© Student Learning Support Service Victoria University of Wellington | www.victoria.ac.nz/slss | student-learning@vuw.ac.nz | +64 4 463 5999

Mind maps How you can use mind maps at university

Mind maps make you think about your work:

□ what ideas, information will you put on it

□ where will you put it

□ what symbols, colour will you use

□ what connections there are between your ideas, information

Note-taking

□ If you are confident at mind-mapping, do your lecture notes.

□ A stepping-stone approach – try to mind map key points as a ½ page revision of your usual linear notes.These are hand revision summaries closer to exams.

Essays

□ Mind map ideas for an essay topic once you’ve analysed the question.

□ Rework your brainstorm mind map so that connections and priorities are clarified.

□ If you get bogged down after researching, get back on track by mind mapping key points. Quite often it forces you to see the BIG picture again.

□ When your essay is finished, mind map exactly what you’ve written (or better still, ask a friend to). Check that this mind map relates to the question asked.

© Student Learning Support Service Victoria University of Wellington | www.vuw.ac.nz/st_services/slss | +64 4 4635999

© Student Learning Support Service Victoria University of Wellington | www.victoria.ac.nz/slss | student-learning@vuw.ac.nz | +64 4 463 5999

Discussion, Tutorials, Thinking

□ In study groups, tutorials, seminars – try to capture good discussions by mind mapping key ideas afterwards.

□ Work with your study group. As a starter, take a topic and develop a mind map using questions and contributions from the group. Think about where they are most relevant on the mind map.

Revision

□ Once you complete your course – mind map ALL of it on one A3 piece of paper. This is a great overview – a chance to see areas where extra work is needed, connections you never saw before.

□ Visual stimuli, especially unusual or colourful ones, aid the memory. You picture a mind map more easy than a page of written notes.

□ Pin mind maps in captivating places (the fridge door, the bathroom mirror). They are a constant reminder and reinforcement of necessary material.

□ Mindmap key ideas or plans for practice exam essays.

□ Take a revision topic, mind map possible areas for exam questions and use these for essay practice.

(Sample mind maps taken from: http://learningfundamentals.com.au/resources/)