Sleep makes you smart

There's already the myth that if you put study material under your pillow, you'll internalize what you've learned even faster in your sleep. Why is sleep so important? How much do you need to sleep for what you've learned to be stored in long-term memory? Why is it not a good idea to study all night long? Clearly presented in a KAWA. Source: WDR - "Schlaf macht schlau" (Sleep makes you smart) broadcast on 20.01.2016

What do KAWA and KAGA actually mean?

KAWA according to Birkenbihl is an acronym and stands for: Creative yield of word associations. But KAWA is easier to remember. Hence the name. KAWAs can be made on any topic that interests you.

How does a KAWA work and why is this technique so effective?

First, you write the topic in large letters in the middle. By the way, I always use the paper in landscape format for this. In our mind map template binder, KAWAs are drawn on the left white page. Now you let your thoughts wander and consider what comes to mind about the term and what is important to write down. The difficulty: what is written down must begin with one of the letters in the middle. The smaller the term, the fewer letters you have available and the more you have to think. Here, it is the lack of letters that makes you think more intensely about a topic than an ABC list would. The goal should be to find a suitable term for each letter. Suppose you want to create a KAWA about your best friend Eva, then you only have three letters available. However, you can use them multiple times. Perhaps E stands for elegant, successful, eloquent, for V you find her trustworthy, crazy and in love, and for A you have associated silly and single. If your best friend had been called Hannelore, you would, of course, have had more letters available. I often take notes in KAWA form during meetings. It keeps me alert, no matter how unimportant or boring a meeting is. And you catch everything. Below you can see some of my KAWAs.