The Ultimate Guide to the PERFECT Mindmap (6-Step Checklist)
Summary
TLDRThis video script offers a comprehensive guide to mastering the art of creating effective mind maps for studying. The learning coach breaks down the process into a six-step checklist, emphasizing the importance of mindset, intention, keyword selection, chunking, mapping, and expanding. The method is designed to foster higher-order learning, leading to deeper understanding and better exam performance. Examples from various subjects illustrate the application of this technique, highlighting its versatility and effectiveness in organizing complex information.
Takeaways
- đ§ Mind maps are a powerful study tool when used correctly, emphasizing higher order learning and deep mastery of concepts.
- đ Follow a six-step checklist to create effective mind maps, which includes mindset, intention, words, chunking, mapping, and expanding.
- đĄ The right mindset is crucial for mind mapping, focusing on main concepts rather than getting bogged down in details.
- đŻ Define clear intentions for your mind map based on learning outcomes or personal goals to guide the information organization.
- đ Identify keywords from resources like lectures and textbooks, which will serve as the building blocks for your mind map.
- đ Use chunking to group similar keywords under common titles, ensuring they address the mind map's intention.
- đ Create a backbone for the mind map by connecting key chunks and considering their relationships, similarities, and differences.
- đ Expand the mind map by adding subconcepts and remaining keywords, continually reviewing resources and refining connections.
- đ Mind mapping helps in conceptual understanding and reveals gaps in knowledge, as difficulty in mapping indicates areas needing more study.
- đš The process of mind mapping is iterative and demands mental effort, often requiring adjustments as understanding deepens.
- đ Examples from various subjects like chemistry, economics, music, physics, and maths demonstrate the versatility of mind mapping across different fields of study.
Q & A
What is the main purpose of mind maps according to the speaker?
-The main purpose of mind maps, as stated by the speaker, is to organize big concepts in the brain, establish a frame to see the big picture first, and facilitate the understanding of how everything is connected. They are not meant to track down every single detail, which is where tools like flashcards would be more appropriate.
What is the significance of having the right mindset when creating mind maps?
-Having the right mindset is crucial because mind maps are just one tool in the study toolbox and have a specific purpose. The mindset should focus on representing the main concepts and ideas rather than getting bogged down in small details.
What is the importance of intention when making a mind map?
-Intention is important because it guides how the information within the mind map will be used. It helps in determining the broad questions that the mind map aims to answer and aligns the mind map with the learning outcomes and the purpose of the study.
How does the speaker suggest finding the keywords for a mind map?
-The speaker suggests finding keywords by looking at main resources like lectures, textbooks, YouTube videos, and even chat transcripts. Keywords should be important, emphasized, or uncertain terms, and the selection process should not be overthought or time-consuming.
What is the process of 'chunking' in the context of mind mapping?
-Chunking involves taking the list of keywords and grouping similar keywords under a common title. It's about finding relationships between keywords, identifying their similarities and differences, and determining the best way to represent how they relate to the overall purpose of the mind map.
What are the criteria to check when connecting key chunks in the mind map backbone?
-The criteria include using the same three questions from the chunking step: how do these chunks relate to each other, what are their similarities and differences, and what is the best way to represent how they relate to the overall purpose of the information. Additionally, other keywords from the list should be connected onto the current mind map.
What is the purpose of the 'mapping' step in creating a mind map?
-The mapping step is where the actual mind map is created. It starts with identifying the backbone of the mind map, which consists of three to five key concepts or chunks. This step is essential for understanding the entire topic and mapping out the key concepts clearly.
How does the 'expanding' step in mind mapping contribute to the understanding of the subject?
-The expanding step involves adding subconcepts and remaining keywords to the mind map, relating them back to the backbone. This process helps in gaining a deeper understanding of the subject as it allows for the exploration of connections and the addition of more specific information, making the mind map more in-depth and sophisticated.
What is the role of 'learning paths' on Skillshare as mentioned by the speaker?
-Learning paths on Skillshare are curated sequential class collections that help learners master a specific skill, like productivity. They are structured to allow learners to see tangible improvements along the way, starting from different starting points.
How can the six-step checklist for making a perfect mind map be applied to different subjects?
-The six-step checklist can be applied to any subject by following the steps of mindset, intention, words, chunking, mapping, and expanding. Each step guides the creation of a mind map that focuses on the main concepts and the overall purpose of the study, ensuring a comprehensive understanding of the subject.
What is the final advice the speaker gives regarding the application of the mind mapping technique?
-The speaker advises applying the mind mapping technique immediately, as it is a powerful learning tool. They also suggest exploring other study tips used in med school for achieving top marks and encourage continuous learning in all areas of life.
Outlines
đ Mastering the Art of Mind Mapping for Effective Studying
This paragraph introduces the concept of mind mapping as a powerful study tool, emphasizing its effectiveness when used correctly. The speaker, a learning coach with extensive experience, outlines a six-step checklist for creating the perfect mind map. The method is based on higher order learning, which fosters deeper understanding and connectivity between concepts, ultimately improving performance on final exams. The speaker demonstrates the process by creating a mind map on the topic of ice cream, illustrating the importance of each step in achieving a comprehensive and useful mind map.
đ§ The Importance of Mindset and Intention in Mind Mapping
The speaker discusses the importance of having the right mindset when creating mind maps, comparing it to using the correct tool for a specific job. Mind maps are described as puzzle border pieces that help establish a big-picture view by organizing main concepts. The second step, intention, is explored through the example of making a mind map about ice cream, highlighting the need to align the mind map with learning outcomes or personal goals. The speaker suggests using broad questions derived from learning outcomes to guide the mind mapping process.
đ Selecting Keywords and the Process of Chunking
The paragraph delves into the third step of mind mapping: selecting keywords from various resources and preparing a basic list. The speaker advises not to overthink the selection and to focus on nouns, aiming for a quick compilation. The fourth step, chunking, involves grouping similar keywords under a common title, which is crucial for addressing the mind map's intention. The speaker emphasizes the importance of considering the relationships between chunks, their similarities and differences, and how they contribute to the overall purpose of the mind map.
đ Crafting the Mind Map: From Backbone to Expansion
The speaker describes the process of mapping out the mind map, starting with the backbone, which consists of key concepts identified in the previous steps. The importance of connecting these chunks using the same three questions from the chunking step is highlighted. The speaker then explains the expansion step, where subconcepts and remaining keywords are added to the mind map, creating a more in-depth and sophisticated structure. The process involves reviewing resources and recursively adding information to the mind map, leading to a deeper understanding of the subject.
đ Applying Mind Mapping to Various Subjects and Reflecting on Learning
The paragraph showcases examples of mind maps created by A+ grade students in various subjects, including chemistry, economics, music, physics, and maths. Each example demonstrates a clear backbone and intention, with keywords and concepts organized based on their similarities and differences. The speaker emphasizes the importance of understanding when and why to use different concepts, as indicated by the mind maps. The paragraph concludes with a reminder that if the mind map is messy, it reflects the state of one's understanding, and that the challenge of mind mapping is a sign of active learning.
Mindmap
Keywords
đĄMind Maps
đĄHigher Order Learning
đĄChecklist
đĄMain Concepts
đĄIntention
đĄKeywords
đĄChunking
đĄBackbone
đĄExpanding
đĄProductivity
đĄSkillshare
Highlights
Mind maps are powerful tools for studying when used correctly.
A six-step checklist for creating effective mind maps is introduced.
Higher order learning is facilitated through the mind mapping method shared.
The importance of having the right mindset when creating mind maps is emphasized.
Mind maps should focus on main concepts rather than small details.
Intention is key when using mind maps, aligning with learning outcomes or personal goals.
Keyword selection for mind maps should be based on importance and uncertainty.
Chunking involves grouping similar keywords under a common title.
Three crucial questions guide effective chunking and organization of mind maps.
Skillshare classes and learning paths are recommended for improving productivity.
The backbone of a mind map is created by identifying key concepts or chunks.
Mapping involves connecting key chunks and adding other keywords to the mind map.
Expanding the mind map includes adding subconcepts and remaining keywords.
Examples of A+ grade students' mind maps in various subjects demonstrate effective techniques.
Mind maps can be applied to complex subjects like chemistry, economics, music theory, physics, and maths.
The importance of understanding when to use different mathematical concepts is highlighted.
Mind maps help in organizing information for problem-solving in subjects like maths.
The process of mind mapping can be challenging, indicating active learning and understanding.
Transcripts
I've done hundreds of mind maps and as a
learning coach I've worked with
thousands of students Professionals in
using this exact note-taking approach
and I've realize that mind maps are one
of the most powerful tools for studying
but only when used correctly and there's
a lot of mindmap videos out there that
basically don't work so in this video
I'm going to actually Break Down The Art
of making the perfect mindmap into a
simple to follow six-step checklist that
when followed will guarantee you results
and this is for any subject that you are
doing and that's not just because I'm
saying it but this is because of what
the research has shown us to work
because the particular mindmap method
that I'll be sharing leverages what we
call higher order learning and it's a
form of learning that allows you to gain
much deeper Mastery and connectivity
between everything that you're learning
and as a result do much better on your
final exams and to show you the power of
this six-step checklist I'll be making a
mind map right now so that you can
follow along so you know exactly how to
tick off each of these boxes because a
mind map that doesn't tick all of these
criteria like this one you know maybe
it's only taking two or three it's not
only not going to help you with your
understanding of the content but it's
going to waste hours of your time as
well so it's only when we tick all six
boxes in this checklist like this one
that we're going to unlock the true
potential of mind maps so let's jump
into step one which is mindset it's
important to have the right mindset when
making mind maps because they are just
one tool in your study tool box and it
has a specific purpose just like you
wouldn't use a hammer to drink drink
cereal you know you would use a spoon
mind maps are like the Border pieces of
a puzzle they help you establish the
frame to see the big picture first by
organizing the big Concepts in your
brain which makes it easier for you to
see how everything is connected it is
not meant to track down every single bit
of detail because that's where you would
use something like flashcards so to tick
the first box of the checklist you need
to follow this rule throughout all of
the other steps which is to remind
yourself my mind map is focus fused on
representing the main Concepts and ideas
rather than the small details and so
there shouldn't be paragraphs of texts
inside of your mind map step number two
is intention and now that you've ticked
off number one we now need to ask
ourselves how do we intend to use this
information within the Mind map and to
show what I mean I'm going to go through
an example of a mind map on the topic of
something that everyone can understand
which is ice cream so I'll go through
examples of actual subjects like maths
and such at the end of this video so you
can apply this to your own subjects as
well when making a mind map on the topic
of ice cream the intention is important
because making a mind map to explore the
history of ice cream is is way different
to making a mind map on the best way to
sell ice cream so when you're doing this
for yourself you can decide how you
intend to use the information yourself
but of course for some extra guidance
you can look at the learning outcomes
that your teacher gives you which covers
exactly what you are expected to know
and how you'll need to actually use that
information in your test or exam or
assessment but just as an example let's
say that we looked at the learning
outcomes and we decided that the purpose
of our mind map in this case is to focus
on how people decide on which ice cream
to buy and that's it that's the
intention so to check off this box ask
yourself have I used the learning
outcomes and my intuition to determine
broad questions that I want to answer
with the information in my mind map
that's intention done number three is
words so let's get started crafting our
mind map and the first thing that we
need to do is to find the keyword for
our mind map we can do this by looking
at your main resources like lectures
textbooks your YouTube videos and even
chat gbt but we don't want to overthink
the selection of keywords here keywords
can be anything that you feel is
important or you're unsure of or maybe
it's just emphasized and as a helpful
tip here I typically say look for the
nouns right but you don't want to spend
more than five minutes on this you don't
need every single word there'll be later
steps where we can ensure that
everything is complete so here is a list
of what I've done so far for our topic
of ice cream and again to take off this
third box ask yourself have I prepared a
basic list of keywords for my mind map
by going through my resources and that's
step three done step four is chunking so
now it's time to bring together
everything that we' have learned in all
the previous steps because step four
involves us taking our list of keywords
and grouping together similar key words
based under a common title and this is a
process called chunking so yes you
theoretically could just group all the
keywords together based on the ones that
are starting with the letter A but as
you can imagine this is not going to be
very helpful in addressing the intention
of this mind map which was about how do
we facilitate and think about how people
want to decide which ice cream they
would like to buy now to ensure our
chunking is effective we do want to ask
ourselves three crucial questions number
one
how do these keywords relate to each
other number two what are their
similarities and their differences and
number three what is the best way to
represent how they relate to the overall
purpose of how I intend to use this
information and we can tick off each box
once we've asked ourselves these
questions and have put the keywords
under a common grouping so to see what
this looks like I'm just going to do
this live now now I could go ahead here
and just group it together in terms of
the different types of ice cream and the
uh different ingredients that are here
but that doesn't necessarily address the
intention of this mindmap if I'm
thinking about why do people decide on
different types of ice cream they're not
thinking about the different ingredients
and the proportion of them in each of
the different ice creams there are much
more General kind of decision making
Frameworks and and things that they're
thinking about so if I really think
about this a little bit more well what
what influences someone's decision for
the type of ice cream that they go for
it comes down more so to kind of like
let's say uh if they're being like
health conscious right like or or their
kind of preferences in terms of uh
dietary preferences so now I'm getting a
little bit further with this and I'm
thinking a little bit more abstractly
about how these groups can be related to
the general intention of this mind map
so as part of this step I can try and
break it up into some of that a little
bit already so this is what it kind of
looks like as I'm just like mapping it
out um I can go ahead and do this a
little bit more and then you might get a
final result like this now again I'm
just doing this in the way that it makes
the most sense to me based on what I
currently understand I can always adapt
and change this as we go into the
following steps and look mind maps
making them is a very demanding task and
it requires a lot of mental bandwidth so
it's important to level up your
productivity alongside it as well and as
someone who values learning and
productivity a lot the classes on
skillshare have been incredibly helpful
for me each of these classes are led by
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so you can get the lessons without the
SC and as the largest Learning Community
skillshare offers classes on almost
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more but the biggest thing that I find
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description to sign up now and step
number five is mapping and this is where
we get to the fun part uh this is
actually making the Mind map itself and
it may be a little overwhelming when you
do just look at the end product but this
all starts with what is called the
backbone of the Mind map and this is
about particularly identifying the three
to five key Concepts or chunks that we
made in the last step and so this is
essential for you know understanding
what is this entire topic about and we
want to be able to map that out clearly
in our backbone so to tick off the step
there are a couple of criteria to check
through and I will run through some
examples of using using this later uh
but the criteria is this connect these
key chunks together using the same three
questions from before how do these
chunks relate to each other what are the
similarities and differences and what is
the best way to represent how they
relate to the overall purpose of how I
intend to use this information and
additionally chunk and connect the other
keywords onto the current mind map as
well the other words that were on your
keyword list so let me do this right now
in front of you live so I'm looking here
at some of the chunks that I have uh
which are these six here and now I need
to think about well how do they come
together so uh I think logically it
makes the most sense to start off with
the beginning which is the intention um
which is the buyer's decision you don't
always need the intention to be part of
the Mind map um because it sometimes
it's just implicit uh but in this case
it is kind of the core so we'll put it
there and then the buyers decision is
primarily made up of you know their
taste profile and in terms of what
they're actually feeling like right now
and then as well it's determined by that
they need to be like health conscious
right uh that's a priority for a lot of
people but maybe they not may not be
health conscious so this is still part
of the decision Mak now getting to price
and especially convenience these are
incredibly important I think these
things underpin the whole thing so I'll
just leave that for a little bit later
so the taste profile dietary
requirements is is something that would
be a part of uh being health conscious
and this is just so you just don't die
we kind of got those all there and then
the next part is well okay we said that
there's kind of like this balance
ultimately between uh price and
convenience all of the time so I'm going
to write it here as encapsulating the
whole thing right uh which is this whole
thing is underpinned by price with this
kind of bir directional relationship
with convenience so in this case I am
putting it together in the way that it
makes the most sense to me I'm
critically thinking about what is the
best way to present this information in
this case I thought it was best to
encapsulate all of this underneath price
and convenience and it's always kind of
that that waving thing because a lot of
the time as well we will just buy
something that's more outside of our
budget because of the convenience we are
feeling hungry and again through this
process you are constantly battling
between should I go this way or should I
go that way and that thinking is exactly
what you want to be happening when
you're going through this this is just
our best estimate of how to represent
the information based on what we know
and you know what if you find this
challenging it means you don't know the
material yet okay and that's okay you're
learning it you will get better at it
and eventually you'll be able to say
with confidence that I know this stuff
if you know the material and you can't
mind map it then that is an indication
you may not know it as well as you think
you do so as a good reminder if it's
messy on your mind map it's probably
messy in your mind now when you get
actually really good at this you can do
steps number four and five together at
the same time step number six is
expanding so now with the basics done
this is like really establishing that
tree trunk so so you know I firstly
congrats on that it's probably a new
thing for you uh you now have a very
solid foundation and you know what you
may have already felt like you've gained
a conceptual understanding of ice cream
even though you've probably not read all
of the resources about it yet so now we
can go ahead and start to add in the
branches of the tree which just means
thinking about the subconcepts and the
remaining keywords that we have and how
that relates back to the backbone that
we have and we can keep branching out
from there and keep going to do this we
can work through through the resources
in more depth for example our lecture
slides our textbook and we can expand on
these connections and add the keywords
based on where we think it fits best so
this process it is very Contin in terms
of reviewing the resources and adding
back onto the Mind map and keep going in
this recursive Manner and the mind
become more in-depth with more
connections and will become more s
sophisticated as your knowledge deepens
as you go through this process but to
get the full benefit of benefits it's
extremely helpful to see how we can
implement this in an actual subject that
you are doing not just with ice cream so
here are a few examples done by A+ grade
students that I've coached uh and we
have them from students who are in doing
economics uh music chemistry physics and
maths and at the end of this video I'll
share with you how you can know you've
also done this correctly based on how
you feel so the first one here is
chemistry you can see that there are lot
of keywords all around this mind map uh
they've gone ahead and they've now gone
ahead to try and find those chunks um
the ways of categorizing the information
they've broken it down into some of
these main key ideas here which make a
part of its backbone but at looking at
this what we can tell based on the
backbone that is here is that the main
thing that they are thinking about in
the intention is well well how is energy
actually used and the way that they
break that up is that they say well
energy can be you know spent it can be
saved and it also comes from
fundamentally this kind of operation
between you know reduction and oxidation
and then even here they say the whole
thing can kind of be like uh captured
and measured through these processes
that come through here now they continue
to go through this process of chunking
and then they're mapping out all of the
very specifics around this adding in
many more of the keywords around the
metals the iconics and the calent bonds
uh they focus on the applications as
always that's the intention again and in
terms of spending your energy that's
really through electrol they're really
thinking critically about like okay
galvanic cells electrolysis like how do
they related how they similar they
different they electrochemical cells yes
but it is specifically around like being
opposites okay in terms of uh how they
work but they're fundamentally both
about spending energy and a really good
indication as well of of a very great
mind map is when it's starting to kind
of relate between you know two major
branches of the Mind map so you can see
that kind of relationship here um
ideally it's not going to crossover
lines but other than that it is very
much branching the saving and the
spending together and how those two
ideas uh balance one each other out so
that's chemistry uh let's take a quick
look at another example which is
economics going through it quickly you
can see again that there is that
backbone there's a clear intention that
is set out for us here it's really
fundamentally we're looking at
Investments right here uh and how money
is transferred in and out and how this
goes about an economy when thinking
about some of the keywords that they
have they've critically thought about
like okay well when I think about the
similarities and different between them
how can I group that together and they
found a very intuitive way of doing that
which is that basically these three ones
here are all about causes and these ones
here are all about effects very
intuitive and probably very aligned with
the intention and purpose of this mind
map and how they intend to use the
information so again this can even be
done on subjects like music as you see
here and this is a little bit more for
music theory uh but this can still help
out a lot with being able to improvise
and actually play music and and practice
the actual uh motor skill itself but
we've got that backbone we've got a
clear indication of like what is the
purpose of this which is uh how is music
itself made theoretically in terms of
chord progressions and how we use
Harmony there is that careful thought
about how we can uh break the
information up based on similarities and
differences and how it relates to one
and each other there's classifications
there there's types and then breaking
down like Melody really what it is in
terms of subconcepts is that it's about
having the voice leading or having those
harmonic or chord progressions leading
as well cool that's music physics exact
same thing you're starting to see some
of those patterns now and then lastly
maths everyone thinks that this cannot
be done for maths it is incredibly
important for a subject like math which
has a lot of knowledge to it yes you
have to do the math equations but
fundamentally with the hardest questions
that there are in maths it's always
about using the fundamentals but in an
extremely unexpected and unfamiliar way
so knowing deep down how all the
different ways of solving equations and
using the theory that you know in many
many many different ways that comes down
to being able to look at all the
relationships between those Concepts
that you're learning and again mind maps
are great way to facilitate that type of
thinking I'll often ask people like well
do you actually know when to use the
null factor law versus the quadratic
formula um and why you might want to use
a factorized form versus the expanded
form when you're working with quadratics
and they don't really know or know how
to explain that to me they just look at
some question and and sometimes can do
it but if you're not able to explain
that that puts you to heavy risk
for sometime when you need to be able to
think outside of the box in terms of how
to use factorized form for solving some
complicated you know quadratic or polom
uh problems so in this my map it's made
quite clear again where the backbone is
it's grouping together the information
into really two particular uh places in
terms of looking at uh space especially
it's very much focusing on the intention
which is the application of all of this
uh knowledge to solve problems and if
you really take a look at this part here
you can see all all of these things that
you would be Familiar of if you've
learned this topic but it's being put
together into a group based on the
similarities and how it ends up actually
being used so this is all about line
formed this is all about working with
the planes it talks about the cross
product and what that actually supports
you with but you know this mind map if
it were to continue to be adapted I
really want them to continue thinking
about like okay what are all of the
functions that the cross product can
actually help us with rather than just
calculating the cross product like what
does it actually help us out with so
really pushing my knowledge here you
know with a cross product that's helping
us with finding that kind of like
perpendicular kind of uh vector and
that's going to help us when we need
that information for something else you
can even see here as well there's kind
of the connection again between
different ideas ultimately and this is
the the dot product being used as well
with uh scaler projection again this is
really helping us with structuring and
organizing the information in our brains
so that when we come to a problem we're
not going to be like oh there's like
these 10 20 different things that I
could use to solve this equation instead
it's actually made really clear to
because it's all very organized in our
head what you'll find with this is that
it feels like your brain has to work
really hard uh maybe even makes you feel
a little tired but that is the correct
sign it actually means that you're
learning here's the actual checklist
again for your reference I highly
recommend applying everything in this
video right now because this is truly
one of the most powerful techniques and
I'm excited for you that you can go
ahead you can go Master this you can
transform your grades and with that if
you want to learn other study tips that
I've used in med school to get top marks
uh to be achieving 2 years above where I
needed to be uh you might be interested
in this next video take care
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