self improvement

How To Prepare For Exams Using Mind Mapping Software

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 is the most effective way of studying, generating new ideas, summarizing and organising information you want to recall. Mind maps can also facilitate creativity, problem solving, decision making and the generation of new ideas.

They are a great tool when revising for exams as they enable you to see how the different topics and concepts are associated and provide visual cues which are great for quickly reviewing a subject before an exam and recalling information that would normally be lost from your long term memory.

How to create a Mind Map for revision

When revising for an exam it is best to determine what level of knowledge you have of that subject before you start. When you build upon that knowledge it will be easier to develop associations and connection from the knowledge you have already gained. Therefore create a Mind Map of what you already know. You may be surprised at how much you can recall.

Before you start obtain a large sheet of paper or if you are using Mind Mapping Software draw your central image at the centre of the page. This should represent the subject or topic you want to revise for. Add colour to insure it stands out. Now draw branches connecting that central image to the main topics or areas of that theme. You should continue using colour and try and use images instead of words if you can. Then draw sub-branches originating from the main topics. These sub-branches should connect to sub topics which contain more in depth information of the overall subject or topic. Try to use keywords or short phrases summarizing these key ideas that you can recall from memory and see how the different sub-topics and elements are associated.

You should avoid the temptation to write in sentences. Linear note taking uses this method and it is very ineffective for recalling important information. Try to include no more then 4 words when summarizing an idea or concept. If you can sum up an idea with one word then that is even better. Use plenty of colour and images to make key topics stand out with larger writing and images for the main topics that are nearer the centre of the Mind Map and smaller writing and images for those on the outside of the Mindmap. This will help your mind to visually organize the key topics from the sub-topics.

Speed read books related to your subject after you have recalled as much of the topic as possible. There is a common myth that speed reading reduces comprehension and recall of information. Speed reading enables you to get a broader perspective of the information contained and helps you focus in on the important information. Getting a broad perspective of your subjects helps the mind to make associations and piece together the information particularly when you read the information in more depth. Before you speed read the book dont forget to flick through the book and look at the contents pages.

Now prioritise those books that provide the most valuable information when studying or revising and read them in greater depth.

Continue to add more detail to your Mind Map, more branches, Keywords and images summing up the main topics and subtopics after reading each section. Use symbols, pictures and group related information where appropriate.

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.

Keep adding to your Mind Map after gaining knowledge that you consider important for the exam, whether it be from books, lectures or elsewhere. Your Mind Map should become larger and more branches should be created moving even further from the central theme. A detailed Mind Map summing up each area of knowledge in a word or key phrase will contain a lot of useful information. If your using Mind Mapping Software you should add notes providing more in depth information if needed.

When you get closer to the exam you should be able to recall in detail the knowledge gained by glancing at your Master Mind Map which should now contain a detailed summary of an entire subject or topic.

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 recall information much easier when it can visualise a subject from a broader perspective, can visualise how the different topics and sub-topics are ordered and connected. If you combine this with the power of images which give the mind more mental hooks to latch onto you have the most effective method for learning and recall.

Mind Map researcher who has published a website to educate people on the benefits of creating Mind Maps and how Creative Mind Mapping can be used to expand creativity, brainstorm and help you memorize information