Note: This is a guest post by Adam Sincinski of The Study Matrix blog.

To assist
you with understanding the concepts, techniques and strategies outlined within
this article, please download the free Study Matrix 101 pdf and utilize it as a
visual reference tool to help guide you through this process.
Do you ever find yourself becoming easily overwhelmed with trying to remember an
d manage large amounts of information?
Do you struggle to remember key concepts and pieces of information that are crit
ical to your academic, business and career success?
Do you ever envy those who just seem to remember and recall information with the
greatest amount of ease and without any effort?
Have you ever wondered about your potential to develop a photographic memory?
Have you ever considered that Mind Mapping might actually be the solution you ha
ve been searching for all this time?
The concept of Mind Mapping has been floating around the education sector for qu
ite some time now. First popularized by Tony Buzan several decades ago, it has s
ince grown in stature mainly within academic circles. Originally utilized as a m
eans of making sense of large fragments of information, it has since been adapte
d and applied into many industries and fields of endeavor.
This article will provide you with a quick introduction to an advanced process o
f Mind Mapping that will help you accelerate your learning ability by improving
and enhancing your photographic memory and recall of information. The instructio
ns and guidelines presented here will essentially take you through the step-by-s
tep process of creation and learning that goes into a concept known as a Study M
atrix.
What is a Study Matrix?
A Study Matrix is essentially a combination of 3 key mapping techniques that hav
e been utilized throughout the academic and business world in a variety of ways
to manage and make sense of processes and large fragments of information. These
3 techniques include:
Mind Mapping is a diagram with a central topic or image that branches out from i
ts middle into related concepts and ideas that break the topic down into its sma
ller parts. It is essentially used to structure, classify, visualize, and genera
te ideas for organization, problem solving, decision making and for study purpos
es.
Concept Mapping is a diagram that shows the interlocking relationships between a
variety of different concepts and ideas utilizing intersecting arrows and label
s.
Flowcharting is essentially a schematic representation of a process.
What are the Benefits of Learning from a Study Matrix?
The Study Matrix technique of accelerated learning is very organic in nature and
naturally mimics our brains capacity to think, remember and recall information.
By teaching yourself how to design your own Study Matrixs will provide you with t
he ability to create vivid learning aids that will dramatically improve your met
hods and strategies of managing large fragments of information.
Here is a look at some other benefits you will derive from taking the time to ef
fectively incorporate this technique into your daily information management habi
ts:
It summarizes the most important information clearly and concisely making it eas
y to reference and learn from.
It summarizes only the most critical, important and relevant facts that are appl
icable to the topic under study.
It naturally helps to create links and associations within the brain to related
concepts and ideas that are necessary and required to master the subject you are
learning.
It can accelerate your speed of learning, thusly reducing the amount of time you
spend on your studies.
It can accelerate your recall of information during examinations by up to 500%.
It encourages ease of learning and the creative flow of new ideas and insights.
It makes learning more fun and entertaining.
It encourages the development of photographic memory and recall of key concepts
and ideas presented within the Study Matrix.
It improves focus, concentration and encourages us to learn information in manag
eable chunks.
Next, we will begin breaking down each of the parts that go into the formation o
f a Study Matrix. Every component that will be discussed is an essential piece o
f the Study Matrix that is critical to the entire structure just as much as a ki
dney is essential to the balance and health of a body.
Pathways The Branches that Interlock the Disconnected Parts
Pathways are the organic-like lines and arrows that interlock and connect all th
e different segments of a Study Matrix. Their purpose is to link concepts, words
, phrases and ideas in an associative manner that improves memory and recall of
information. They are organic in nature (smooth branch like structures) because
this naturally mimics the brains neurological tendencies and processes of thinkin
g. They are also purposefully unbroken in their design, thusly allowing your eyes
to glide smoothly from one piece of information to another as you read the Study
Matrix.
A Study Matrix utilizes 3 alternating pathway structures for different purposes:
Lines Connect words and phrases within a hierarchical tree branch, synaptic, and
organic-like structure. This essentially means that as you move out from the ce
ntral image of the Study Matrix, that the pathways naturally become thinner.
Arrows Help to identify the directional flow of a pathway.
Colors At times different colors are utilized to represent seemingly unrelated c
risscrossing pathways. These colors can either signify a change in direction, ch
ange in time, in place, or an alternative intersecting idea. To simplify things,
when reading a Study Matrix it is important to follow along with the pathway co
lor you are reading until you reach an ending.
Colors The Memory Enhancing Separation Tool
Colors are an important and critical component of a Study Matrix helping to boos
t memory, recall and ease of learning. They are effectively used for a number of
key purposes:
To distinguish segments, topics and specific events that take place among fragme
nts of information presented within the Study Matrix.
Because they help distinguish key pieces of information, they effectively provid
e greater clarity, thusly opening up the channels to accelerated learning.
At times they are used as a means of changing the time or place of key interlink
ing fragments of information within a Study Matrix.
Finally, they can also represent different perspectives or points of view to fur
ther help distinguish the variety of information presented within a Study Matrix
.
Pictures The Strategic Associative Tool that Builds Photographic Memory
Pictures are great memory building tools because they are much easier to remembe
r than words alone. In fact, if you take a moment to close your eyes and think a
bout what you did yesterday, you will quickly realize that all your thoughts act
ually come through an interlocking associative collection of picture fragments t
hat lay down the foundations of memory. Through a similar means within a Study M
atrix, pictures make interlocking associative connections with words, ideas and
concepts helping to boost the memory and recall of information we are learning.
Pictures make powerful and lasting associations with the issues, themes, phrases
, symbols, and words scattered throughout a Study Matrix.
Pictures assist with improving the memorization and recall of key concepts and p
ieces of information.
Pictures naturally stimulate the visual learning process making learning fun, en
tertaining and enjoyable.
Pictures are connected and associated with words in 5 common ways:
Pictures can literally word-for-word represent the words they are associated with.
Pictures can metaphorically represent the words they are linked to.
Pictures can symbolically represent the words they are linked to.
Pictures can sound-like the words and phrases they are connected with.
In other instances, pictures can simply replace words altogether.
Symbols Expanding Our Awareness and Understanding
Symbols play an important part in helping you to pinpoint key concepts and ideas
presented within your Study Matrix. They are essentially a tool that will help
you to expand your understanding and awareness about the information you are lea
rning.
Symbols will help you segment critical facts and pieces of information making th
em discernible to the naked eye.
Symbols will organize and categorize your information into easy and manageable l
earning chunks.
Symbols will support the key insights, themes, issues and ideas within your Stud
y Matrix, thusly making them easier to remember and recall.
Symbols can also be utilized to highlight the relevance and importance of certai
n pieces of information.
The type of symbols that can be utilized within a Study Matrix depends on the st
ructure of your information and the purpose of your learning. To get you started
, here are some common symbols that can be utilized within a Study Matrix to hel
p identify key concepts and ideas in quick succession (please refer to the Study
Matrix 101 diagram for a visual overview of these symbols):
NO Assumptions This symbol can alert you to key words or phrases within your Stu
dy Matrix that can be easily misunderstood or misconstrued in some way.
Major Themes This symbol can be utilized to quickly identify major themes and is
sues that are relevant and important to your understanding about the topic you a
re learning.
Key Points / Ideas This symbol can draw your attention to key ideas that are mos
t important to remember. These ideas may in some way build upon the foundations
of other concepts within your Study Matrix.
Seek More Information A Study Matrix represents only key concepts and ideas abou
t a specific topic or subject. However, at times there will be important pieces
of information that you may like to expand upon throughout the learning process.
In such cases, simply create a symbol that you can utilize to pinpoint areas wi
thin your Study Matrix where further research is required.
Study Questions This symbol is utilized to identify key questions that help you
expand on certain concepts and ideas within your Study Matrix.
Stop & Reflect This symbol is used to highlight important concepts or ideas that
require some thought and reflection.
Setting or Location This symbol is utilized to identify a key setting or locatio
n that you would like to highlight within your Study Matrix.
Time or Period This symbol is utilized to identify key dates or periods that are
important to remember.
Once inserted into the Study Matrix, these symbols will help you to immediately
recognize key pieces of information that are essential to your learning of the m
aterial you are studying.
Content Pieces Representing the Foundational Structure of Your Learning
The Content Pieces of the Study Matrix are the distinguishing elements that help
to improve the readability of the information you are learning. You will notice
in the Study Matrix 101 diagram that different Content Pieces effectively repre
sent alternative distinguishing concepts and ideas within the Study Matrix.
As such, they each have their own unique look and style in order to assist the h
uman eye in breaking through the clutter of not being able to distinguish betwee
n different fragments and pieces of information. Hence, when you are creating yo
ur Study Matrix it is critical that you take the time to distinguish specific Co
ntent Pieces from all others. This will help you to better recognize them throug
hout the learning process.
Another critical component of the Study Matrix extends from the Connector Words
that smooth the transition between the Content Pieces. The primary purpose of th
e Connector Words is to improve comprehension and understanding of the material.
Pure Mind Maps do not utilize Connector Words, making it difficult for other peo
ple reading your mind maps to comprehend the information you represented in a co
nsistent fashion. However, by utilizing Connector Words you essentially open the
doors of comprehension and understanding that make your Study Matrixs easier to
remember and recall.
Other Bits Bringing Everything Full Circle
In order to further enhance the readability of a Study Matrix, it is important t
o incorporate a few more essential components into your design:
Font Differentiation The size and style of the font utilized within a Study Matr
ix differentiates the relative importance of key concepts and ideas. As a genera
l rule, the further the Study Matrix pathways extend out from the center of the
Matrix, the smaller the font becomes. This thusly helps improve readability.
Hierarchical Structure of Pathways & Pieces In a similar fashion, the pathways a
nd pieces are also effectively miniaturized the further the Study Matrix expands
from its central location.
Numerical Sequences Numbers are utilized in order to highlight numerical sequenc
es of events or pieces of information that are important in helping us expand ou
r understanding of the topic we are learning.
Pathway Stoppers These are RED Dots that represent punctuation full stops along th
e Study Matrix pathways. Whenever you come across one of these, just take a brea
th and continue reading a new sentence.
Study Matrix Accelerated Learning Study Plan
The following points present you with a quick strategy that will help you to dev
elop a photographic memory of the Study Matrix you are learning from. Feel free
to adjust this strategy any way you wish in order to fit your ideal learning sty
le and preferences.
Day 1
Peruse the Study Matrix identifying key symbols, headings, colors, pictures, wor
ds, patterns and other landmarks.
Focus on the Study Matrixs organic structure, the sequences of numbers and the wh
ite space surrounding the information. Your goal is to effectively create a ment
al snapshot of the entire Study Matrix.
Divide the Study Matrix into efficient learning chunks based on color.
Begin reading the Study Matrix one color chunk at a time from the central image
moving outwards all the while chunking the information into even smaller bits an
d pieces (progress in a clockwise direction). As you are processing this informa
tion be sure to utilize the pictures and symbols to help improve your memory and
recall.
As you read gently guide your eyes over the dark pathway lines and arrows, much
like following directions along a street map.
Follow the 3R+T Process of learning by firstly Reading the color chunk aloud as
you create mental pictures of the material. Secondly, close your eyes and Recall
the color chunk from memory. Thirdly, return to the Study Matrix color chunk an
d Review your memory and recall of this information by reading through it once a
gain. Finally, Test yourself by physically sketching that color chunk of the Stu
dy Matrix onto a piece of paper. Continue moving through the 3R+T Process until
you complete all the color chunks successfully.
Next, take yourself through the 3R+T process (Reading, Recalling, Reviewing, and
Testing) for the Study Matrix as a whole. This will help to assimilate the enti
re Study Matrix into your long-term memory.
Day 2
Reverse the 3R+T Process and move through the color chunks of the Study Matrix i
n an anti-clockwise direction on the second day of learning.
Day 3
Peruse the Study Matrix as a whole and sketch it out on paper for a third time.
If you are unable to remember some parts, than go back to these segments of the
Study Matrix, review them and sketch in the relevant details accordingly.
Day 4 to 7
Finalize your understanding of the material by testing yourself with a set of qu
estions you personally prepared in advance related to the content you are learni
ng presented within the Study Matrix. Before answering these questions be sure t
o quickly overview the Study Matrix as a whole paying particular attention to bi
ts and pieces that were difficult to remember during Day 3.
This 7 Day accelerated learning study plan should help you to build almost 100%
recall of the information you are learning. Test this process by utilizing the S
tudy Matrix 101 download as an experimental tool. In conclusion, please set chal
lenging yet doable time limits for each step of this process. The better you are
at sticking with these time frames, the more efficient your learning will becom
e.
How do I go about creating such a Study Matrix?
You effectively have 2 options. You can either draw them out on paper or you can
utilize a Mind Mapping software package. Here is a list of recommended Mind Map
ping software tools:
Mindjet MindManager Free 30 Day Trial ideal for brainstorming and creating large
mind maps.
Tony Buzans iMindMap Free 7 Day Free Trial the most graphically pleasant software
package.
3D Topicscape Free 30 Day Trial 3D mind mapping software package.
NovaMind Free 30 Day Trial ideal for brainstorming and creating large mind maps.
FreeMind great Free flexible mind mapping package.
Feel free to visit the List of Mind Mapping Software Wikipedia page for further
information and suggestions.
If you are interested in learning more about Mind Mapping than visit some of the
following helpful resources
Mappio Mind Maps A website showcasing a large variety of Mind Maps.
Topicscape Mind Maps A website showcasing almost 1,000 Mind Maps.
Mind Map Search A website with the largest collection of Mind Mapping resources
and links.
Adam Sincinski is active over at the The Study Matrix blog. If you havent done so
already, please feel free to download the full pdf version of Study Matrix 101
here.
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