I think mindmaping helps you remember using a top down big
picture approach. But sometimes it's a bother to use it.
However if you can't catch that method, it may also mean that you
are a "details approach" person, --learning by looking closely at
the details. A classic example is learning A maths in secondary
school.
In A maths, we are taught the mathematical techniques like
differentialation, integration, and those funny equations. This is
teaching in details. However we often do not see how these
differentiation, integration techniques apply in the big picture,
as in how do we use it. In school, the question could be y=2x +
16x^4 Find the dy/dx. This just tests us on the technique, a
details approach.
It is only in poly/uni when we were taught to apply these
techniques to then do we see the big picture. Like calculating
flowrate equation in a wind tunnel (mechanical engineering),
calculating the rate of growth of a certain protein frame in some
funny accelerator solution (biomedical engrg).
So if we were trained from young to look from details approach we
will not be used to looking down from the top (mind maping). We
usually do it from the bottom to the top (working the furthest
branch first to link all the way to the topic).
However, mind mapping trains us to look at the big picture, then
deeper and deeper into the details.
Having said all that (this is the most important part of my reply
hehehe), first we have to REMEMBER and be AT EASE with using the
mind mapping technique before anything can work.
SO practise practise practise, until it's a second nature.
