Mind mapping
Mind maps are a great way of organising your thoughts, a visual road map towards a project or an essay.
What is mind mapping?
Mind maps are a great way of organising your thoughts, especially if you are a visual learner. Just like a road map helps you on a journey, a mind map can help you get from the start to the finish of a project or essay in an organised efficient manner without getting lost along the way.
The benefits of using a mind map
Mind mapping helps you to:
· Brainstorm ideas to help get you started on your assignment
· Organise information that you can see at a glance
· See the big picture, or overview, of your assignment, project, or essay
· Decide what information and resource material you will include in your assignment and where you will put it.
What does a mind map look like?
A simple mind map could be organised in this way:
How to create a bubble mind map
The important thing to remember is that you don’t have to be an artist to create your own mind map. Everyone can draw bubbles and connect them with lines or arrows.
Step one
Place the title of the main theme, or draw a picture that represents it, in the centre of the page (landscape is better).
Step two
Add main branches to the central theme by using lines or arrows that connect to other ‘bubbles’. These lines show the connection between the two and help to organise your ideas. Each bubble should only contain one key word or idea that stems from the central theme. These could form the basis for each paragraph, section, or chapter of an essay.
Step three
Next add more detail by drawing smaller (sub) branches from your key words. This forms the basis for what you want to write about for each idea.
Step four
If you are doing a large project you may need to add even smaller branches onto your sub-branches to flesh out the ideas even further.
Turning a mind map into an academic essay
Once your mind map has been created you can use it as the plan, or framework, for writing an essay.
Everything you need to write about is laid out in front of you. The topic you are writing about is what you placed as the central theme in your map. In your introduction you will describe what this is and also mention each sub-topic that will be discussed.
The following paragraphs will contain all the information that you need to include (which you have already noted on your map). Remember, each paragraph should contain one idea or cover one aspect relevant to the central theme on your mind map.
Using a mind map as your guide
The example paragraph below was written using part of the mind map as a framework.
| For a start-up business to be successful it is important to have both long term and short term strategies that are achievable and well planned. The long term strategy for ACME Inc. is to create an efficient operating model that can then be franchised throughout the whole country. The short term strategy is to quickly become immersed in the local market in order to build up brand awareness and a customer base. These strategies will be implemented initially by the management team and then it is envisioned that an expert team, using outside advice, be created to implement the long term strategy of selling franchises. Setting up a competent management team who are all on-board with these strategies is critical to the success of this business. |
Making a mind map to help your understanding
The following mind map is an example of one created while reading a text on diabetes.
Attributions
Hero image: Spider web with water droplets by ekamelev. Licensed under Pixabay.com
