January 24, 2020
7 Mind Mapping Uses for Students
Mind Mapping is a technique that is proven to improve organization, memory recall, and creativity – making it an ideal tool for students throughout their studies. From writing essays and taking notes in class, to revising and preparing for exams, Mind Mapping is a dynamic technique that allows students to capture information in an organized structure, whilst also expanding their creative knowledge. You can find out how to create a Mind Map step-by-step over on our How to Mind Map page.
Below, we break down 7 Mind Mapping examples for students to use to get better results, improve their memory and more effectively organize their work.
Making Notes
Firstly, Mind Maps are a great way for students to make notes on all of the information they receive. Do you ever feel like, as students, you are being told a ton of facts and figures and have no way to get them all down and remember them? Instead of writing line after line of hard-to-decipher notes, Mind Mapping school subjects helps students to note down only the most important information using keywords, then make connections between these facts and ideas visually – keeping all information on a topic together in one place.
Mind Mapping software like Ayoa provides a powerful alternative to note-taking by pen and paper. If laptops are allowed in the classroom, Ayoa’s Speed Maps enable students to quickly capture information from a lesson, without needing to focus on formatting their branches. Alternatively, Ayoa’s Organic Maps give you more creative control, allowing you to turn your Mind Maps into visually-engaging revision sources.
This method of Mind Mapping makes note-taking and retaining information easier for students, as it reduces pages of notes into one single resource hub. Having one visual space to refer back to also saves students from creating endless folders of jumbled paper notes. And what’s even better, Mind Maps are designed to reflect our natural thinking processes – so when you come back to review your notes later on, you’re more likely to remember the information you captured.
Plus, with Ayoa, you can attach files, documents and web links to your Mind Maps, for information at your fingertips! You can then add to these and edit where needed when you revisit them for your exams.
Planning an Essay
Essay planning tends to be the backbone of student life. But what happens when you just don’t know where to start? Alternatively, when you make a plan, do you find it hard to stick to it? With the Mind Map’s radial structure, you will be able to break down connected sections of your essay, whilst visualizing the structure of your essay as a whole.
When getting started, take the different elements that make up your essay, such as the introduction, key topics, and the conclusion, then add these as separate branches to your Map. From here, you can then expand on each section by adding further branches, allowing you to generate more ideas quickly.
Mind Mapping focuses your mind on the message you want to get across and the key information you want to include. This will make you less likely to go off-topic or start rambling, making it a great tool for ensuring sure you hit the marking criteria.
With Ayoa, you can even export your finished Mind Map as a PDF image or text document – with your notes and ideas in one place, your essay is nearly written! As well as being great for students’ coursework, using Mind Mapping to plan essays is also especially useful for students facing timed essays in their exams.
Studying for Exams
Speaking of which, how many students hate studying for exams? Most of us dread having to go back through piles of notes, only to forget what they were about in the first place. Fortunately, with Mind Mapping, studying for exams doesn’t have to be daunting. Simply go back over the notes you have made on each subject, then Mind Map the key information you need to remember – saving you from sifting through disorganised sheets of paper each time you sit down to revise.
To check that you have memorized this information, you can create a new Mind Map with only the main topic branches, and then fill in the rest from memory. You’ll be happy to find that you will have remembered more, and maintained the connections between ideas – ideal for answering exam questions! When using Ayoa, you can use the Autohide feature to collapse branches, so you can test yourself or focus in and out on different aspects of the subject.
Creative Inspiration
Have you ever tried to write a story, paint a picture or plan an essay, but had no ideas to get you started? Mind Mapping ignites billions of creative ideas, ready for students to turn into their next great novel or assignment. Mind Maps work in the same way as your brain, meaning that when you have a thought – whether this be an image, a word or a feeling – this instantly sparks off hundreds of connecting ideas.
Mind Maps are just a way of capturing this process – so once you start, you’ll find thousands of ideas come pouring out. When Mind Mapping, students should note down any ideas that they have – no matter how crazy or random they may seem! Most of the time, this is where the best creative plans come from, so don’t be afraid to think outside the norm.
Problem Solving
If you have a tough equation or obstacle you need to overcome, Mind Mapping can help you to see things clearly. Students should know that the ability to problem solve is looked for by universities and future employers – therefore, learning to solve problems using Mind Mapping will get you ahead of the curve!
When you encounter a problem, your instinct is to panic, meaning your heart starts beating faster, making you feel stressed. Instead of ‘forcing’ your mind to find a solution, Mind Mapping helps you to open up many possibilities and options to solve the problem.
When you Mind Map for a solution, you can add any ideas or resources you can think of. The nature of Mind Mapping is designed to help you spark off more possibilities from your original thoughts. You can then refine your Map for the most practical or realistic solutions available. For students, by Mind Mapping a solution to your problem, you will be able to evaluate the many options you have, and then choose the best one for your problem.
Making Presentations
Giving a presentation at school, college or university can be daunting for students, but they are a great way of showcasing that you know the subject well and are confident to talk about it. With Mind Maps, presenting is a breeze for students. Reading from sheets of notes is boring – and not just for you, but your audience too. Mind Maps tend to only have keywords and images to stimulate your memory, so you will automatically present in a more conversational way, helping you maintain eye contact with your audience.
When making your presentation Mind Map, keep only the most interesting facts and information and lay them out in a clear structure. You can even add numbers to order your talking points. With Ayoa, you can plan your presentation with all of your ideas and resources built into your Mind Map – so if you want to dive into more detail during your presentation, there’s no need to have to open a separate document. This will save you the hassle and stress of interrupting yourself and instead maintain a seamless flow to your presentation, which is sure to impress your teachers and classmates.
Group Study
Group studies can be a fun way for students to share their knowledge, and Mind Mapping can help you to get the best out of a brainstorming session. First, you should make an individual Mind Map of your thoughts on the topic, as this will focus your mind on your own ideas and opinions – without being influenced by the ideas of others.
Then, when you join together, you can combine your ideas with your friends’ into a group Mind Map, without losing your personal insights on the topic. With Ayoa, you can collaborate with ease on one Map, meaning that everyone can add their own thoughts instantly for everyone to see. To help you get started, you can try creating a Map with each of your friends’ names as the main branches, then Ayoa’s collaboration features will allow each person to add their own ideas instantly to their section of the Map.
We all know the saying “two heads are better than one” – and Mind Mapping as a group in Ayoa will help to keep you all motivated to bounce ideas off each other, whilst capturing every thought, ensuring that nothing gets forgotten.
Ready to make studying easier, fun and more efficient than ever before? Discover more about Mind Mapping in Ayoa, and get started for FREE today. We also offer all students and educators 35% off our software – see our education page here for details.