Mind Maps

My problem in the center of my mind map is Post-Graduation.  The first mind map I did was very practical.  I was thinking of tangible things such as location, people, and money.  I did have difficulty letting myself think freely.  The 20-minute mapping period went by very slowly.  I took a lot of pauses and time to think instead of just writing.  After waiting an hour, I returned to my map and added a little color to it using colored pencils.  In my mind though, I knew I did not love this map or particularly care for it.  I think that is because I didn't allow myself to fully reflect. 

I returned to the project 24 hours later.  I had the same problem in the center of my mind map, post-graduation.  This time I decided to use a different approach.  My subtopics were from the emotional side of me.  My key terms were Stress, Fear, Change, Strength, and Loneliness.  All of these ideas are abstract an intangible.  My new approach proved to be more successful than my previous mind map.  I was able to think more freely and let my ideas flow naturally.  I got better results from the second mind map than the first, possibly because my concepts were driven by emotion rather than practicality.  I do feel as though mind mapping is a helpful tool for problem solving.  While my problem can't exactly be solved by mean of a mind map, it made me feel less overwhelmed.  I was able to organize my thoughts in some sort of way.  Rather than having all of these thoughts floating around in my head, I wrote them down and now have a firmer grip on my worries.  While I do still have stress about what I will do after graduation, like most seniors do, I know that I should not let my fears get the best of me.