like a network of neurons; each linked to each other with a purpose.
  7. One can generate numerous ideas in a short span of time and also explore in different ways.

See those benefits? Quite good to know them, right? But an even better experience can be felt by bringing in the habit of using mind maps in our study habits. It is surely going to help you a lot.

 

 

The following are the tips to guide you to make a mind map on any topic related to your work. So whenever next you are focusing on your studies, just follow these tips for making the most useful mind maps for studying:

  1. Beginning with the center

Choose your topic. Let us say, biology. The first step to begin with mind mapping is to write the key word in the center. You can also put a picture too. The reason behind beginning always with the center is to give the freedom to spread out in all directions and think in various perspectives.

  1. Creating Primary Branches: Let your brain go the way it thinks

Now link the picture with your key work or the central idea to begin with the exploration of more and more ideas. The ones which come first, make them as primary branches to the central idea. Yes, and now you are ready to go!

Create the second and third level branches about any of the ideas that keep coming in your mind. Technically, you are mapping your mind.

  1. Don’t let your brain get bored

That’s really important, or else what would be the difference between the mind map and a long list of points. Brain interprets things better when they are in color. Also, our eyes catch attention of things in interesting colors, rather than just bring monotonous. So, use different colored pens, or if possible, convert some of your ideas into doodling and see the difference.

Also, it is better to keep the branched curved than being straight. Having just simple, straight lines is boring to the brain.

  1. Keep it all legible

Do not just scribble down words in a tacky way. You need to refer the mind map for further uses. Also, a neat layout holds our interest to it, while a dirty and poor layout makes us feel sleepy. Have a good handwriting and draw neat wherever required.

  1. Use key words

Keep one key word per line. This is done so as to give a title to the ideas that you add on to the branches. Also, it is easier to find out the key words when you have having a overview of the mind map.

  1. Understand the importance of pictures

A picture is worth a thousand words. So, a few pictures in your mind map means a lot more thousand words. An image triggers a series of words in our minds, which can be penned down to the page. The pictures may relate to your central idea or can vary a little too.

When using a picture, create sub branches from the picture too. Write the ideas or key words on these branches now.

Realizing now that how easy it is to create a mind map, start using it in your academic schedule soon and notice the difference. Not only you will have a vast array of ideas, but an overview of the whole topic will also be present in front of you, to refer from it any time.

mind map guidelines

 

But a few points should be taken care of, while working on a mind map.

  1. If you feel that you are stuck somewhere and feel that you are not getting ideas any further then stop there for that topic. Continue your work on another sub-branch, keep jotting down your ideas there and so on. It is not necessary to have thousands of ideas, but would be fair if you have good ideas.
  2. Try not to repeat same idea at two places. This will lead to clashes in the ideas and can reduce the number of your ideas. If you feel that a same keyword is repeating, try replacing it with its synonym, which may trigger to another set of ideas. You can create more branches from it and keep going.
  3. While working on your mind map for a topic, do not judge the ideas, concepts or keywords that you generate during the process. Do not think that whether this idea is good, suiting well to the central idea, how many further ideas will this keyword give etc.

Nothing.

When you are done with the whole mind map, then begin your judgment about the ideas. Think upon each of them and then decide which ones will be the best for you. If you stop the flow of the process in the middle and start judging them, you will lose on the flow of ideas that keep on coming to your mind.

  1. Do not focus only on the decoration of making the whole layout colorful. It is the information which is more important.

Using these steps, you can keep an overview of each and every subject, project, assignment etc and refer from them anytime. If you wish to get more ideas while reviewing them, keep adding the sub branches. The branches can keep on growing further, with keywords and information on it. Creativity never stops, and so does the mind map.

We hope you will utilize the technique of making mind maps while studying your next topic. If you are looking for help to get some mind maps made professionally, try online diagram making service at Assignmenthelp.net

Do share with us in comments any other mind map rule that you follow to get the best out of this learning technique.