I use wkstats: wkstats
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My level up take between 2 and 3 weeks each. I know that it will take my multiple years to finish WK, and I’m okay with that because that’s normal. Only speedrunners can finish WK within 1 year.
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I recently reset, so my current level (Level 5) is not reflective of my current experience with WK. I reached around Level 10 before I took a huge break and decided to start from Level 1.
With that said, I was pretty good at levelling up around 7 to 11 days per level. It took me a little bit to remember the system I built for myself before I reset, but I think I got something that works for me.
Around 6:30-7:30AM: Do my ONLY reviews first thing in the morning. No time for lessons as I go to work and school.
4:00PM-5:00PM: Do lessons and reviews.
8:00PM-9:00PM: Do lessons and review
Sleep and repeat.
I just let reviews accumulate until my next review session. (eg. I have reviews at 1:00pm, I will wait until my 4pm block to do them)
I think this is a good schedule for me. Anytime I level up, I make sure I power through all the new Radical and Kanji for that level that show up in my new lessons, because that’s what determines if you level up. Any purple vocab, I learn them whenever I get a dull review hour (when there I keep my Apprentice levels at around 100
I took JP in college from 2011-2016 and did not continue with it in my grad studies. I’ve also used this site for over 7 years, and I’ve reset to level 1 multiple times in an effort to relearn from scratch. Currently with this last reset, I’m using bunpro and kaniwani in tandem with wanikani. I also have satori reader on standby, but I think it’s a bit too advanced for me for where I am right now. (I am very motivated this time around and am almost positive I will stick it out to 60. Thanks, Touken Ranbu.)
So! With all of that in mind, wkstats tell me it takes me around 7-9 days to level up. I am obviously only in the beginning levels, but I am hopeful the pace continues. It probably won’t because I’ve only just entered content that feels new to me.
I feel very overwhelmed at the start of each level. I use a filter plugin to force the radical lessons first, and then when it’s time for the kanji I do the same thing there. The radicals and kanji are always the hardest for me. About 4-5 days later, when I have ~48 hours on the last kanji before the next level will unlock, I finally start doing the vocabulary. I feel at that point, because I’ve had a few days to absorb the radicals and kanji, that the vocabulary is significantly easier than the radicals/kanji.
So I guess at the start it’s very chaotic for me, and then it gets a lot easier. For every level I think “Oh, this is too much, I’ll never remember anything” but then I try and I do very well! So far I’ve only had one mistake, but as I progress through new content I’m sure there will be a ton more.
Doing this also makes sure I begin learning all of the vocabulary before beginning the next level.
I don’t want to talk about August 26th. My only reviews that day were for 11pm and I didn’t remember until after midnight lmfao.
I completely understand how you feel, especially because I’m taking a more self-study approach rather than WaniKani’s actual method (but following along the levels and all still). For me I work on a level per month, and I feel good about this time frame because I am taking the time not just to intake the information but make sure I genuinely understand and will be able to remember it later. I think speed may be great, but how great can it be if I can’t remember anything I just learned? That’s why everyone goes at their own pace. For their own comprehension levels! I need a month, others might need less than that. It’s all part of the journey and what matters is I’m learning and having fun so don’t worry!
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7 days. No more, no less.
So I actually decided to see whether I could go a little faster and it’s actually working out better than I expected. Just by doing a new batch of lessons when the previous batch has reached Apprentice 3 (and on the day those Apprentice 3 reviews will be available) instead of Apprentice 4 or the day after I Guru them has cut my time to level up in half. It now takes me 2 weeks to level up and it doesn’t even feel all that fast most of the time. By doing this, now whenever I feel the need to slow down it won’t take 6 weeks to level up it’ll take 3 or 4. I expect I’ll start to feel some burn out from this new pace at some point, but I’ll be able to slow down without feeling like I’m going too slow now.
Wkstats says my median time is 17 days per level. That seems low to me. My longest was 38 days and my current level is nearing 25 days.
Im thinking about increasing pace a bit. In the past I’ve kept Apprentice items at around 100.
I use a completely default/generic WK experience. No userscripts or plugins or anything. Haven’t felt the need, and I like to keep things simole.
For me, using Bunpro in conjunction for grammar has been amazing, as it will pull in WK kanji/vocab you’ve learned in their example sentences, helping to reinforce them.
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since hell levels, over a month.
About 10 days, more or less. Since limiting myself to only 20 lessons a day, the review quantity is much easier to keep up on and my accuracy went from 80-85% to almost always 95-98%.
I think there is such a thing as TOO slow - if you’re missing the review intervals on the lessons you did, then of course your accuracy is going to be lower. I would say do fewer lessons per day until your accuracy is good. Maybe that’s only 5 per day! But do all the reviews when they’re due.
The levels pass when they pass, the important thing is you’re actually learning the ones you attempt, and that you do a little every day.
7 days, 0 hours. I planned out my schedule at the beginning and I stick to it. It’s been hard but now I’m on ‘easy levels’ in comparison to the last 2 months of hell. I’m going hard until I’m level 30 and then I’ll take double the time and jump into actual materials other than SRS like WK, Bunpro, and Anki (Tango N series), graded readers, and immersion.
I will say that you should go at a pace that keeps your motivation up, so you keep coming back. You will also get used to the load and may get better at learning and figuring out how you personally learn. I’ve found my brain likes the challenge and my fatigue level decreases as I get used to it. Know your breaking point and flirt with that, or don’t. Taking it slow is a great option too. If you need to be slower to get that info in your brain, then that’s the best thing for you.
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Leveling for me is a “We get there when we get there” mentality. I’ve been using Wanikani for a year and I’m only Level 14. Which makes me feel like a baby. The important thing though is that I’m still moving forward! I know there’s a lot of pressure in the Japanese language community to go fast and hard, but please go at your own pace!
If it takes you 3 days to do a level- great! If it takes you a year- great! Whatever works for you and aligns with your goals.
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Yeah, that’s probably for the best! Taking your time and going at a manageable pace it definitely ideal long-term. I’ve been speed-running my levels lately, having leveled up 6 times in the past 48 days! …but considering that I joined in July 2021, it definitely hasn’t been fast haha. I took far too long breaks due to way overdoing it earlier
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