Sorry for yet another post like this – not sure if this community prefers new threads or reusing old ones.
I’m new to WaniKani and am really enjoying it so far! I’m not new to Japanese (been procrastinating around the N4 level for a little while), and have been learning kanji in context so far.
But the WaniKani package of radicals + kanji meanings + main onyomi + useful vocab for pronunciation – all wrapped up into a (realistically paced) SRS seems to be the best system I’ve found so far!
(I tried RTK with an Anki deck, but the keywords got cumbersome and it didn’t feel like I was really learning anything useful. Recently I wanted to buy Kodansha KLC but it’s out of print, and the Anki deck doesn’t have the mnemonics.)
I finished the last free level of WaniKani today, and now I’m trying to decide whether I should get a lifetime subscription (currently on sale, how’s that for timing? ), or a yearly one. I’ve been lurking through the forums a lot the past few days, and have seen people who love their lifetime subscriptions and others who managed to make a yearly subscription work out.
I guess my question is: How long do normal people take on average to get through all 60 levels?
I tried checking my projection graph on the old wkstats site, but I’m worried it’s not an accurate reflection because I’m still at the easy levels, and the projections are based on current progress…
I’m on a two-year timetable to level 60, so I grabbed lifetime on sale and have been enjoying the fact that I don’t have to kill myself to get through it on any special timing. This, ironically, is destressing me and allowing me to do better and be a bit faster. Weird.
It took me two and a half years. I had already done one full year before getting lifetime (also on sale), so technically the math didn’t work out in my favor. But I liked being able to go on vacation or focus on some important life stuff without feeling like I was wasting my timed subscription.
If you can afford it, I’d suggest the lifetime (mainly because it’s on sale).
I’m one of the fastest users (reached level 60 in 1 year), but I’m still using Wanikani after 1.5 years of reaching level 60. Even for those learning the fastest, there’s still items to be burned, so that definitely takes another (much calmer) year of reviewing.
Just the fact that you’ll be able to get back to Wanikani whenever you want and not worrying about susbcriptions is a plus in my opinion. Life happens. A lifetime sub guarantees that you’ll be able to manage life and Wanikani better
I bought lifetime and don’t regret it for a moment. Life got in the way and I am a slower user than average, but when I commit I make good progress. I think if I’d felt subscription pressure it would have just resulted in me falling into a strange anxious guilt and procrastination cycle (that’s how my anxiety tends to be).
Recently I decided to reset, whereas if I was on subscription I think I definitely would have preferred to power through. Instead I wanted to revisit older items and cement them firmly in my mind now that my general Japanese level is much higher than it was back then.
Doing the program in a year is possible but looks fairly uncomfortable.
Oh, thank you for letting me know about the cheaper lifetime…
I do not plan to learn for more than 2 years, but I hate recurring payments and life can get in the way. I really hope the site will not get closed within 3 years, so I will probably go for lifetime. I may need to reset my progress in the future.
Yep, I think that’s smart. You don’t have to stress through the levels. In addition, people tend to tell how much time they used to get to lvl 60, but after that you’ll usually need some time to actually learn the lvl 60 content, and everything else that’s not stuck properly in the former levels, as jprspereira said.
Lifetime, I think, will for most people end up being cheaper, if they want to “finish” wanikani. It definitely will for me.
I’m going to be buying the lifetime subscription whilst its on sale. I’ve posted my speed so far and all in all I’m happy with it. When the week runs fine, and there is little else that requires my attention, the 8 day levels just happen naturally. However, I’ve had some weeks with job application deadlines, interview preparation and interviews themselves. Those levels are the ones that took a little longer.
Looking at my stats then theoretically it could be cheaper for me to only buy annual subscriptions but whilst the lifetime is on sale there is not really too much in it. I think realistically by the end my average level time will be between 9 -12 days. It doesn’t take much to slow down levelling up speeds so it is probably a safer bet to go for the lifetime
Thank you everyone who replied, you’ve convinced me that a lifetime sub is the most comfortable way to go! Not having the stress of “gotta finish before my subscription ends!!!” will likely help me complete the course properly (without rushing through).
And it won’t stop me from speeding through some levels when I want to
I didn’t even realise that the level 60 threads were about getting to the level, which is a huge achievement in itself – they weren’t necessarily celebrating having everything 100% burned yet
yeah, for people who are well… like to procrastinate like me but somehow wanna know 2000 kanjis read Japanese without struggling with Kanjis. I think lifetime investment is worth it when it’s on sale now Koichi didn’t pay me for this sentence
The fastest possible speed to reach level 60 is slightly over one year, and the fastest possible speed to “finish” WaniKani (burn everything) is about 1.5 years. This assumes doing all lessons and reviews as soon as they become available, and getting everything right all the time.
I intend to take about twice that amount of time IF ALL GOES WELL, and that’s assuming life doesn’t get in the way.
If you can afford it, just go for it. It’ll be worth it in the long run. I’ve spent hundreds on texts and materials over the years, just think of it as your sunk-cost in relation to your learning goals.
I’m going full speed and planning to hit level 60 in a year, and planning to burn everything in half a year after that. I started ~7 months ago. Despite that, I still bought the lifetime yesterday even though it should take me less than one more year to hit that goal. I think it’s worth it. I’ll probably reset and do this over again, maybe I won’t. If for nothing else after all-burn, I think it’ll be a useful resource to refer back to whenever I forget a kanji here and there.
I just bought a lifetime subscription
Thanks for all the useful observations about real life, I always forget that life tends to hits me in the face right when I wasn’t expecting it to… Now that won’t matter too much
Here’s to working towards achieving literacy in Japanese!
I’m on my second reset but I just can’t afford the lifetime subscription. I’m up to 18 months of WK I think on the monthly sub which is easier to budget along with eveything else in life.
), or a yearly one. I’ve been lurking through the forums a lot the past few days, and have seen people who love their lifetime subscriptions and others who managed to make a yearly subscription work out.
Happy to be here and looking forward to staying!
