Bubble Charts vs. Outlines: The Showdown

When students are first taught how to write essays, teachers instruct them to organize their thoughts to help them write a structured paper. Students only learn two different methods: the bubble chart and the outline. But which method is best? I’m glad you asked.

This is an epic face-off between linear thinkers and abstract thinkers. Let’s meet our competitors.

In the first corner we have the bubble chart. The bubble chart allows students to be creative with ideas by exploring the many different sub topics of an essay and how they interact with each other. A type of free writing technique (that lets writers get all of their ideas out where they can then decide what they want to use in their paper. Although, the bubble chart lacks rigid structure, its strength is organized chaos.

In the second corner we have the outline. The outline allows writers to follow a more structured path. The outline follows a more linear train of thought and forces the writer to explore and develop the main subtopics before delving into the nuances. This sounds pretty organized and thorough right? We agree, but some would say this is detrimental to a writers’ creativity.

 

 We’ve got a wild card here: the word vomit. Just when you were ready to choose between the bubble chart and the outline, a third candidate jumped into the ring. The “word vomit” writing style is not organized at all. It allows for a writer to just dive right into the essay without so much as a care to the prose’s finite organization. Sometimes the best way to write is to just develop the meat, and then connect the key concepts using the bones later. Remember, the choice to not organize is still a choice.

Students may benefit from using an outline for long research papers while bubble charts may be more helpful for those 1-2 page creative essays. The free for all type of essay that doesn’t require any organization is also perfect for conversational styles of writing.

So, which candidate won in this epic battle of organizational proportions? Sorry to be anticlimactic, but all of them win. In the end it is up to the writer as to what method they choose: the more structured outline, the free flowing bubble chart, or the choice to not organize at all.

Which method do you use?

Make the Most Out of Your Career Center

We know that as the weather gets warmer, the semester is coming to an end. For some of you (the lucky ones) the warm weather brings an end to your entire college experience. So, now is the time to make the most out of your career center.

Whether you have visited the career center once every month or have never even stepped foot into the building, make it a point to drop by the office before the semester ends.

The career counselors’ main job is to get you a job. How awesome is that?! Your university literally pays someone to help you find you a job. I can’t even explain how great of a concept this is, but if you’re not excited now, here are four reasons why you should care:

The career center can perfect your resumé. Don’t have any work experience? That’s fine, the career counselors can fluff up your resumé to make it look like you do. With the help of a counselor, you can. Don’t know how to organize your resumé? That’s alright- the career counselors can provide you with some eye-catching ideas to make your resumé stand out from the rest.

The career center can help you perfect your LinkedIn. If you haven’t already joined LinkedIn, you should join right now. March down to the career center and have the kind counselor help you pimp out your account. The first step to making a great first impression (and you only get one shot at making a first impression) is to make sure your LinkedIn is professional, up-to-date, robust, and shows your personality.

The career center can help you figure out what to do with your major. Don’t know what you want to do with your life? The career counselors can help you figure it out. They ask the right questions and guide you towards discovering what makes you happy. What happens when you majored in something that has a limited job field? Your career counselor can help you think of applicable skills learned from your major and apply them to jobs in other fields. It’s okay to start a career in something other than your field of choice. Nine times out of ten your career won’t be in the same field that you majored in. It’s perfectly normal.

The career center can actually find you a job/paid internship. Once you have an idea of your dream career, the career counselors can help you narrow down the different power players in that industry as well as their up-and-coming competitors. If your career counselor is really awesome (most of them are) than he/she will be able to reach out to the business and arrange an introduction for you.

The career center at your university will basically hold your hand as they walk you through the process of finding a job after college. Their livelihood depends on making sure you’re employed. So while being a broke college student isn’t fun, you don’t have to remain a broke college student after you graduate. The lovely career center counselors have got your back.

Don’t want to drop by the career center on your campus? Check out these online options that we love, too.

New Grad Life is a great resource for all things career oriented. Follow them on Twitter for easy updates!

Career Builder is like Monster.com but with the added bonus of helping you perfect that resumé.

The Huffington Post College always has a plethora of useful college information, including career advice.