Mind mapping is a creative and logical means of note-taking and note-making that literally "maps out" your ideas. Keep reading to find out how to create an effective mind map.
Mind maps are a useful tool for making notes, revising and organising information. They are a visual representation of connections between concepts and ideas that are related to one central topic.
Why are mind maps useful?
Mind maps are an extremely useful study tool for several reasons:
mind maps help to clarify the key concepts of a topic
they show links and relationships between ideas
mind maps organise ideas and information by making it accessible on a single page
they facilitate memory through key words and phrases
mind maps save time as they are very quick to do.
Mind maps are particularly useful for scoping and planning a topic for an assignment or essay and for revising and preparing for tests and exams.
Test yourself
Look at the following list of ideas about 'Forms of water'.
Forms of water
Gas
water vapour
steam
Solid
frost
snow
ice
Liquid
cloud
rain
fog
mist
stream
dew
Now, look at the mind map version of the same ideas. Which version is easier to remember? Forms of water mind map, by RMIT, licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0
