Study Techniques: Mind Mapping

If you’re a visual learner, try mind mapping, a technique that allows you to visually organise information in a diagram. First, you write a word in the centre of a blank page. From there, you write major ideas and keywords and connect them directly to the central concept. Other related ideas will continue to branch out.

The structure of a mind map is related to the way our brains store and retrieve information. Mind mapping your notes instead of just writing them down can improve your reading comprehension. It also enables you to see the big picture by communicating the hierarchy and relationships between concepts and ideas.

So, how do you do it?

Grab a blank sheet of paper (or use a tool online) and write your study topic in the centre, such as “child development.”

Connect one of your main ideas (i.e., a chapter of your book or notes) to the main topic, such as “developmental stages.”

Connect sub-branches of supporting ideas to your main branch. This is the association of ideas. For example, “Sensorimotor,” “Preoperational,” “Concrete operational,” and “Formal operational.”

TIP: Use different colours for each branch and draw pictures if it helps.