I am a graduating law student. I have tried PhotoReading on and off (mostly off) over the last couple of years, and finally decided a few weeks ago that I would experiment with it for the remainder of the semester. Next week I am taking the MPRE (Multistate Professional Responsibility Exam), which is essentially a prerequisite to taking the state bar examination.
Here's the problem: I'm spending an inordinate amount of time mindmappnig.
As I am studying for the MPRE (which I am doing solely through use of the PhotoReading system), I find that the material is so dense that it is difficult to keep track of all of the information that I need. I am on my fourth activation session on the text. My previous activation sessions have been fairly short because I find the information to answer my questions rather quickly. To obtain the level of comprehension that I need, however, I have to get into the weeds (where all the legal battles are fought).
In this process, I find that I thoroughly answer my questions in 10 minute activation sessions (if I go any longer, it's an overload and I lose information), and then I end up mindmapping for another 8 to 10 minutes to try to capture all the nuances that I need to know. I keep my mindmap simple, using one or two words for each prong, but I am spending as much time mapping as studying. I also have pretty big mind maps. 
Does anyone have any suggestions on how to mindmap more efficiently, or experiences in doing this with highly technical reading? I'm trying to strike a balance between studying and mindmapping, but unfortunately general knowledge is not adequate for these kinds of exams. I'm afraid if I don't get the concepts down on paper, they're going to be gone when I need them. Any suggestions?
