Why I Hated Mind-Mapping, And How I Overcame My Bias

Different people call them different things – mind-maps, webs, concept maps – but they really all refer to the same concept. The point of mind-mapping is to get all the information about some topic onto a piece of paper, and to use lines to connect them. It’s a graphical (pictoral) way of representing information. Of course, this is a good idea in theory, because the brain needs to make these connections in order for it to retain information. However, I always felt that mind-mapping is  for people whose brains work graphically. And mine doesn’t.

I am a very linear person. I like lists and outlines. When I take notes, I make lists of points, often with indenting to show sub-points. If I can, I actually go so far as to outline. (You know, the one with the Roman numerals, and the letters, and the numbers, that all have a specific hierarchy and lots of indenting. I love that.) I always assumed that mind-mapping just doesn’t work for my way of thinking.

To be honest, part of my prejudice against mind-mapping is probably due more to the fact that I’ve never been taught how to do it, than to it actually not working for me. I’ve never really done it. When I teach it to students at the tutoring center I work for, I glance over their work to see if they got the major points, then declare it “good enough” because I don’t really know what I’m looking for.

One of my classes this semester is a small Philosophy class. The professor runs it in a discussion-oriented format. We are reading An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding, by David Hume, and we sit in a circle and talk about it. Now, how am I supposed to take notes on a discussion?

I tried lists of points, but the problem is that it’s impossible to know if I should leave room after a point to add more information, because of course I can’t tell if someone will say something useful later. One day, my notes were simply a list of disjointed points, that probably won’t help me at all when I go back to them to study for the midterm.

Yesterday, I had an epiphany. I realized that mind-mapping is probably the perfect way to record information in a discussion-formatted class. I flipped a piece of notebook paper over on its side and wrote the topic of the day in the middle. As the class progressed, I added relevant information on the sides and connected them to the parent topic with lines. My result has all the information regarding a (very short) section of the book on one page, which I can go back later an turn into an outline, if I want.

This is the final result. I have a random point floating around in the bottom there because I wasn’t sure what to link it to. It’s not really related to yesterday’s topic, but it was important to remember for the future.

I know there are many websites and programs designed to facilitate this, but I don’t take my computer to class anymore. For one thing, I find that putting pen on paper goes faster than finding the right button to click to tell the computer what you want it to do (although I do type faster than I write). Also, as a general rule, if I have my computer, I’m not taking notes or even paying the slightest bit of attention to the class. Facebook and Twitter – they call.

I learned some things yesterday. First, I learned that I can’t discount a note-taking technique just because I’m not familiar with it. Second, I learned that sometimes new ways of doing things can result in better note-taking and, in turn, better recall.

Finally, I learned that it’s easier to draw rectangles around my points than the traditional circles. And it looks nicer.

Studying for Exams

Previous: Setting Goals

This is a guest post from Michael, over at The Paperweight.

Image courtesy of sashamd

Almost no one likes them, but every student has to take them. Studying for exams is never really easy because you basically either know enough to pass or you don’t. But by putting a little thought into how you study, you can make your studying if not easier, at least more productive.

Know what to expect

One of the most obvious ways to prepare for an exam is to find out what it will be like. Make sure you know whether it will be essay, multiple choice, or a combination of different formats. Find out what period of the course it is going to cover.  Each different professor and each subject will have different types of exams and knowing what you’re preparing for is essential to proper preparation. Put special effort into this process for the first exam of each course before you are familiar with the instructor. Make a point to get in touch with your professor, whether it’s in person or via email, just so you know what to expect when exam day rolls around.

Start early

As soon as you have any idea what the exam is going to be about, start getting ready. Don’t wait; start as early as you can. Even if you don’t have a lot of time to put into it, just do a little bit reviewing. Reviewing the material over a long period of time will not only make the last days and hours before the exam a lot less stressful, it will also help cement the material into your brain far better than last minute cramming ever would.

Organize your notes

Another study method that I find particularly helpful is to rewrite and organize my notes. This works especially well if you are preparing for an essay type exam, but it can be helpful no matter what kind of exam you are preparing for. Simply processing the material one more time will ensure that it is fresh in your mind. It’s also a great time to review textbooks and even fill in any gaps in your knowledge. If my professor gives out a study guide before the exam, I like to refer to it to organize my reviewing.

Flashcards

Never forget the power if flash cards, especially if you are studying for a subject like science, language, or even history, when you need to remember names and dates. Sometimes the process of condensing the material down so that it fits onto a small card is so beneficial that it’s worth the effort even if you don’t end up spending that much time reviewing the flashcards after you have created them.

Environment

As your preparation comes down to the final hours, and there is little time to waste, choose your location carefully so that you aren’t interrupted or distracted. Some people study best with a group of other people to promote accountability and make sure everything gets covered. That may work for you, but personally I study best when I’m in a quiet place all by myself. The choice is up to you, but make sure that you find the atmosphere that allows you to study most productively and try to make the most of it.

No matter what you do to study, don’t let yourself get stressed out. Don’t give in to the nagging worries about the upcoming exam, just focus on doing what you can to prepare yourself. One of the best ways to keep the stress factor to a minimum is to plan ahead and keep up throughout the whole semester. That way you don’t have to play catch-up and you can focus entirely on what you need to do to get ready. Keeping an level head and bringing up your confidence can do far more for your exam scores than extra nights of studying.

Thanks, Michael!

Next: Long-term Projects

Goals

Previous: Types of Reading

Image courtesy of keylosa

Are you squirming in fear yet? Most people don’t really like talking about goals, because they see them as hard-to-keep propositions for their lives, usually centered around the day each year that no one can write the correct date on their checks anymore.

While it is (barely) still January, I’m not talking about New Year’s Resolution-type goals. For one thing, the goals I’m talking about will actually be met. First I want to address different kinds of goals, and then I want to talk about a way to make your goals much more relevant.

Long-Term vs. Short-Term Goals

You may have heard this terminology before. Instead of skipping down to the next section, stay with me. Let’s at least make sure we’re working with the same definitions here.

“Long” and “short” in this case don’t actually refer to time. Usually short-term goals will be completed in a shorter amount of time, but it is possible to have a long-term goal that lasts for a few months, and a short-term goal that won’t be completed til April. (Not typical, but possible.)

Long-term goals, then, are overarching goals that you want to accomplish. For example, getting a B in a class is a long-term goal. Finding a new job could be a long-term goal. Losing weight is a long-term goal. The key to long-term goals is that they have steps that have to be taken to accomplish them. These steps are the short-term goals. GTD types may also see long-term goals as “Projects”, and short-term goals as “Next Actions.”

Keeping the previous examples in mind, some short-term goals could be to get an A on the next test, or to finish a resume, or to go to the gym this week. These three are very short-term, and will be accomplished in the next few weeks. Possible intermediate goals for these same examples are completing all homework for the class, getting interviews, or sticking to a good diet and exercising.

Unfortunately, I don’t actually like the second and third examples that I gave, especially not the third. Why? They are not SMART.

SMART Goals

SMART here doesn’t refer to an intelligence level. It is an acronym for some specifications that quality goals should meet. As an example to show how SMART works, I’m going to use the losing weight example, but I’m changing it a little to fit with my life.

I’m going to lose some weight and get in better shape.

• Specific – goals need to have their end result clearly defined. What am I going to do? Why am I doing it? How am I going to do it? Unfortunately, my current goal only addresses the first of these three questions. Am I losing weight because the doctor said to, or because my boyfriend says I should, or because I don’t fit in my nice black slacks anymore and I’m going to need them later this semester for a choir concert? In my case, I want to be in better shape because I’m sick of getting out of breath after walking up one flight of stairs. (The clothes reason is also relevant.) The other question to ask is how I’m going to do this. I’m going to lose weight and get in better shape because I want to feel healthier, and I’m going to do it by working out on Wii Fit and riding my bike to class.
• Measurable – I need to be able to tell when I’ve accomplished my goal. The best way to make something measurable is to put a number in it. In this case, I want to drop between 5 and 10 pounds, and “feel healthier”. That part isn’t really measurable, and there isn’t a good way to make is measurable, but losing between 5 and 10 pounds is good. I’m going to lose 10 pounds and get in better shape because I want to feel healthier, and I’m going to do this by working out on Wii Fit and riding my bike to class.
• Attainable – the goal needs to be within the realm of possibility. It is very possible for me to lose 10 pounds, and if you’ve ever heard me try to ride my bike up any kind of incline, you will know that I could easily be in better shape if I worked at it. The goal shouldn’t stretch me too far, or I won’t commit to it, but it should stretch me just far enough that it requires work. So there will be no change: I’m going to lose 10 pounds and get in better shape because I want to feel healthier, and I’m going to do this by working out on Wii Fit and riding my bike to class.
• Reasonable (or Realistic) – the goal needs to have a feasible plan in place. For right now, I don’t have time to go to the gym, and I hate running on the side of the road, so I’m not going to try to make either of these a part of my goal. Again, the goal shouldn’t be too difficult, but it also shouldn’t be too easy. Once again, no change: I’m going to lose 10 pounds and get in better shape because I want to feel healthier, and I’m going to do this by working out on Wii Fit and riding my bike to class.
• Timely – the goal has to have a time limit. If there is no time limit, it will never get done. (Especially if I’m in charge of doing it. I’m a procrastinator to the core.) In my case, I want to lose about a pound a week, which means I’ll have reached my goal in a little more than 2 months. I’m going to lose a pound a week for 10 weeks and get in better shape because I want to feel healthier, and I’m going to do this by working out on Wii Fit and riding my bike to class.

At this point, my goal is starting to sound like a bad run-on sentence, so I’m going to cut some parts out of it. I’m going to lose a pound a week for 10 weeks by working out on Wii Fit and riding my bike to class. I remember that the other part of this is getting in better shape, and I remember my reason. I will probably write both of those down with my goal so that I always think of them when I look at my goal.

That is another important aspect of goal-setting: write it down. Keep it visible. If you can see it, you won’t forget about it. Some people even go so far as to keep a blog for accountability. Writing about your goal for all the internet to read is great incentive to keep it up, since no one wants people to see their failure. WordPress and Blogspot are both blog platforms that allow easy and free start-up. If you want to start blogging for accountability in your goals, leave a comment!

Next: Studying for Exams

Three Kinds of Reading

Previous: The Syllabus

Image courtesy of dhammza

Do you like reading assignments? Or do you think that textbooks are sent from Hell to torture your very existence? If so, then maybe you should be seeking professional help. Are you somewhere in between? Good – that’s much more normal common.

Not many people like reading assignments, especially in college. They’re long, they’re boring, and you have better things you could be doing with your time. Like playing video games. However, they are necessary for passing many classes, so you really do need to know how to read effectively. Next month, I will be posting about survey methods to help you retain what you read, but for now I just want to discuss the act of reading.

Study Reading

Do you need to know this information cold? Will you be tested on this reading assignment? Do you have time to devote to in-depth reading? (No, beating Call Of Duty is not a valid excuse.) If you need to do a detailed, involved reading of an assignment, you should be study reading.

Study reading is done at slightly less than your normal reading rate. While you are reading, be sure to think about the material, and how it relates to what you are learning in class. Take notes. Use a survey method. At the very least, write down the main idea and some supporting details.

Know the material.

Skimming

Do you just need to have an idea of what the assignment talked about? Are you reading in preparation for a lecture or class discussion? If you just need to get the gist of the reading assignment, skimming is for you.

Skimming is done at about twice your normal reading rate, and your comprehension should only be about 50%. When you skim, your eyes scan over the page in a Z-type pattern, and you look for key words. The goal of skimming is to get the main idea, and nothing else. Skimming is a great way to prepare for a lecture, because you will have an idea of what the professor will be talking about, but don’t have to devote much time to the assignment. It is also useful when you are researching a paper. You can skim the source to see if it really looks useful, then later you can read it more in-depth to get the information from it.

Scanning

Are you looking for just one little piece of information in a chapter, or a name in a phone book? (I know, no one uses phone books anymore, but do you remember how it worked?) Phone books are a great example of scanning.

Scanning is done very, very quickly, at about 4 times your normal reading rate. You are not looking for the main idea or any details, just one key word or phrase. In a list, like a phone book, you can look very quickly because you know it is arranged in alphabetical order. In a textbook, you may be looking for a key word or a date. Once you find it, you can use the surrounding information to answer textbook questions, or to write a paper, or define the term.

Be careful that you don’t skim when you should study read. If you need the information, get it in your head! Skimming and scanning are NOT speed-reading techniques that allow you to get the same information in a shorter amount of time. If you read faster than your brain can process the words, you will miss some information.

Next: Goal Setting

The Syllabus and Organization

Previous: Planners

Organization

Image courtesy of Librarian by Day

At the beginning of the semester, it is usually a good idea to decide how to organize your class work. My personal preference is to color-code things. I have one highlighter color for each class, and make sure to highlight something on my notes (usually the date) and class work (title) so I know at a glance what class it was for.

I often use highlighters when studying my notes as well, and use only the color that is designated for that class. For example, all of my Music History notes had green highlighter all over them, and my Counterpoint assignments all had the assignment numbers highlighted in pink at the top.

When I’m doing work on the computer, I highlight my folders with the same color as my written work. On a Mac, you can just right-click the folder and select a color; there might be some kind of application for Windows that gives this function. If not, descriptive names should do the trick. The Wired-Marker extension for Firefox also allows you to highlight bits of text on webpages, which is very useful for research. If you do decide to color-code this way, make sure you print and highlight your syllabi (plural of syllabus, in case you were wondering) with the same class color.

The Syllabus

Even if you don’t do the highlighter thing, still print your syllabi. If you do, you might want to highlight all of this important information.

• Write down (or put in your computer, if you prefer) your professor’s name and contact information.
• Read the course description/objectives. This will give you an idea of what to expect in the class, although for some classes you may not have a clue what the professor is talking about until later.
• Look at the list of required textbooks and make sure you have all of them. Keep in mind what you found out about each book as you surveyed it.
• Look at how the professor weights the grades. Note which assignments are going to be the most important.
• Look at what assignments are going to be given in the class. Are there any tests? Papers? Projects? How many? How often? I will be discussing long-term projects in a few posts.
• What is the professor’s late policy? Make-up policy?
• How will assignments be submitted? (Online, in class, both…)
• Does this professor have any policies that differ from what your school normally does? If the policies are the same, you don’t need to highlight them (or otherwise make them obvious). If they are, you will want to make sure you can find the difference easily. Make sure you won’t be up late one night trying to remember if this professor accepts late work because you clearly aren’t going to get this paper done by the deadline. If you can just grab a syllabus and flip it open, you will know that no, you can’t afford to fall asleep on the keyboard tonight. (Or maybe you can give up and go to bed and finish it the next morning for a few points taken off.)
• Finally, look at the assignment calendar. Make note of how often assignments are due, and make sure you have due dates written down somewhere.

Keep each syllabus with the other work for that class.

Next: Types of Reading