BigEm's Study Log

Japanese Language
42

:tea: Review of previous study period (September 20 through October 3) :tea:

KMR / RWtW / ハイキュー

Okay, I caught back up with my KMR work (I’m actually rather enjoying it - it’s sort of fun to read the random articles and thought pieces in the book) but I’m behind (again) on everything else :sweat_smile: Ah well, I’ll just work on it this week. The sections are rather short so I’m doing quite a few, and I’m going to change the way I write the study guide because there are so many lil boxes otherwise.

Over the break, I finished the KMG book :tada: so that’s pretty great! Now I have to lean heavily into the KM Reading book, and up my consuming of native material. Over the long weekend I went to the zoo and then shopping with one of my middle school teachers, and as she doesn’t speak ANY English our conversations were entirely in Japanese. It was actually kind of fun, and really an ego boost when it comes to my listening comprehension and speaking ability :+1: It’s the final few months of studying before the JLPT, so any sort of confidence I can get is awesome.

Still chugging along! :steam_locomotive:

:spiral_calendar: Study period: October 4 through October 17 :spiral_calendar:

KMR
2.7, 2.8 | 2.9 (+review)
pt. 2 - 1, 2, 3 | 4, 5 | 6, 7 (+review)
pt. 3 - 1, 2, 3 | 4, 5 | 6, 7 | 8 (+review)

KMG Practice Test 1
KMV Practice Test 1
RWtW episode 16
ハイキュー chpt 12

:owl: Non-Japanese goals :owl:
Do at least 3 exercise things
Final harvest and clean-up of pumpkin patch
Practice/learn part B of taiko dance

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43

As I see you’re near 60, so you’re currently at N2/N1
it’s good to hear that

1 Like
44

Thanks! I don’t think I’m at N2/N1 grammar quite yet, but even level 44 seems to have most of the kanji needed to read most things and it’s helped my vocabulary, so that’s good. Immersion is definitely helping a lot.

And it looks like you’re a December N3 JLPT buddy! Let’s do our best, がんばりましょう！

1 Like
45

:tea: Review of previous study period (October 4 through October 17) :tea:

KMR / KMG Practice Test / KMV Practice Test / RWtW / ハイキュー

I’m really flying through the KMR sections, and I’m feeling like I’m understanding what’s going on in each one! The essay-like ones are a bit harder for me, but I didn’t really realize that many of the formats the KMR book prepares you to interpret I already encounter in my daily life. I’m now in part 4, and instead of just doing all the sections in order, I’ve sorted them so I’m doing different types and different difficulties each day in an attempt to not burn myself out towards the end. This will make the study log look a bit weird, but trust me, there’s method to my madness :joy:

Still haven’t gotten my RWtW episode completed, but I did read a bit more of ハイキュー. It’s definitely getting easier and easier to read, so that’s a good ego boost! I also attempted to read the monthly town newspaper from cover to cover and it was nice how much of it I could understand, or at least know enough kanji to be able to easily look up complex words (the retirement insurance seminar article almost made me give up).

Outside of studying, things are getting pretty cold here. The first snow in Hokkaido fell on some of the southern mountains, so it’s really only a matter of weeks before it starts to snow here. I’m in full winter prep mode, which is basically me thinking unkind thoughts as I try to put plastic on the outside of my windows.

Hope everyone is doing well!

:spiral_calendar: Study period: October 18 through October 31st :jack_o_lantern: :spiral_calendar:

KMR (start part 4)
29, 61 | 33, 34, 62
35, 63 | 42, 43
30, 36 | 37, 38
44, 45

KMV Practice Test 2
RWtW episode 16
ハイキュー chpt 13

:owl: Non-Japanese goals :owl:
Do at least 4 exercise things
Prep car for winter

6 Likes
46

:tea: Review of previous study period (October 18 through October 31st) :tea:

KMR / KMV Practice Test 2 / RWtW / ハイキュー

Ugh, didn’t get to my RWtW or ハイキュー this period again. The worst part is I even started reading the ハイキュー chapter, but then wasn’t able to finish it as I was falling asleep. Ah well, gotta get back up there and try again. Now that Halloween season and all the special events/class planning that come with it are over, I have more free time on my hands, so in theory it should be fine. Also, about one more month until the JLPT! I kind of just want it to be over :joy:

Other than studying, I’m currently trying to plan going home for Christmas, which is super duper stressful. The way it’s looking now, I’m going to have to do a two week quarantine in either a hotel or AirBnB in the Narita area on my return. Good thing I was saving money for a keyboard, so I have a bit of financial padding, but there goes my good intentions about getting back into practicing piano. Not much I really can do about that, though, I really really need to see my family :woman_shrugging:t3:

Hope everyone is doing well and staying safe!

:spiral_calendar: Study period: November 1 through November 14 :spiral_calendar:

KMR
31, 39, 46
40, 47 | 41, 55
56, 57 | 32, 48
49, 58
59 | 60

KMG Practice Test 2
N3 JLPT Practice Test from JLPT website
RWtW episode 16
ハイキュー chpt 13

:owl: Non-Japanese goals :owl:
Do at least 4 exercise things
Pack away summer clothes

3 Likes
47

Good luck with seeing your family!

1 Like
48

Thanks! So far so good :crossed_fingers:t2:

1 Like
49

:tea: Review of previous study period (November 1 through November 14) :tea:

KMR / KMG Practice Test 2 / RWtW / ハイキュー / JLPT Practice Test

Didn’t get any of the practice tests or RWtW done, but I did manage to get my ハイキュー chapter read finally! Nothing too significant other than that - a rather unremarkable study period this time. I have rather low motivation to do any studying, but that’s more due to a variety of environmental factors than anything else. This is going to be the last full study period before the JLPT - time is going both so quickly and so slowly recently, it seems like the one-month-out mark was passed before I realized. I’m not really stressed about it right now, but I’m sure that’ll kick in pretty soon :joy:

All my tickets and reservations have (FINALLY) been made for going home, so as long as both Japan and the US can hold it together for at least the next month things are on track for me going home for winter break! :crossed_fingers: Right now I’m just trying to stay calm about it, plan for what I can control, and try to be accepting of what I can’t. I’ve also been making a list of manga, books, anime, games, and knitting projects that I want to read/watch/do/etc while I’m in my quarantine weeks, and that seems to be helping my stress to have another something to look forward to :blush:

Just sort of chugging along here! I hope everyone is doing well and staying safe!

:spiral_calendar: Study period: November 15 through November 28 :spiral_calendar:

KMR
50 | 51 | 52, 53 | 54, 64 (finishing part 4 :tada:)
Mock Exam

KMG Practice Test 2
N3 JLPT Practice Test from JLPT website
RWtW episode 16 (low priority)
ハイキュー chapter 14

:owl: Non-Japanese goals :owl:
Do at least 4 exercise things
Clean out fridge

7 Likes
50

:tea: Review of previous study period (November 15 through November 28) :tea:

KMR / Practice tests / RWtW / ハイキュー

Well, I made the decision to not take the JLPT this year. As of writing this, it hasn’t been cancelled in Sapporo, but with the spiking of cases not only there but also all around Hokkaido, it just doesn’t feel smart to travel through all of that. It’s really a bummer, as I was looking forward to a confirmation and/or checkup of my Japanese abilities, but it’s not worth it. On the bright side, it means that I have one more free weekend before headed home to clean and prep!

As a result, I’m going to put traditional studying (like from grammar textbooks and the like) on hold for a bit and take it easy with WK as well. I have a few quarantine weeks I’ll have to do, so right now I’m just gathering things to read and watch. At the moment, I’m looking at finishing the ハイキュー manga and binge watching HunterxHunter (which I’ve never seen, shhhh). I’m also debating taking this time to start tackling the 風が強く吹いている novel but we’ll see. These last few weeks have been insanely busy with trying to get my schedule reorganized, so I didn’t get to my RWtW or ハイキュー (as per usual), but hopefully I can get them finished this time. I finished the KMR book though! So that’s pretty cool.

In non-studying news, my plans of getting fit this winter have been put on hold as I can’t really go to the gym (the one here in town is open, but I don’t feel comfortable going there, and my workout buddy feels the same way so I figure it’s justified). I guess I could try my hand at running in the snow, but that’s rather scary so that’ll be for when I get really desperate I suppose.

By the next time I update this, I’ll be back stateside (hopefully) and starting my first quarantine!

Stay safe everyone!

:spiral_calendar: Study period: November 29 through December 12 :spiral_calendar:

RWtW episode 16
ハイキュー chapter 14
Make list/pile of manga to read

:owl: Non-Japanese goals :owl:
Do at least 4 exercise things
Replace batteries in Xmas lights
Clean and prep house for extended absence

4 Likes
51

Very smart of you! There will be another opportunity for sure.

I just finished the show few days ago, still feeling the emptiness in my soul how good it was. At loss what to start next.

Safe travels!

2 Likes
52

I actually tried to watch it several years back but just couldn’t get into it then, but one of my friends recently convinced me to give it another try. I’ll probably be joining you in post-show emptiness rather soon :joy:

Thanks! :blush:

2 Likes
53

What? BigEm-さん aka the High Priestess of 北海道 is now at 54?
:open_mouth:
Congratulations are in order!
dancing naruto
Here is a song and dance number to commemorate your achievement before 2020 ended. :laughing:

Hopefully 2021 is better for the world! Here’s to a great new year ahead.
:nerd_face::steam_locomotive:

6 Likes
54

@BigEm san :wave:

Hope you are well :slight_smile:

It has been two months since you have been on forum so checking in. Hope you had a wonderful Christmas and New Year with your family :grin:

Are you back in Hokkaido BigEm san :slight_smile: ?

4 Likes
55

Hello hi! I am back on the forums! (I gotta say, I was really confused for a second when I saw your new username - I guess I’d better get back into the forums and catch back up to the who’s-who and forum lore :blush: I’ve missed so much!)

I did have a wonderful Christmas and New Year’s, thank you! The super-stressful traveling and two weeks quarantine on either end was not the greatest, and I kind of let many things (including WK) fall to the wayside, but it was all very much worth it to see my family again! Even though we didn’t do much of anything exciting (we didn’t really leave the house except to go to the grocery store and a few walks), I’m a homebody at heart and really liked just sitting around talking and doing puzzles with everyone. I’m back in Hokkaido now, and I’m currently sitting in the BoE in the middle of a snowstorm. Some things never change, I suppose :joy:

Thanks @inspectatoro さん! But uhhhh welllllllll :sweat_smile: I didn’t do much of anything on WK over my ~month break, so when I got back I had quite the mountain of reviews waiting - about 2000. After some debate, I reset back to 50 and am sloooooowly working my way through, it’ll be a bit before I level up again. But look at you! Level 42!!! A very late congrats on getting to the magic level! :tada: :tada: :tada:

As to the study log, I haven’t been doing much of traditional studying so I probably won’t go back to that layout for a while, but I’ll probably use it to track how I’m doing with my reviews. Maybe. I haven’t really decided yet. :joy:

I hope everyone is doing as well as can be!

6 Likes
56

tenor302

I will be going back to my previous name in a few days :slight_smile: If you want to read the reason behind the name change, feel free to read the below thread.

https://community.wanikani.com/t/the-munch-bunch-just-dry-january/48559

That’s wonderful :clap:

Agreed. Spending time with family is most important and the activities are of no consequence. Anything and everything will be special because we are with family :slight_smile:

BoE?

Hope you are safe and warm Big Em san.

3 Likes
57

Welcome back!!!

Good luck with the snowstorm and the reviews. How many do you have after the minor reset?

3 Likes
58

That’s such a great thing! Just reinforces my feelings that WK forum people are wonderful :heart:

Board of Education - basically a part of the town hall where a bunch of school administrators do work and I sit on my computer doing WK :joy: I’m all safe and warm, not to worry! Just means most of the schools are closing early because they have to make sure the kids that bus from way out in the mountains can get home safely.

3 Likes
59

Thank you!!!

When I first came back, I had something like 2300. Right now I have 1821 after picking away at it for a few weeks. It’s gonna be a marathon, but hey, that’ll teach me for ignoring WK for over a month :joy:

4 Likes
60

You got this!!! Besides, what else is deskwarming time for lol? Although you could always try some of those funky office exercises. I saw that one of your last goals was exercise things

3 Likes
61

Too true :joy: I’ve been trying to get up every 45 mins or so to walk around, but that’s also a good idea! Maybe I can convince the caretaker lady who’s always dozing off to do them with me :joy:

4 Likes