Mind mapping can be a useful tool for studying. That’s true whether you’re a visual learner or not, and we’re about to show you how!
Mind mapping software has really taken off in recent years because more people are aware of the benefits of the technology. Getting the most from it, however, requires a thorough understanding of the benefits that mind mapping brings to the table in the first place.
In the following article, we’ll be looking at seven of those benefits in more detail. Specifically, these are seven ways that mind mapping will really help you study and become a better student. Let’s begin!
1. Mind Mapping Creates an Overview for Difficult Topics
One of the first and best uses for mind mapping is to simplify difficult topics. When you create a mind map, you’re able to visualize the components of things piece by piece. Then, you can draw connectors to those items and jot notes in the margins as needed.
Breaking things up into smaller bits goes far in helping you to make the connections that you need to achieve understanding. In a sense, you see the parts of the whole better and how they operate to create the whole.
2. Mind Mapping Tools Make Collaboration Easier
Using online mind mapping tools can make it much easier to collaborate with others. Let’s face it. We all bring varying degrees of knowledge, strengths, and gaps into our understanding of a specific topic. As you work on a project with others, you can all add or modify details in real-time, thanks to the power of cloud-based technology and web-based programs.
As long as you all share an account and a browser, you can develop mind maps that are available on any device. You can save those mind maps instantly. You can reference them whenever you need them.
3. Mind Mapping Facilitates Project Management
Mind mapping makes a great tool for collaboration, no doubt. For those same reasons, it’s also awesome for project management. Rather than simply focusing on growing your understanding of a topic, you use it to get things done.
You can do this by creating a module for each part of the project that needs to get done. You can then branch that module off to the person or people responsible for each thing. Then, they can use the mind map to update where they are on that project. Your group can tell at a glance what has been done, what still needs to be done, and how quickly you’re progressing.
4. Mind Mapping Helps You Combine Related Ideas
Mind maps are valuable when it comes to drawing connections even when you’re not quite sure how things are connected in the first place. Start with some basic ideas that seem unrelated. As you expand on your understanding of one, you will start to see commonalities. Draw a line linking those ideas to the commonalities, and a clearer picture will emerge.
5. Mind Mapping Is Great for Concrete Thinking
Want to take more valuable notes? Perhaps you’re needing to design a visual of some kind but are at a loss for where to begin. Got an essay coming up that’s going to need some key ideas and supporting points? A mind map helps you establish all these things, moving the abstract to the concrete.
Remember that concrete thinking is how you turn goals into action and action into accomplishment. Mind maps are not the only way to get there, but they are very valuable for visualization. Visualization is the cornerstone of mind mapping.
6. Mind Mapping Is a Good Tool for Presenting
Mind maps can be as neat or as sloppy as you want to make them. Eventually, you’ll want to clean them up so there’s no risk of overlooking something. As you do this, you might find that mind mapping is a pretty effective tool for presentations. Play with the visual structure and style. Engage with some type of web-based or platform-based software for help. It could be just the visual that your upcoming presentation needs.
7. Mind Mapping Helps You Work Out the Jumbles
Don’t know where to start on a given topic? Has confusion set in and you just don’t know how to get from A to Z? Mind mapping is perfect for working through your confusion, even if no one else ever sees it. Remember, this is a tool to help you. It can be as public or as private as you want to make it. It can be created in a few short minutes but save you hours of reading and re-reading.
You Should Try Employing This Tool More in Your Studies
Mind mapping is a tool that belongs in your study kit. You want it there any time you have to break down complex materials and achieve a deeper understanding. But it also has a functional purpose with group projects, presentations, and more. Try using them more often if you haven’t already. What are some other study tools in your toolbox? Share in the comments section below!
Aric Mitchell's work appears regularly here at 4tests.com and across the web for sites, such as The Inquisitr and Life'd. A former high school teacher, his passion for education has only intensified since leaving the classroom. At 4tests, he hopes to continue passing along words of encouragement and study tips to ensure you leave school ready to face an ever-changing world.
