Mind Maps

Rules

to follow when constructing Mind Maps

Main topic

Fundamental or main idea

Landscape oriented

Sentences/lines run parallel to the long side of the paper

Middle of page

The main topic is centered on the page

Sketch / Image

of the main topic is centered on the mind map

Large

should be larger than the subordinate branches, so the main idea stands out

Subtopics

a mind map always develops outward, from the essential to individual details

Connecting lines

horizontal, underneath keywords

Capital letters

block letters are more catchy, memorable

Colors

facilitate cooperation of both sides of the brain, motivate and enhance creativity

Symbols

symbols should have relationship to keywords, enhance optical stimulus

Keywords

one keyword per branch

Just the essential

better retention of overview, easier to recognize relationships among individual branches

Possible applications

use them any time you need to quickly prepare well-structured reports, suitable for presentation

Learning

once the fundamental idea is understood, keywords suffice to jog the memory

Repetition

redraw a mind map from memory

Memory

once the fundamental idea is understood, keywords suffice to jog the memory

Association

Since everybody associates keywords differently, the best mind map is one you create yourself

Redrawing / Differences

redraw a mind map from memory--the differences between it and the original display what remains to be learned

Group meetings

preparing for and taking minutes of group meetings

Minutes

use a mind map to take minutes, collating the various ideas and points brought up in the meeting

Meeting conduct

each participant gets an overview of just how the meeting will be conducted

Relevant points

get to the point--avoid irrelevant contributions

Brainstorming

structure the ideas you come up with in a mind map

Lecture

use a mind map to prepare for and to graphically support your freeform lecture

Notes

only take notes on information you understand

Lectures

a lecture is for listening--keep your notes short and to the point

While reading

you should note the most important information as you read, and not afterward

To-Do lists

Daily schedule, with tasks and appointments

Synergy effect

the whole is greater than the sum of the parts

Brain

The brain is composed of two hemispheres, each like a ball cut in half, connected by the corpus callosum

Left side of the brain

more pronounced use in the Western world

Rational thought

intelligent, logical

Logic

the theory of arriving at correct conclusions

Language

means of communication

Numbers

used to express quantity

Linearity

one conclusion follows another, without interconnection

Analysis

systematic investigation

Right side of the brain

neglected in the Western world

Spatial perception

the ability to see depth in spatial objects

Imagination

the power to invent and imagine

Color

sensory perception of different wavelengths of light

Rhythm

consistent progression of events

Form

appearance of objects and living beings

Pattern recognition

identifying drawings and structures by means of a graphical template

Dimensionality

spatiality

Both sides of the brain

Mind mapping uses both sides of the brain

More efficient

creativity as well as learning efficiency increase

Thought

interrelation and transformation of thoughts and ideas

Nonlinear

lists and wraparound text don't correspond to how the brain works

Associations / Nexuses

nexuses and associations are continuously being restructured, as part of the learning process

Structures

reconstructed as part of the thought process

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