Forums IMPORTANT: PLEASE READ PhotoReading, Memory Optimizer Photoreading/ Making mind maps for medical school

I am studying lots for med. school.

I photoread everything, and I believe it helps. However, I want to mindmap all the info Do any of you have any example med. maps of medical materials (anatomy, chemistry, ect?) Virtually all of the information I need comes from my lecture notes. Therefore, my goal is to just mindmap these notes.

We basically need to know detail. Does that mean I should put every detail in my maps? If I put in every detail does that mean my maps start to look just like my notes? I have trouble with this distinction.

The main problem I have is making everything concise and neat and engaging. I would love to see some mindmap samples.

Any other medical students here? Any other ideas?

My basic study strategy right now is this: I want to syntopic read different texts before the lectures, including the notes. After the lectures, I plan on PRing the material every day or 2.

ASAP after lectures I want to mindmap the materials (don't have all the notes until then). Next, I want to review these mindmaps until I have them down.

I plan on buying an artists sketch pad and having an assortment of colored pencils for my maps. These will be my hard-copy study guides, and hopefully I want have to refer to my notes to often after this.

Every night before I go to bed, and even if I am too tired to listen I listen to the Memory Supercharger Paraliminal. I outline my purpose even if I cannot fully stay awake.

Anybody else have any tips or pointers for me?

I find that there probably aren't too many shortcuts with this. However, I want to focus on retention so that I can study something and retain it. With the volumes of stuff we have to learn, organization is key.

Thank you

Mind maps are good because you only need enough detail to trigger the memory of the rest of the details. Like a map of the terrain. If you've been in the area it reminds you of what is their. Even if the nice little cafe is not on the map you will remember it's there when you when you see the fountain which it is next to marked on the map.

That mind maps have to be neat is a untrue. They have to serve a purpose. If you want to draw a mind map neatly you will map our a messy one first and when you review it tidy it up adding and deleting wht you need.

For syntopic reading use the outline for a syntopic mind map which is on page 112 of the PhotoReading book.

When it comes to reviewing. Plan on reviewing daily for a week and then once a week for a month or more.

Memory Supercharger Paraliminal, It's okay when you miss days when you are not studying. Remember to go easy on yourself. A good plan works best when we allow for the occasional times when we do not manage to stick with it. The thing then is not to be upset about it but return to the plan as soon as you can. If you make it a habit to have a study review session blocked into your daily calender 3 or 4 times a week Then you are reminded of what to do.

If you are preparing a calender for study before putting anything else in put in what you plan to do in free time. That is block in your free time and leisure activities first. It makes it easier to work with a calender and makes it easier on yourself if you know you have free time. Too often we fill calenders with must do busy activities and then try to squeeze in free time leisure activites. It overwhelms us that we often wind up droping the calender and good intentions to study on a regular basis.

Alex

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Originally posted by enliteme:
I photoread everything, and I believe it helps. However, I want to mindmap all the info Do any of you have any example med. maps of medical materials (anatomy, chemistry, ect?) Virtually all of the information I need comes from my lecture notes. Therefore, my goal is to just mindmap these notes.

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I would think about good information structure. Mind Map is a great idea, but it will not really help you build a useful map if you will not consider researching your own data structure.

I know about Mind Pad software that supports custom structure developemnt (www.mind-pad.com). They call this FRAME, object that can have any set of properties. This sample might be useful: http://www.mind-pad.com/on-line_manual/model-editor.htm

I think that it's not necessary to purchase Mind Pad, but if I were you I would contact developers for free or cheap education license.

I think that good mind map is mind map with good data structure. Don't take mind map as panacea, it's also a hard work to create useful mind map.

Nothing has to be hard work, Only thinking so makes it so.

If you tell yourself it hard work your mind has to give you your expectations.

Chunk it down to managable pieces and it's easy and is time productively spent.

Alex