I just wanted to post and let everyone know how well Mind Maps have been working for me, and to encourage those of you who don't use them to start!
Each term of study I feel like I get to know the PR system better. So far for everything I read I mind mapped after each pass and felt comfortable with the overall ideas. The lectures became so much easier and interesting because I would understand the big concepts before getting to class. I also couldn't believe how a couple passes for a 40 page article would fulfill my purpose.
Then I mind map all of my class lectures. While other students are scrambling to get the prof's exact words, I listen for the main ideas and jot them down. The funny thing is that it is always awkward taking a class with people I don't know and mind mapping. I whip out my three different colored pens, and the other day someone actually took my notebook away from me during class to understand what I was doing. Someone even called me a social deviant because I do the mind maps. So sometimes it's obnoxious getting the attention.
But today I had a test over all of the lectures and readings, it was a comprehensive essay test. The past week I've just been going over my mind maps for about 15-30 minutes and talking about the concepts with my friends. I couldn't believe how information flowed from my pen this morning when I looked at the questions because I seemed so familiar. Yeah, I missed a detail here or there that I didn't empahsize in my mind maps, but overall I think it was successful. I even felt guilty last night because I was not stressed out and had spent what felt like hardly any time studying, haha.
So the point is that I was not always a mind map lover, but it's amazing what they can do the more you get used to them, apply your own style and use them.
