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What is Mind Mapping

A mind map, also known as an idea web is a form of brainstorming that uses visual diagrams to help you understand how different thoughts or ideas could be connected. Mind mapping was originally devized by Tony Buzan but the idea has spread worldwide and is used in schools and businesses, by project planners and authors and by teams as well as individuals.

Mind mapping can help you organize and write a College essay, your next novel or technical manual, learn information for an exam, prepare a presentation, map complex documents, such as contracts and doctoral theses or visualise a company structure.

Simple To Learn

It is such a simple process to learn that young school children can use it and so flexible that it can be used for the deepest and most complex projects. The process is commonly used in project planning and presentations. Being able to share mind maps without having to scan a paper copy is a great benefit of cloud based applications and many of these also also allow teams to create and modify a mind map together.

How To Create A Mind Map

You can read up here on how to mind map or watch the video at the bottom of this page.

Once you know the principles of mind mapping (and they are very easy), here are some of the best cloud-based applications available for free mind map software. Most are free for personal use and also have paid options for greater use or for businesses.

Popplet

Popplet allows multiple users to work on the same project. You can also add media such as images or video to your maps. Organization is helped by the use of tags or categories applied to the maps, so they are easy to sort through later.

Link – popplet

Coggle

Coggle is signed into via your Google account. It’s free, and it’s also an easy mind-mapping application. Coggle automatically randomizes the color of each branch, as you create your map, although you can change it to any other color you want, by clicking on the branch you want to change. Mind maps can be downloaded and shared. And the people you share your mind map with can also edit the content. It’s helpful that Coggle also gives you the option to view your mind map from before you allowed other people to make changes to it.

Link – coggle

GroupMap

GroupMap makes team-based, mind-mapping activities easier. After you create or select a map, you can then invite a team to collaborate with you on it. They can comment and even vote on the best ideas. It doesn’t matter whether the people joining you are the quietest in the group, everyone gets to add their views. No one is drowned out by louder voices, so every team member has a voice when it comes to collaborating. GroupMap collects all the ideas and displays them in a group view. This is where commenting and voting can occur. GroupMap is easy to use and offers a free account option.

Link – groupmap

SpiderScribe

SpiderScribe is an online-based brainstorming and mind mapping tool. You can share your mind map with other people if you wish. SpiderScribe allows you to connect files, notes and even calendar events and you can design your map any way you want. These maps are then stored in the cloud, so you (and anyone you choose to share the map with) can access and edit it at any time. with SpiderScribe you can have a free personal account or you can upgrade to “pro” and “business” options for a small fee.

Link – spiderscribe

Bubbl.us

Bubbl.us is free for 3 maps. It’s a tool that allows you to create online “trees” to brainstorm and map ideas. As with any mind map, you start with a central topic, and add new topics as branches, either at the same level or a level lower. Bubbl.us formats your thoughts and notes into a tree automatically, but you can also move the bubbles around to suit your way of thinking and organizing. You can change the color and size of your bubbles to help make connnections clear. Bubbl.us is free, but an account is required to create or edit a tree.

Link – bubblus

Influence Maps Or Idea Webs

You can also use mind maps or similar visual mapping systems to show how one thought or idea influences another, so you can understand where the best means to insert a tipping point might be.  If you need to brainstorm ideas before creating a mind map, you can see how to brainstorm here.

Mind mapping is a great tool and fun as well. It allows you to collect your thoughts together in a visual way, so all the ideas are visible on one sheet instead of scattered in a linear fashion over many notes, where it is hard to see the linkages. The tools listed above are just a few of the mind mapping tools available online. There are many other services available that provide mind mapping resources. There are also useful brainstorming tools available. Check these out to decide which is best to help you and your team organize your ideas for whatever you want to do.

Video On How To Mind Map

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Are you having a hard time with studying? If you need to get your grades up or have a big test coming up, studying should definitely be one of your priorities. A lot of students get stressed about studying, but it is possible to greatly reduce your stress and to get better results by simply using the right strategies for studying. We will share some tips to teach you how to study more efficiently.

Engage with The Subject

Just reading your study books is NOT going to get the information going in, not unless you have a photographic memory and even then, it will not be catalogued in your brain: you may be able to recall the page perfectly but it is unlikely you will be able to pick information out and use it to answer a question, along with other information. It is important to do ACTIVE learning. Rather like being with another person, you need to ENGAGE with the subject. If you were in a room with a friend, you would talk to them, ask them questions, listen to their answers? Treat the subject you are studying like you would a friend. Ask questions, find the answers, write them down or take notes.

Time To Study

When do you usually study? The time of day you pick for studying can have an important impact on how much information you retain. You might find that it is easier to focus when you study at night once you are done with all your other obligations and have taken the time to relax. Or you might find that you get better results by studying early in the morning. Everyone is different and you will have to figure out what time of day works best for you.

Pulling an all-nighter is definitely not the best way to study. It is best to limit your study sessions to an hour or two and to focus on one topic at a time. Taking a few breaks can also help, as long as you have no problems with going back to studying once the break is over. The best way to take a break from studying is to move around or go outside. Avoid checking social media or texting friends during your breaks since you might find it difficult to go back to studying.

If You HAVE TO Pull An All-Nighter

Of course, if you find yourself near the deadline for studying or submitting a piece of work, you may have no other option. There is an easy-to-read, short book written for college students but also useful for high schoolers that helps you write a piece of work and submit it in time if you are stuck. The book takes only a couple of hours to read and can be downloaded onto a Kindle or ebook reader so you an get it instantly. It is REALLY USEFUL and also easy to read: I used it as a doctoral student and wished I had had it when I was at school. It’s called “The Procrastinator’s Guide to Writing An Effective Term Paper” and is written by someone who was a procrastinator and has since become a college lecturer. It covers not only how to write but also helps you understand the question and provides an effective formula that you can adapt for writing any essay. In terms of studying, reading this book will give you ideas and practical help for engaging with the subject you are studying.

Retaining Information

Figure out how you retain information. Some students have a visual memory and will remember written words or info-graphics while other students have an auditive memory and need to hear things. You might find it easier to remember things if you go over the notes you took in class and create summaries of the main concepts. Visual learners could create mind maps which show how the information links together. These mind maps are easy to create and to recall and unlike recalling the exact page, they show how different items link together. Visual learners can also use concept maps which are similar to mind maps.

Your Study Environment

It is very important to create the right environment to study. Avoid distractions as much as possible, for instance by switching your phone off. You might find that studying in a quiet environment helps you focus or might find that you get better results if there is music playing. You should keep music at a low volume and try listening to instrumental music, classical musical or music from video game soundtracks to avoid being distracted by lyrics.

Goals And Time Management

It is very important to set some studying goals and to create a schedule. You will get better results if you set some achievable goals and find a way to check if you remembered everything. You can for instance complete a short quiz after each study session to see how much you really learned. Creating a schedule is the best way to avoid stress and to make sure you have enough time to study everything before an exam.

You should be able to get better grades now that you know how to study more efficiently. Test different methods until you find something that works well for you since everyone is different and you need to figure out what kind of environment or studying method you prefer.