I’m really happy with the way things are going. I’m leveling at a pace that’s comfortable for me without feeling overloaded. Sometimes in the moment it can seem like things are going a bit slow, but every time I go back and try to read something like a manga, or the beginning of a JRPG that I know well, I’m surprised by how much more of the content I can decipher. Reading a textbook like Genki I is pretty easy now.
Already I’ve succeeded far beyond any of my previous half-hearted attempts to learn Japanese and it’s exciting and keeps me motivated and hungry for the next set of kanji and vocab. Thanks WK, you da best
Slowly, but after not doing lessons for quite a while due to too many reviews and too much other stuff to do, I’ve now returned to a steady pace of at least 5 lessons a day. Luckily I seemed to have burned all of the lower levels where I did all the lessons at the same time; those were really overwhelming when they returned for review at later levels.
With you on that! I’ve now hit or am about to hit the fabled fast levels but have kept my previous pace of 12-14 days per level (various reasons - comfortable with it, allows for vocab learning, etc). So I suppose I could be going faster if I wanted to, but… would that entail learning only the kanji, and leaving the vocabulary for later?
Not criticizing the ones who do it that way, of course! Everyone’s got their own sweet spot for learning.
As for @Gonthorian, well done in reaching double digits! You’re doing well.
I had a busy life when I started and in between one thing and another it took me over a year to make it to level 16. Possibly longer. Then around level 16 things calmed down and I got the hang of WaniKani, found levelling up in 12-14 days works well for me and have kept that pace since.
Slowed down a lot on level 10 because I’m in the middle of exams. In level 10 I actually spent more time on my kanji lessons, making little drawings for the mnemonics and all that. I present to you hit video game “Turkey Hurting Its Shins On A Slide” Advance:
Oh, I’m also really glad I decided it’s okay to define my own radicals, when it feels like WaniKani’s suggestions break things down in too many little parts! 寺 shows up a bunch, so I’ve memorized that it means Temple, and this simplifies mnemonics greatly. 彦 (the left half of 顔) seemed hard to remember, so I told myself it’s Echo Boy. (He stands on a cliff and shouts 彡 lil’ cartoon sound waves.) It seems it doesn’t really show up anywhere else, but still, I’m glad I did that.
Gonthorian, try Rocket Languages Japanese. That program teaches lots of grammar, culture, speaking, reading, listening, etc. It’s a great program for the money and you learn fast. You can try out the first three lessons for free.
I’m on level 6 and spending more than ten days on a level, but I am not making nearly as many mistakes as I used to. So I count that as major progress. Also recognizing lots more Kanji on videos, TV, etc. It’s exciting!
It’s more of getting stuff backwards I guess. Like 主 王 or 太 犬 is like the equivalent of b and d in English letters for me. If I go to quickly through my reviews I mess up it’s the same as if I read to quickly in English I either miss words or replace them with another word.
I feel you like 上手 and 下手 for me. Even though, right now I think it’s clearly up and down, but somehow I got some of them wrong the other day Maybe I was sleepy at the review time, or I almost fell asleep (when I did my review before I slept), or I directly did my review after I woke up (I usually take a bath first after I wake up then conquer my reviews), or maybe because I didn’t wear my glasses (astigmatism), or it’s just that I wasn’t careful/thorough enough. Idk.
I just got to level ten but forgot to do any of the lessons until two days in, so I think it’s safe to say I’ll be on this level for a bit longer than normal
Edit: Also the Community settings still think I’m in level 9 somehow
Similar story. Levels 24-26ish I was bad… I spent two whole months on one level, I was feeling so unmotivated and stagnant. BUT by sitting in one place for a while I was able to burn off a bunch of old words, so now that I’ve picked WK back up, I think the workload is a little lighter.
Back on track now and I have several landmark goals that I’m about to hit: level 30 (halfway through WK!), 1000 kanji (currently at 920), and 3000 vocab (currently at 2984–I should hit this one today!)
Now to tackle some grammar…
like 上手 and 下手 for me. Even though, right now I think it’s clearly up and down, but somehow I got some of them wrong the other day 
Maybe I was sleepy at the review time, or I almost fell asleep (when I did my review before I slept), or I directly did my review after I woke up (I usually take a bath first after I wake up then conquer my reviews), or maybe because I didn’t wear my glasses (astigmatism), or it’s just that I wasn’t careful/thorough enough. Idk.