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Did you use a little AI help in writing your academic paper? Watch out, because an AI detector could flag your work.

More and more universities are using AI detectors to find out whether you’ve secretly involved AI tools like ChatGPT, JenniAI, or Paperpal in your writing process.

Sometimes, though, these detectors flag your work even if you didn’t use any AI at all!

No need to panic just yet and fear handing in your paper. In this article, I’ll show you 7 secret tips to help you avoid triggering an AI detector and make your texts look more human.

What is an AI Detector and How Does it Work?

More and more students are using AI tools like ChatGPT to help them with their writing.

Sure, universities could just stop using papers as a form of assessment. But since universities aren’t too keen on changing their exam formats, and papers are actually useful for learning how to do academic work, another solution is needed.

Enter AI detectors, which try to figure out whether parts of your paper were written by an AI or if you toiled over them yourself. Naturally, universities are also jumping on this bandwagon and using these tools to assess academic work.

These detectors use algorithms to check if your paper shows patterns typical of AI-generated texts.

Because AIs tend to use certain sentence structures and phrases that people wouldn’t normally use. They also check for logic. AI outputs are often just too perfectly structured, and everything feels a bit “too smooth.”

Let’s say your text stands out in one of these areas. Then the AI detector goes off. And that could make your supervisor suspicious.

At my university, for example, AI detectors aren’t allowed to be used as “proof” of an attempt to cheat.

Still, every submission goes through Turnitin, a plagiarism detection software that now also includes an AI detector. As a supervisor, I then get a score that indicates how likely it is that AI was used. What I do with that information is up to me.

Unfortunately, some detectors flag texts even if no AI was used.

So, it’d be helpful to know how to make sure your academic work doesn’t even raise suspicion in the first place.

And here’s how you can do that.

7 Secret Tips Against AI Detectors

#1 No Copy & Paste

Sounds obvious, but trust me—I’ve seen it all.

Don’t just copy texts directly from an AI tool and paste them into your work!

Sure, it’s super tempting to use copy & paste and have a chapter written in seconds.

Don’t do it.

What universities will do more and more is simply ask you about a specific part of your paper. If you don’t know the sources you’ve cited or can’t answer a simple question about “your” text, your grade will tank fast.

So feel free to use AI to get creative and generate ideas, but always rewrite the text yourself. What would be great, too, is paraphrasing your SELF-written text with AI to improve grammar and sentence structure.

That brings us to tip number two.

#2 Use Synonyms and Change Sentence Structure

Let’s say you’ve hit a writing block and just can’t move forward. So you let AI inspire you.

It happens to the best of us. Oops.

To avoid having AI-generated text sneak into your paper, you should at least change the sentence structure and use synonyms.

AI detectors can recognize sentence patterns commonly found in AI-generated texts. So, if you completely restructure your sentences, you make it harder for the AI detector to identify these patterns.

You can practice this by creating multiple variations of a sentence. Practice makes perfect here too. At first, it might be difficult, but eventually, you’ll be able to rewrite sentences quickly and easily.

After rewriting several sentences, it’s worth reading through the text to make sure everything feels coherent.

#3 Make Your Text More Human

As mentioned before, AI-generated texts often sound too good to be true. This is largely because AI uses very formal and precise language. That’s why AI detectors flag texts that are too smooth and flawless. Avoid this by trying to use a more human tone and vocabulary.

The beauty of academic writing doesn’t come from perfection but from originality. An AI can’t achieve that because it always uses the word that’s most likely to fit next.

Riemer and Peter (2024) from the University of Sydney call them “style engines.” This means generative AI is very good at mimicking a style—and that’s exactly the problem. True originality can’t come from that.

By incorporating the unpredictable into your text, you make it original and prevent an AI detector from being triggered.

#4 Keep “Higher-Level Thinking” to Yourself

AI tools often cram a lot of facts into a short section and sometimes sound generic because of it. This is another reason why AI detectors flag texts.

So avoid overloading your text with too many facts or information. Instead of just explaining the bare facts, keep it brief. An academic paper isn’t a Wikipedia article, it’s an argument that unfolds gradually.

For example, you could include a theoretical perspective to look at a topic from a new angle.

An AI would only come up with that if you fed it the idea. So as long as higher-level thinking remains your responsibility, you’re on safe ground.

Let’s say you’re writing a paper on digital transformation in the service sector.

You could just describe the topic and the related literature. An AI could do that too—so don’t expect a top grade here.

But if you come up with the original idea to analyze your topic through the lens of French pragmatism, like Boltanski and Thévenot (1991), then you’re about to create an original piece of work.

Meanwhile, your classmates might use ChatGPT to churn out a paper in 30 minutes and spend the rest of the day watching Netflix.

But who do you think will know more after graduation?

If you dig into Boltanski and Thévenot (1991) and use your paper as a chance to grow intellectually, you’ve already won.

It’s about resisting the quick AI solution and investing in work that truly helps you move forward.

#5 Avoid Low-Quality Sources

Sure, you can use ChatGPT or other AI tools for research. For example, the tool Consensus is super helpful for finding suitable sources.

However, you shouldn’t just blindly trust the information. AI tools often give useful summaries and explanations, but they don’t rely on primary scientific sources. To ensure the facts are correct, cross-check the AI’s info with other sources. Use reliable sources like books, scholarly articles, or databases.

At the same time, AI might give you a source that actually exists but is from an MDPI-published journal. These are often poorly peer-reviewed and therefore highly questionable.

I would never cite such an article, and I’d grade a paper relying on such sources more harshly.

For you, this means you need to develop the ability to differentiate between good and bad sources. AI can’t do this—yet—and it’s a risk for the quality of your academic work!

#6 Know the Difference Between Support and Plagiarism

In my opinion, AI is here to stay. Learning to use tools like ChatGPT properly will be an essential skill in the future job market. That’s why I don’t think you should avoid using AI entirely in your studies.

Instead, you should start using these tools right now—just in a smart way.

Many universities agree and allow AI use, but you must be transparent about how and to what extent you used it.

It’s perfectly fine to use AI tools as a support—even for academic writing. See AI as your creative assistant, helping you develop your ideas and structure your thoughts—not as a tool that writes your entire paper for you.

I’ve already made a detailed video on AI and plagiarism, which you can find linked here.

However, AI detectors work differently than plagiarism scanners. If you use AI to paraphrase, the plagiarism scanner won’t go off, but the AI detector likely will.

So, if you want to use AI for paraphrasing or spell check, just get your supervisor’s approval. Then, write a statement disclosing this in your affidavit at the end of your paper, and you won’t have to worry about AI detectors again.

Of course, this only works if your university’s exam regulations don’t explicitly prohibit AI use. So check your university’s current AI policy beforehand.

#7 Use an AI Detector Yourself

A final tip: Before submitting your paper, run it through various AI detectors or plagiarism scanners. There are several online tools now that can detect if your text might be flagged as AI-generated.

You can test an AI detector yourself and play around with it.

If you want to try it out, for example, you can use Quillbot’s free AI detector: https://quillbot.com/ai-content-detector.

Test your own text, the AI-generated text, and something in between. You’ll be able to spot patterns and see how changes affect the score.

This knowledge will help you when writing your academic paper and applying the previous 6 tips!

Conclusion

AI detectors have become really good at spotting patterns in AI-generated texts. But they’re not infallible.

In English, you’d call this an “arms race”: AI detectors and AI tools constantly push each other forward, with one always trying to stay a step ahead of the other.

This is why no student will fail an exam solely because of an AI detector. Sure, plagiarism can be definitively proven, as that’s relatively easy to verify.

That said, this doesn’t apply to AI-generated content. There will always be some doubt. Someone could simply have a writing style that’s a lot like a generative AI tool’s. There’s no surefire way to prove a text was generated by AI.

But I can’t stress this enough: if you use AI, don’t shut off your own thinking.

Instead, think of AI as a tool that makes things easier, giving you more space for genuine creative thought. But you really have to use that space—and not waste the time you save on something else. Only then will AI help you study more effectively than people could 10 years ago, allowing you to produce truly original work.

Have you ever wondered why some students seem to ace every exam with an A, while others, despite intense studying, barely scrape by with a C? The secret might just lie in how they use Bloom’s Taxonomy to approach their studying.

The key to successful learning isn’t just how much time you spend with your books but how smartly you use that time.

And this is where Bloom’s Taxonomy comes in—a super useful tool that teachers use – but if you know it too, it can help you improve your study strategies and boost your grades.

Basics of Bloom’s Taxonomy

Let’s start with the basics. Bloom’s Taxonomy was developed in 1956 by Benjamin Bloom and his colleagues.

Their goal was to create a classification of learning objectives that covers different levels of thinking. This classification consists of six levels: Remembering, Understanding, Applying, Analyzing, Evaluating, and Creating.

Originally, the taxonomy was designed for educators to help them clearly define learning goals and assess student progress.

Nowadays, modern exam software and learning management systems (LMS) are increasingly incorporating features to sort and analyze questions according to the different levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy.

Great, but why should this matter to you?

In many university exams, questions are designed to cover a range of cognitive skills, as described in Bloom’s Taxonomy.

By understanding these different levels, you can better prepare for the various types of questions you’ll face in your exams. You’ll know exactly what’s expected to score full points when you see a particular keyword in the question.

The number of points awarded typically depends on the type of question. A question that tests factual knowledge (like multiple-choice) will usually be worth fewer points than one that asks you to apply knowledge (like a case study).

And if you take a closer look at the taxonomy, it becomes clear why you didn’t get that top grade in your last exam, even though you spent hours memorizing the entire script!

For example, if you only memorized facts, you’ve only covered the lower levels of the taxonomy. In a task like, “Describe the basic principles of…,” you’re only asked for knowledge.

But when a question says, “Apply the principles of… to example X and explain…,” then you’re dealing with higher levels of the taxonomy, and simply recalling facts won’t cut it.

When you see keywords like “describe, explain, apply,” you’ll know how profs structure their exams, what the expectations for top marks are, and you can tailor your exam prep and study techniques accordingly.

The Six Levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy

1. Remember

The first level is about recalling facts and basic information. In exams, these questions are often multiple-choice or short-answer questions that test simple factual knowledge. They check whether you’ve memorized basic info. You’ll need this as the foundation for deeper questions and analysis. To prepare for these types of questions, flashcards are an effective tool. Regular repetition is also crucial—schedule fixed times in your study plan to revisit and solidify what you’ve learned.

Example exam questions:

• Define the term “photosynthesis.”
• Name the four basic principles of bioethics according to Beauchamp and Childress.

2. Understand

The next level is understanding. Here, it’s about grasping the meaning of information and being able to explain it in your own words. Exam questions might ask you to explain concepts or clarify the significance of theories. To prep for understanding questions, discuss concepts with your classmates. Explain the concepts to each other in your own words. This deepens your understanding and helps clear up any confusion. Paraphrasing is also helpful—try summarizing complex texts in your own words. Creating concept maps or mind maps that show the relationships between different ideas can also help. This visual representation helps you grasp the bigger picture and understand how everything fits together.

Example exam questions:

• Explain how photosynthesis works in your own words.
• Explain the difference between microeconomic and macroeconomic models.

3. Apply

These questions test whether you can apply your theoretical knowledge in practical situations. They might ask you to apply theories and concepts to real-world problems, often using case studies or practical tasks. To prepare for application questions, regularly work on practice problems that challenge you to apply what you’ve learned in new contexts. Or look for case studies that deal with similar problems as those discussed in class and practice analyzing them.

Example exam questions:

• Use a SWOT analysis to assess the strengths and weaknesses of a real company of your choice.
• Apply the concept of Nash equilibrium to analyze the strategic behavior of two competing firms.

4. Analyze

Analyzing involves breaking down information and understanding the relationships between the parts. These questions often require in-depth analysis of texts, data, or theories. They test your critical thinking and ability to dissect complex information. You can practice this by reading academic papers and understanding their argument structures. Or look at how data and statistics are analyzed and interpreted. You could also create argument chains to sharpen your analytical skills.

Example exam questions:

• Analyze the argument structure in Kant’s Critique of Pure Reason and evaluate the validity of his conclusions.
• Compare the various theories of personality development.

5. Evaluate

Evaluating means making judgments about the value and quality of information or methods. Exam questions might ask you to compare and assess different theories or models. Prepare for this by writing critical essays where you compare different theories or models. You can also create evaluation rubrics to assess your own work and that of your peers. Through peer review processes, you can evaluate others’ work and provide feedback.

Example exam questions:

• Evaluate the effectiveness of the European Central Bank’s current monetary policy in the context of post-COVID-19 economic recovery.
• Critique the methodology and conclusions of the study on the effectiveness of online learning compared to in-person instruction.

6. Create

The highest level, creating, involves combining elements to develop something new and original. Exam questions at this level might ask you to formulate hypotheses or develop creative solutions to problems. Use techniques like brainstorming or mind mapping to develop new ideas. You could even participate in projects to work on your creative skills.

Example exam questions:

• Develop a research plan to study the long-term effects of microplastics on marine ecosystems.
• Design an innovative business model for a start-up.

Exam Prep with Bloom’s Taxonomy

So, how can you effectively use Bloom’s Taxonomy for your exam prep?

First, it helps you clearly and systematically define your learning goals. For example, when preparing for an exam, you can organize your study objectives according to the six levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy.

Start with memorizing basic facts (Remembering), then work your way through understanding the concepts (Understanding), and apply what you’ve learned in practice problems (Applying). Next, analyze complex problems (Analyzing), evaluate different solutions (Evaluating), and finally, develop new ideas or projects (Creating). This approach makes your studying more efficient and prepares you perfectly for exams.

Check out my YouTube channel for tutorials on different study techniques. Match them to the levels of the taxonomy: Spaced repetition for remembering. Active recall for remembering and understanding. Inquiry-based learning for analyzing and evaluating. The Feynman technique for applying. Design thinking for creating, and so on.

By using Bloom’s Taxonomy, you can target your preparation for different types of exam questions and optimize your study strategies.

This structured approach not only leads to better grades but also a deeper understanding and higher competence in your field.

By systematically working through this process, you’ll be fully prepared for exams, ace them, and be able to use your knowledge flexibly afterward.

Conclusion – Blooms Taxonomy

Bloom’s Taxonomy shows that deep and lasting learning involves multiple levels that go beyond just memorizing information.

In short, a deep understanding and the ability to apply and evaluate knowledge lead to better exam performance and top grades.

It’s about mastering knowledge and being able to use it flexibly, rather than just memorizing it temporarily.

Of course, there are exceptions. Some exams mainly test factual knowledge. Medical students in their first semester might know this all too well. In these cases, exams are 90% multiple-choice, and they “cross off” answers like there’s no tomorrow.

But now you have the ability to mentally run any kind of exam through the lens of Bloom’s Taxonomy and prepare yourself laser-focused based on that.

This puts you ahead of 99% of others.

What is a Social Network Analysis? You’ve probably seen those colorful network graphs in newspaper articles or scientific papers. They look like a lot of work to create, right? Or maybe not?

Actually, you can conduct such an analysis without extensive programming knowledge or expensive software.

If you want to know how to do it – then you should sharpen your pencil and take notes.

In this article, I will explain everything about Social Network Analysis – where it comes from, what it’s good for, and how you can apply it. I will cover these five areas:

1. Network Theory
2. Applications of Social Network Analysis
3. Data Collection
4. Data Analysis and Visualization
5. Overview of the Best Software Tools

By the end of this article, you’ll have all the links and further information you need to conduct your first Social Network Analysis.

#1 Network Theory

To understand Social Network Analysis, we first need to be aware of its theoretical basis: Network theory. This theory comes from the mathematical graph theory.

Network theory deals with the relationships between specific objects. In the context of Social Network Analysis, these objects are usually social actors. These relationships and objects are represented using a graph, meaning a diagram that connects (i.e., with lines) two or more objects (i.e., points).

Nodes and Edges

In the vocabulary of Social Network Analysis, an object is called a node (or vertex). The relationship between two or more nodes is represented by edges. These are the lines between the nodes.

A relationship can be either undirected or directed. Let’s imagine our network represents the relationships between Instagram accounts of famous politicians. The nodes are the people, and the edges are the follower relationships.

If Kamala Harris follows Donald Trump, but he does not follow her back, there is a directed edge from Kamala Harris to Donald Trump, usually shown with an arrow. Kamala Harris is the starting node and Donald Trump is the ending node.

If Donald Trump also follows Joe Biden, but not Kamala Harris, Donald Trump is an adjacent node to both Kamala Harris and Joe Biden. However, Joe Biden is not an adjacent node to Kamala Harris.

Centrality Measures

When facing a larger network, you might want to know certain properties of individual nodes or determine which nodes are particularly important or play a specific role in the network.

For this, you can calculate various centrality measures.

Density

The density measure helps you to describe a characteristic of the entire network. It indicates how many edges there are in the network relative to the maximum possible number of edges.

For example, it shows how many users in our group of politicians are connected with each other compared to a scenario where everyone is connected with everyone. If all nodes are connected, the density is 1 or 100%. So, you always get a value between 0 and 1 for density.

Degree Centrality

Now let’s look at centrality measures. They do not describe properties of the whole network but single nodes.

This measure indicates how many edges a node has. If Kamala Harris has 9 follower-relationships (regardless in which direction), the degree of her node is 9.

For directed graphs, we distinguish between incoming edges (in-degree) and outgoing edges (out-degree).

Closeness Centrality

This measure indicates the average length of the shortest path between a node and all other nodes. It shows how central a node is within the entire network.

For example, how many contacts must Kamala Harris go through on average to reach certain politicians? The fewer, the more central she is in the network.

Betweenness Centrality

This measure indicates how often a node lies on the shortest path between two other nodes. Nodes with high betweenness centrality often lie between two or more clusters of nodes, essentially forming a bridge between them.

Eigenvector Centrality

This measure indicates how important the neighbors of a node are. The more important neighbors, the higher the value.

The best example of this measure is Google’s PageRank algorithm. It follows the rule that a web page is ranked higher in search results the more other important pages link to it.

So, if I have a blog post on my website and it is linked by major sites like CNN, BBC, and the Forbes, it’s better than if it is linked by two local newspapers and an unknown blogger.

#2 Applications of Social Network Analysis

Social Network Analysis has two main applications. The first is in academic research.

Social Network Analysis in Research

Theoretically, every discipline within the social sciences can use Social Network Analysis. But it goes beyond that. For example, you can also analyze and visualize citation relationships between papers, universities, and scientists.

Most commonly, you’ll find Social Network Analyses in political science, communication studies, and sociology.

Social Network Analysis in Journalism

Data journalism often uses the method of Social Network Analysis. Here’s an example from The New York Times about Romantic Insights one can draw from Facebook Maps.

#3 Data Collection

The basis for conducting any Social Network Analysis is data. In most cases, this data is obtained through web scraping or an API interface (for example of a Social Media platform) when dealing with online research.

If you want to practice, there are plenty of datasets available online for free. You can try Google’s search for datasets, Kaggle, or data.gov.

Data doesn’t always have to be collected automatically. It’s also possible to create small networks by manually entering your data into an Excel sheet or digitizing it in some other way.

For a Social Network Analysis, it is important that the data points reference each other, for example, using an ID for each node that is referenced in any other node that has a connection to that node.

Only then can you calculate centrality measures and visualize a network with software.

#4 Data Analysis and Visualization

Now we come to the analysis. The two most common tools for conducting a Social Network Analysis are R and Gephi.

Both programs can be downloaded and used for free. With R, you’ll need some time to get used to it, as you’ll need to learn or look up the programming language commands.

If you want to avoid programming languages entirely, I’d recommend Gephi. This software has a complete graphical user interface, and you can perform all sorts of tasks related to Social Network Analysis.

It still requires some time to learn Gephi, but there are great tutorials available on YouTube or you can get help in Gephi support groups on Facebook.

A Social Network Analysis with very large datasets requires quite a bit of computing power. To prevent your PC or laptop from reaching its limits and Gephi from crashing, you should filter your data beforehand or use a virtual machine.

The next steps to start your first Social Network Analysis would be:

1. Read the foundational book on Social Network Analysis by Wasserman & Faust (1994)
2. Get a free dataset to practice
3. Watch YouTube tutorials on R or Gephi until you’re an expert
4. Join Facebook groups where you can ask questions
5. Learn by doing
6. And don’t forget: Have fun! 🙂

Are you trying to overcome your phone addiction but don’t know how?

In this article, I’ll share 7 strategies that have personally helped me keep my smartphone addiction under control.

This way, you can take your productivity to a new level, maintain a genuine connection with the people you love, and finally clear the fog in your mind.

Understand the Root Causes of Your Smartphone Addiction

How often do you look at your smartphone without really knowing why? Whether it’s during a lecture, waiting for the bus, or dining with friends – it seems we can hardly do without it. Just checking the phone quickly? And suddenly, we’re deep in the Instagram spiral or lost in an endless stream of TikTok videos. Why do we do this?

In this article, I’ll show you what’s behind our “smartphone addiction” and how we can be smarter than our smartphones. Are you ready to take back control?

Step 1 towards improvement would be to ask yourself: Why is it so hard for you to put the smartphone aside?

#1 App Development

Behind the scenes, developers know exactly what they are doing. They design apps and social media not only to capture our attention temporarily but to keep us engaged for the long term. Endless feeds that never end and push notifications that keep bringing us back are no coincidence. They are part of a clever strategy to keep us in their apps as long as possible.

#2 Dopamine

On a neurobiological level, this can also be explained. Dopamine plays a key role. This neurotransmitter is released when we receive positive feedback – whether it’s a new message, a like, or another notification. And that’s exactly what keeps us glued to the screen. Imagine your own “Feel-Good Dealer” rewarding you with a sense of happiness. These little reward kicks are like candy for your brain, constantly luring you back to the screen.

#3 Instant Gratification

The phenomenon of instant gratification, a craving for immediate rewards, is another reason why it’s hard to put the smartphone away. Especially in moments of boredom, we automatically reach for the phone. It appears to be the easiest solution to fill that void. However, the instant gratification that smartphones provide can quickly become a habit that is hard to break.

#4 FOMO

Another psychological driver for constant smartphone use is the phenomenon of FOMO. Do you know the feeling? This nagging fear that you might miss out on something if you’re not constantly checking your phone? That’s the “Fear of Missing Out.”

Social networks like Instagram and TikTok amplify this fear by bombarding us with endless updates about the supposedly exciting lives of others. This constant worry about not being up-to-date drives us to compulsively check our smartphones. But the catch is: FOMO is never truly satisfied. Every new video, every new post only confirms that life goes on without us and we might be missing out even more.

# 2 Recognize the Negative Effects of of Your Smartphone Addiction

#1 Desensitization of the Reward System

Dopamine plays a big role. The substance responsible for feelings of happiness. You might wonder what’s bad about that? Well, like many things in life, too much dopamine can be problematic.

If the brain is regularly and abundantly exposed to dopamine, as is the case with constant smartphone use, desensitization can occur. This means that the dopamine receptors in the brain become less sensitive. So, you need stronger or more frequent stimuli to feel the same reward. This can lead to everyday pleasures and interactions becoming less satisfying in the long run.

#2 Increased Stress Levels

Too much dopamine can also lead to a permanent state of stress, as dopamine also affects stress regulation. Your body is then constantly on alert, which can lead to anxiety, sleep problems, and even high blood pressure.

Imagine your brain as an inbox that’s constantly flooded with emails – from messages to games to app updates, the smartphone never stops pinging. It’s no wonder that our brains eventually become overwhelmed and overloaded with stimuli. This information overload can lead to brain fatigue and further increase stress levels.

#3 Impairment of Cognitive Functions

Over time, overstimulation by dopamine can negatively affect your cognitive abilities. If your brain is constantly seeking quick rewards, it can impair your concentration. Studies even show that excessive smartphone use can affect productivity. So, if you ever feel like you’re getting nothing done, banish your phone from the room.

An excess of dopamine can also make you more impulsive and make it harder to control your emotions. This can lead to friction in everyday life and negatively affect your relationships.

And that’s interesting because I’ve often noticed how smartphones change social interactions. For example, when I meet friends and my phone is on the table, I’m much less attentive. It’s a completely different conversation when I leave my smartphone in another room. Although smartphones should theoretically bring us closer together, they often lead to physical and emotional distance between us and our fellow human beings.

3. Set a Clear Goal to Combat Your Smartphone Addiction

Sure, you could try to completely abstain from digital devices, but realistically, that would be quite limiting. Because, of course, smartphones also have their good sides. They not only keep us connected with friends and family but are also real lifesavers in studies or work. Thanks to emails, calendars, and a flood of apps, our lives remain organized, and we stay informed.

It’s not about banning all digital devices but about making conscious decisions about their use. Who’s in control? Is it your phone, or are you using it as a tool that enriches your life? Ask yourself: What are my values? What do I want to achieve? Does using app XY align with these goals, or is it merely a distraction? By asking such questions, you can ensure that your technology use supports your goals rather than hindering them.

4. Discover Healthier Sources of Dopamine

While smartphones often only provide short moments of happiness (and can have negative effects), there are alternatives that release dopamine more slowly and sustainably – and these are usually much more fulfilling. Here are some suggestions for how you can increase your well-being in the long term and fight smartphone addiction:

Setting and achieving goals:

Setting goals is more than just a good intention. Because each small success releases dopamine, significantly boosting your confidence. Whether you’re rocking your next term paper, achieving a sports goal, or just meditating more regularly – each step towards your goal brings you more inner satisfaction.

Spending time with friends:

Genuine interactions, such as relaxed dinners, spontaneous outings, or deep conversations, are particularly effective at fulfilling your need for human connection.

Learning new skills:

Learning a new skill challenges your brain and expands your perspective. Whether you’re learning a new language, a musical instrument, or knitting – the success of your learning process also releases dopamine. This is a meaningful alternative to the often empty entertainment that constant scrolling on the smartphone offers.

5. Implement a Digital Detox Routine

“Digital Detox” – that is, a conscious break from all digital devices – can be an effective method to reduce overstimulation and improve your mental well-being.

By temporarily abstaining from smartphones, tablets, and computers, you give your brain a chance to recover from the constant stimulus overload. This can improve concentration, enhance sleep, and reduce your stress levels.

A successful digital detox starts with small steps: Perhaps just an evening or a weekend without digital devices. It’s important to use these times consciously to engage in activities that you enjoy and that ground you – whether it’s reading a book, spending time in nature, or just enjoying the quiet.

These digital breaks can help you reflect on your own use of technology and overcome smartphone addiction.

However, digital detox phases, like a day offline or a week without social media, often do not lead to lasting changes. Consider it more of a reset. Although they provide a break, they don’t tackle the underlying habits that lead to our dependency. Without a real change in our daily routines and our attitude towards technology, we quickly fall back into old patterns.

6. Gradually Change Your Daily Habits

Create smartphone-free zones: Decide where and when the smartphone is off-limits. This could be during dinner, on a walk, or at a concert. These moments without a smartphone help you enjoy the experience more intensely.

Monitor your screen time: To reduce our dependency on smartphones, we need to set clear boundaries and make more conscious decisions about when and how we use our devices. Screen time monitoring apps can help you manage your time more consciously.

Restructure your daily routine: Rely on a real alarm clock instead of your phone to wake you up. This way, you’re not tempted to spend the first minutes of your day on the smartphone. Ideally, banish your phone from the bedroom altogether. If you want to know the time during the day, it’s best to rely on a clock.

Regulate your notifications: Turn off unnecessary push notifications and organize your apps into folders. This way, you’re less likely to automatically reach for your smartphone and can decide for yourself when you want to view messages and updates.

Remove distractions: Leave your smartphone in another room when you need to concentrate. This way, you work more productively.
Consciously use breaks: Try not to reach for your smartphone at every opportunity. Use waiting times instead to observe your surroundings or simply think. Such breaks can foster your creativity.

7. Adopt a Critical Perspective on Smartphone Use

Let’s be honest: It’s high time to rethink your relationship with your smartphone. I invite you to take a close look at how and why you use your smartphone and consider if there might be a better way.

Start with small steps and see for yourself how your life and well-being gradually improve. Are you ready to take on this challenge? Because remember – your smartphone should be a tool, not the center of your life.

Goodbye, flashcards! It’s time to learn in a way that your brain will adore. Studying with mind maps will give you a turbo boost. In this article, I’ll reveal why mind maps are a real game-changer and provide you with 3 techniques to get started.

What are Mind Maps?

Imagine if your brain could speak and sketch its thoughts on paper. The result? A mind map! Mind maps are visual diagrams that organize ideas, words, tasks, or other concepts around a central theme.

They use colors, symbols, and connections to mimic the way our brain processes information. This method was popularized in the 1970s by psychologist Tony Buzan.

In German-speaking regions, the coach and author Vera Birkenbihl also advocated for mind maps as a learning method.

Why Studying with Mind Maps is So Effective

#1 They Mirror the Brain’s Way of Working

Why are mind maps so helpful? The answer lies in how our brain functions. Rather than the dry memorization of linear lists or long blocks of text, our brain prefers to structure information in a networked way, relating different pieces of data.

Mind maps do just that: they start with a central theme and branch out into related areas, similar to how our brain networks information. This method mirrors the natural way we think and learn, thus facilitating the understanding and retention of information.

#2 Visual Stimuli Enhance Memory

Visual stimuli play a crucial role in learning. Images, symbols, and colors are recognized and remembered by our brain faster and more easily than text. Mind maps leverage this so-called picture superiority effect by presenting complex information in a visually appealing and easily understandable form.

When studying with mind maps, integrate not only words and bullet points but also small sketches or symbols into your mind maps. This strategy helps not just to process the learning material better but also to retain it long-term.

#3 Active Learning Instead of Passive Reception

Mind maps transform learning into an active experience. Instead of just absorbing information, they encourage you to actively think through the material, organize it, and convert it into a mind map.

While designing a mind map, you’ll discover how different concepts are interconnected. This process strengthens your critical thinking and your ability to organize complex information and place it into a broader context.

By visualizing connections between different topics in your mind map, you deepen your understanding and make it tangible.

To understand why active learning is far superior to passive learning, you can also check out my tutorial on Active Recall.

#4 Targeted Summarization of Complex Topics with Mind Maps

Mind maps allow you to condense complex subjects and extensive content to the essentials and structure them clearly. Instead of flipping through endless pages of notes, they enable you to quickly dive into the main ideas and key concepts. I have always preferred using mind maps when I needed an overview of a subject area or was preparing a presentation. This way, I always maintained a focus on the bigger picture and structure.

#5 Improved Time Management

Creating mind maps enhances your time management. Thanks to their visual layout, you can easily set priorities, organize your learning objectives, and keep track of your progress. Mind maps serve as visual learning plans. At a glance, you can see which areas have been covered and where there are gaps.

3 Techniques

There are many techniques to elevate your learning with mind maps to the next level. As I mentioned, British psychologist Tony Buzan popularized the mind map in the 1970s. Let’s take a look at his method.

The Buzan Technique

The Buzan technique is based on five central principles that together form the foundation of every effective mind map:

1. Start with a Central Topic: Each mind map begins with a single concept placed in the center of your page. This could be the title of your course, the theme of a project, or simply an idea you want to explore.
2. Branches for Main Ideas: From this central topic, you draw branches to the main points or key ideas associated with it. These branches should be large enough to later add sub-ideas.
3. Sub-branches for Details: Each main branch can have further branches that contain details, examples, evidence, or other relevant information. The deeper you go, the more specific the information becomes.
4. Use Keywords and Images: A single word or image can often represent a complex idea or concept. Buzan recommends using keywords and images wherever possible to make your thoughts more efficient and enhance your memory.
5. Connections and Links: Draw lines or arrows to show connections between different parts of your mind map. This helps you see how ideas are interconnected and fosters a deeper understanding of the subject.

Additional Techniques

The original method developed by Tony Buzan has since been expanded and adapted for various purposes.

For instance, there is the Rico Cluster by Dr. Gabrielle Rico. Here, you link your ideas as a network rather than starting from a central key concept. This is intended to support the normal communication between the right and left hemispheres of the brain.

The previously mentioned Vera F. Birkenbihl worked with her KAWA method. A KAWA is created when you find associations for the initial letters of your starting word. To better understand, let’s create a KAWA on the topic of Marketing.

• M – Market Research
• A – Audience Analysis
• R – Rebranding
• K – Customer Retention
• E – Engagement in Social Media
• T – Testimonials from Customers
• I – Influencer Marketing
• N – Neuromarketing
• G – Contests and Promotions

This method is particularly helpful for brainstorming. Are you still looking for a topic for your next term paper? Using the KAWA method, you can generate additional ideas.

I believe that there isn’t ONE correct method. You need to find out for yourself what works best for you.

After all, each mind map reflects YOUR thought processes. The more you stick to a step-by-step guide, the more it may constrain your own thoughts. I recommend just getting started and experimenting.

Studying with Mind Maps: How to Become a Pro

Remember, your mind map is not fixed. Rather, it accompanies you during your learning process and allows you to be flexible.

As you absorb new information or come up with new ideas, whether through reading, listening, or discussing, you can gradually expand your mind map.

It’s important that your mind map remains dynamic and evolves with your understanding and thoughts. However, you should ensure that it doesn’t become too cluttered and that you maintain focus.

Whenever I wanted to learn a topic, I always liked to start with a mind map to keep an overview, and then created additional mind maps related to relevant companies or topics.

In the end, I didn’t have just one mind map, but perhaps eight different ones. These represented my natural thought processes much better than flashcards or linear notes could.

For exam preparation, you could use questions as the central point of a mind map. For example: “How can companies use the concept of ‘Customer Lifetime Value’ to build long-term customer relationships and increase revenue?”

Around this central question, a mind map can be built. This approach ensures that you’re not just memorizing a text answer, but gradually expanding your thoughts, discovering new connections, and developing a deeper understanding of the topic.

Digital Mind Map Tools vs. Old-School Mind Mapping on Paper

Okay, but should you now use digital mind map tools or create your mind map old-school with paper and pen?

Digital Tools for Creating Mind Maps

Welcome to the digital age of mind maps! With tools like MindNode, XMind, Coggle, and even ChatGPT, you can incorporate multimedia content into your mind maps. Whether it’s images, links, videos, or documents—all these can help make your mind map vibrant and informative. This is especially useful if you are a visual learner or want to use your mind map as the basis for a presentation.

Many digital mind map tools offer features for real-time collaboration. This means you and any team members can work on the same mind map simultaneously, no matter where you are.

This is a game-changer for group projects and joint learning sessions! Plus, your mind maps are less likely to get lost in a pile of papers since everything is stored digitally.

Old-School Mind Mapping

And yet… sometimes less is more. There’s something satisfying about bringing your ideas to life directly with pen on paper and visualizing your thought processes.

This method fosters creativity and can help you process information better. No distractions from notifications or dead batteries—just you and your thoughts.

Additionally, with old-school mind mapping on paper, you have complete freedom in design. You’re not confined to the structures or designs of software, and you can make your mind maps as simple or complex as you like.

It’s all about what works for you. You might even find that a mix of both—digital for university projects and paper for your personal brainstorming sessions—is the best solution for you.

Experiment a bit and find your own way to make the most out of studying with mind maps for yourself.

The goal is to feel organized and enjoy learning. So, grab your pen or tablet and give it a try.