Do You Have "Grass Hopper" Mind? Mind Mapping Helps You Capture
Ideas As Fast As You Can Think
Not just students, just about everyone invariably have to take
down notes at some point or the other. The conventional method
of writing is the linear way, where every point is faithfully
written in full sentences, taking care of meaning, syntax and
commas, etc. This does not help us in effective note taking as
we struggle to keep pace with the speaker or our racing thoughts
in quickly writing down the information.
But with Mind Maps, it can be an entirely different story. You
will learn a whole new way of tackling note taking You can just
race ahead and what's more, keep pace with your running
thoughts. So what is so special about it that writing becomes so
easy? The power of Mind Maps lies in that information is held in
a format your mind will find easy to remember and quick to
review.
First, Mind Mapping technique uses non-linear method of key
words or phrases instead of long, running sentences. Mind Map
provides a two-dimensional structure, where the primary,
secondary and other levels of thoughts or ideas are laid out, so
the flow of thoughts, and relation between different levels of
thoughts are clearly brought out.
A complete Mind Map will have the main topic lines radiating in
all directions from the center. Sub-topics flowing from the main
heading will be linked like branches of a tree to the main
trunk. Just exploring your thoughts and putting them down in
single word will automatically create different levels so the
whole thinking process gets projected.
Since Mind Maps is essentially about noting the most precise
points, it is compact, occupying less amount of space, while
providing a comprehensive picture of the whole subject at a
glance. If you find that you need to include more points, you
can easily integrate them with little disruption.
Mind Maps are of great value for:
* summarizing a set of information
* consolidating multifarious information
* thinking through complex problems and
* presenting information, where the structure and flow of your
subject is categorically clear
Mind Maps are also very easy to review, as you can simply
refresh information by just glancing through the Mind Map. The
format of the Mind Map aids in capturing the full essence of the
subject at a glance.
In addition, Mind Maps are highly effective as mnemonics. It is
easy to remember the shape and structure of a Mind Map since you
are totally involved in putting them down. So you are aware of
your thoughts on a particular part of the Mind Map.
Besides, colors, pictures and symbols form a vital part of Mind
Maps. Colors help to distinguish between different aspects of
the subject and also show their organization, apart from helping
to visualize the Mind Maps for recall. Further, pictures and
symbols aid in remembering information more effectively than
words. Also, lines or symbols are used in Mind Maps to show
cross-linkages of one part to another. This helps you to see the
connection among the various elements easily.
Above all, your Mind Maps are your own prized possession. Once
you learn how to use Mind Map, you can develop your own style to
make them meaningful. While you can use your hand to draw Mind
Maps, you now have software tools to help you produce top
quality Mind Maps that can be easily edited and reworked. All
these and more make a strong case for you to learn Mind Map and
use them for effective note taking. The most significant point
is that Mind Maps have a great deal of application in various
aspects of our activities and not confined to just note-taking.