Learning Maps

Above is a mind map I made for myself.

Learning maps help you visualize topics and concepts in different shapes and colors which act as another way to remember things which you need to remember.

This is how you do it:

You start with the circle at the center of the page with the theme of the subject you are learning.

You then draw the sub-branches which link to circles which have sub-themes of the concerned subject. You can use different colored lines – small images, stickers. If you really are a visual person, then you can draw with as many different colors as you want. Doing it digitally is just that much easier. You can start with small topics to practice than extend the map to complete books. In fact, I have made a learning map just like this I would like to show you. Presenting ideas in visual form has a deep impact not only for visual learners but the imagery appeals deeply to the subconscious mind which calls fro greater recall when the stuff is really required even years after the map was studied. Since you are condensing a lot of information when using a learning map in a small space, you just want to use the keywords of what you are trying to say which will trigger the memory of the details.

Oh and just as a sidenote, if you know learning maps, you can use the same maps concept for planning as well. The concept is collectively called mind mapping.  

Try Freemind. It works great for me. 

Working on learning maps also gives you a chance to work on existing information and handling information like that allows you to make it your own by involving more senses and much more actively than if you were just listening or reading it.

Use highlight pen for reading – just new information. Use different highlighter for each reading. Accompanied by legends help you go through. 

At times, a lot of random ideas jump into our ideas and we have to store them by writing before they vanish away into depths of our mind. Writing these ideas in a mind map assists the mind as we can simultaneously think in many different directions without losing the flow.