# Knowing how Wanikani works is making everything way more stressful now **URL:** \ **Category:** WaniKani\ **Created:** [May 16, 2020, 2:47am UTC](https://community.wanikani.com/t/knowing-how-wanikani-works-is-making-everything-way-more-stressful-now/43786 "2020-05-16T02:47:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![theghostofdenzo](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/wanikanicommunity/user_avatar/community.wanikani.com/theghostofdenzo/32/643458_2.png) [@theghostofdenzo](https://community.wanikani.com/u/theghostofdenzo)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2020, 8:38am UTC](https://community.wanikani.com/t/knowing-how-wanikani-works-is-making-everything-way-more-stressful-now/43786/41 "2020-05-16T08:38:19Z")
I might speed up again at some point, but at my current pace, I’m barely going to make level 22 by the end of the year 🤷‍♂️ It definitely hasn’t been so long since I leveled up that I’ve forgotten my level 😒 It’s fine to be slow as long as you’re consistently making progress. One thing to be said for getting the lifetime membership is that it feels more like a long term commitment (and you stop trying to avoid the next renew). ---
**Author:** ![Nuttika](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/wanikanicommunity/user_avatar/community.wanikani.com/nuttika/32/300225_2.png) [@Nuttika](https://community.wanikani.com/u/Nuttika)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2020, 8:39am UTC](https://community.wanikani.com/t/knowing-how-wanikani-works-is-making-everything-way-more-stressful-now/43786/42 "2020-05-16T08:39:39Z")
It’s not like you do in the wrong way if you want to go slowly. I try to LEARN fast, because I have deadline and previous I passed JLPT N3 too (but sadly I did not use or read in Japanese in around 4 years and I forgot most of what I learned previous ☹ ) Wanikani is just an object for learning. I pratice and learn a lot without wanikani too like writing kanjis, learning other onyomi and kunyomi, learning words. (And if I learned enough I start to learn grammar too.) I have Kanji to Kana (in Hungarian version, because this is my native language), Genki I-II. in pdf, Dekiru I-II. (it’s a Hungarian-Japanese textbook) and Nihon wo shiru (it’s all in Japanese but in the end has vocabulary. I not use this book yet because it’s more above my recent level. I’ll use it when I ready for it. We used it in second and third year in university.) What is hard for me is that English is not my native language and it always was difficult to learn another language for me. (It’s not rare that I sit before the wanikani and "yeah, I know what it means in Hungarian, but how the hell say it in English?!’ 😃 And after that sadly I type it wrongly.) My acquaintance who suggested to try this site not goes in a fast way too. She learns only when she feels she wants it and learns only twenty new things at once. It’s certainty that I will pass her soon but not because she does anything wrong. She does in her rhythm and enjoys the journey. And that’s the most important thing! PS.:I hope you can understand my message and try to learn in more calm and relaxing way. (And I hope I did not write something foolish in English. :S ) ---
**Author:** ![anon26278845](https://cdck-file-uploads-global.s3.dualstack.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/wanikanicommunity/original/3X/f/d/fd4c154120954695f788402f3bcf4e616499bc2d.png) [@anon26278845](https://community.wanikani.com/u/anon26278845)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2020, 8:46am UTC](https://community.wanikani.com/t/knowing-how-wanikani-works-is-making-everything-way-more-stressful-now/43786/43 "2020-05-16T08:46:52Z")
It would be really cool But I’m not sure how we’d get our details across in a place like this XDD Cos everyone can see everything we’re typing ;u; ---
**Author:** ![anon26278845](https://cdck-file-uploads-global.s3.dualstack.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/wanikanicommunity/original/3X/f/d/fd4c154120954695f788402f3bcf4e616499bc2d.png) [@anon26278845](https://community.wanikani.com/u/anon26278845)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2020, 8:49am UTC](https://community.wanikani.com/t/knowing-how-wanikani-works-is-making-everything-way-more-stressful-now/43786/44 "2020-05-16T08:49:46Z")
> [@Nuttika](#): > > What is hard for me is that English is not my native language and it always was difficult to learn another language for me. (It’s not rare that I sit before the wanikani and "yeah, I know what it means in Hungarian, but how the hell say it in English?!’ 😃 And after that sadly I type it wrongly.) Wow that is so inspirational! So you’ve learnt english and now you’re learning japanese :DD Good luck on your learning journey! ---
**Author:** ![Victor866](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/wanikanicommunity/user_avatar/community.wanikani.com/victor866/32/286006_2.png) [@Victor866](https://community.wanikani.com/u/Victor866)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2020, 9:34am UTC](https://community.wanikani.com/t/knowing-how-wanikani-works-is-making-everything-way-more-stressful-now/43786/45 "2020-05-16T09:34:18Z")
You need to enjoy the process, you don’t need a specific goal (reach level x in december, make more than x lessons everyday) if this becomes a burden. Focus on enjoy the new discoveries, and doesn’t matter if you make a 50% correct answers or a 80% eventually you are going to reach a better % because the words are going to stick better, I used to have a 50% of answers, and then after so much trying this words simply becomes natural, and at the other side reach 80% and doubt about a correct word a few hours later. I’m starting too, I have downfalls, I have days like I miss almost everything and days like an inspiration comes to my mind, in any case I enjoy every missed word too. We’re here to support each other! Learning a language is not an easy thing to do. ---
**Author:** ![rumade](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/wanikanicommunity/user_avatar/community.wanikani.com/rumade/32/228521_2.png) [@rumade](https://community.wanikani.com/u/rumade)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2020, 10:04am UTC](https://community.wanikani.com/t/knowing-how-wanikani-works-is-making-everything-way-more-stressful-now/43786/46 "2020-05-16T10:04:08Z")
> [@Sancho](#): > > And here I am, a good 10 months since I learnt that word, going ‘さんにち?’ In Japan they have loads of different citrus fruits, one of which is the mikan (it’s either a clementine or a tangerine or a mandarin but I can never tell the difference) So just pretend you are the very hungry caterpillar and on the 3rd day you ate 3 mika\_n\_ (三日) ---
**Author:** ![saibaneko](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/wanikanicommunity/user_avatar/community.wanikani.com/saibaneko/32/804718_2.png) [@saibaneko](https://community.wanikani.com/u/saibaneko)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2020, 10:12am UTC](https://community.wanikani.com/t/knowing-how-wanikani-works-is-making-everything-way-more-stressful-now/43786/47 "2020-05-16T10:12:09Z")
> [@seqka711](#): > > I just usually end up forgetting how to spell them or I remember the nmenonic but not the important part I’m jut starting out too and I get this all the time! I remember the entire mnemonic story except for the actual meaning. I get annoyed at my brain for storing 4 lines of story and failing to retrieve the only important word. I try to laugh about it now. I go back to the mnemonic and I either tweak it a bit or I savagely repeat the word I need louder or with a gesture. The level with “both” and “have” did that to me. I had a narwhal and a moon but also a head and a mountain. I can’t tell you how many times I got them wrong despite remembering the mnemonic. Could not remember either both or have and then went on to confuse them! Anyhow, nothing to add here. Aren’t you feeling all better with all the lovely people from the WK community cheering you on? It made me happy to read their responses to you ❤ ---
**Author:** ![Sancho](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/wanikanicommunity/user_avatar/community.wanikani.com/sancho/32/256969_2.png) [@Sancho](https://community.wanikani.com/u/Sancho)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2020, 10:26am UTC](https://community.wanikani.com/t/knowing-how-wanikani-works-is-making-everything-way-more-stressful-now/43786/48 "2020-05-16T10:26:55Z")
I figured my knowledge of Korean is responsible for this reflex of my brain, because if I hear someone say mikka I can understand what they mean, it’s only when I suddenly come across it without any mental prep ;~; ---
**Author:** ![Belthazar](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/wanikanicommunity/user_avatar/community.wanikani.com/belthazar/32/4469_2.png) [@Belthazar](https://community.wanikani.com/u/Belthazar)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2020, 10:29am UTC](https://community.wanikani.com/t/knowing-how-wanikani-works-is-making-everything-way-more-stressful-now/43786/49 "2020-05-16T10:29:16Z")
> [@rumade](#): > > (it’s either a clementine or a tangerine or a mandarin but I can never tell the difference) Mandarin. Tangerine is ポンカン, clementine is クレメンタイン. ---
**Author:** ![BongBong](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/wanikanicommunity/user_avatar/community.wanikani.com/bongbong/32/274495_2.png) [@BongBong](https://community.wanikani.com/u/BongBong)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2020, 10:47am UTC](https://community.wanikani.com/t/knowing-how-wanikani-works-is-making-everything-way-more-stressful-now/43786/50 "2020-05-16T10:47:59Z")
1. I would advice do what I do. Which is using a self help script to warm up before you hit you official reviews. 2. make sure to read the mnemonics carefully with focus before you warm up, this cycle increased my accuracy. ---
**Author:** ![JamieKovo](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/wanikanicommunity/user_avatar/community.wanikani.com/jamiekovo/32/303214_2.png) [@JamieKovo](https://community.wanikani.com/u/JamieKovo)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2020, 10:50am UTC](https://community.wanikani.com/t/knowing-how-wanikani-works-is-making-everything-way-more-stressful-now/43786/51 "2020-05-16T10:50:10Z")
Getting a low accuracy in the beginning and after long breaks is completely normal. I’ve taken 2 almost year long breaks from wanikani to focus on school, and I would come back to 1000 review counts and only get 40% of them right lololol. From those experiences, I’ve learned not to take your accuracy or speed so seriously, and that it’s totally fine to just do ten to twenty reviews whenever you have a moment. In the future you may see high review counts, but those numbers do go down if you just keep at it on your own pace. Also more importantly, SRS learning is a skill. The more you do it, the higher your accuracy will get. I get 95-100% review accuracy on my reviews now just doing them once per day, and I just came back to Wanikani two or three weeks ago. So don’t sweat it :). You’ll get better, and you’ll be able to read more before you know it. Also important. Try not to do lessons in bulk. You’ll retain them better if you ration them somehow. Personally, I stick to 10 lessons per session and I have no problem remembering them the next review. Finally, since your new and just learning about scripts, I have a few I recommend 🙂 [Wanikani Open Framework](https://community.wanikani.com/t/instructions-installing-wanikani-open-framework/28549) by @rfindley: A framework upon which many other scripts are built. Necessary for some scripts to work. This guy’s created a bunch of super amazing scripts so be on the lookout for him. [Integrated Dashboard Overhaul](https://community.wanikani.com/t/userscript-integrated-dashboard-overhaul/42374) by @BJennWare: This breaks down review and lessons counts into rad/kanji/vocab counts and shows when your next critical review is. The real piece de resistance is the critical review tracking because it highlights the date and time of the review that will put you closer to leveling up. [Advanced Context Sentences](https://community.wanikani.com/t/userscript-advanced-context-sentence/35079) by @abdullahalt: You won’t be using this much right away, but it highlights your Guru’d kanji in the context sentences that comes with every vocab. Around level 8-10 or so, this’ll start being really handy! Also adds audio to the sentences lol. [Wanikani Stroke Order](https://community.wanikani.com/t/Userscript-Stroke-Order-Diagram/5040/1) by @looki: This adds the stroke order to kanji and even shows up during reviews! I promise you that writing down the kanji will go a long way towards helping you remember them, even if you just write it in the air with your finger. [Review Countdown Timer](https://community.wanikani.com/t/WK-Reviews-The-Final-Countdown-userscript/11806/1) by @GangsterOfBoats: This one is hit or miss, but it limits the amount of time you have to answer reviews. Not only can this make review sessions much shorter, but can help how fast you recognize the subject matter! Default is 10 seconds but you can adjust the time. [Ninja Lookup](https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/ninja-lookup-dictionary-j/hhhdjdgpbjlheepkjpamlgdglaknelon): This one is a chrome extension, not a script, but it’s extremely helpful. You simply highlight a word, right-click it, and select ninja lookup, and then a small window will open up with the first definition from [jisho.org](http://jisho.org). The main benefit is that you can keep the window open while translating a context sentence. It isn’t always accurate though so beware. [Here’s a comprehensive list of scripts in case you want more.](https://community.wanikani.com/t/the-new-and-improved-list-of-api-and-third-party-apps/7694/25) ---
**Author:** ![Nemuitanuki](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/wanikanicommunity/user_avatar/community.wanikani.com/nemuitanuki/32/448041_2.png) [@Nemuitanuki](https://community.wanikani.com/u/Nemuitanuki)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2020, 11:26am UTC](https://community.wanikani.com/t/knowing-how-wanikani-works-is-making-everything-way-more-stressful-now/43786/52 "2020-05-16T11:26:40Z")
Don’t stress don’t stress. I just do my reviews whenever and enjoy learning. Why are you putting learning in such restrictive time restraints? ---
**Author:** ![jerseytom](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/wanikanicommunity/user_avatar/community.wanikani.com/jerseytom/32/209989_2.png) [@jerseytom](https://community.wanikani.com/u/jerseytom)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2020, 1:05pm UTC](https://community.wanikani.com/t/knowing-how-wanikani-works-is-making-everything-way-more-stressful-now/43786/53 "2020-05-16T13:05:42Z")
> [@seqka711](#): > > Every single failure brings me farther away from my goal instead of closer. If it’s any consolation I’ve gotten things wrong on WaniKani 16,039 times and I feel like I’m doing pretty well and that my Japanese has come along quite a ways. Certainly way further along than when I’d only gotten 1,000 wrong, or 100. I’ve had days when I woke up to 50 reviews and got 90% of them right. I’ve also had a time when I took several months off, came back to 3000 reviews and got 30% right for most of them. Either way you just do what you can, and if you know more Japanese today than you did yesterday - you’re going the right direction. ---
**Author:** ![GenoMerc](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/wanikanicommunity/user_avatar/community.wanikani.com/genomerc/32/307289_2.png) [@GenoMerc](https://community.wanikani.com/u/GenoMerc)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2020, 4:31pm UTC](https://community.wanikani.com/t/knowing-how-wanikani-works-is-making-everything-way-more-stressful-now/43786/54 "2020-05-16T16:31:24Z")
AHHHHHH hold up I remembered a thing someone said, “Fluency is a race to make the most mistakes”, here is the article. SO if you are it means you are improving, because you need to make mistakes before you can improve, good luck > **[Japanese Fluency Is A Race To Make The Most Mistakes](https://www.tofugu.com/japanese/japanese-fluency-make-mistakes/)** > > Making mistakes, and making a lot of them is one of the fastest ways to improve your Japanese (or anything, really). Actually, I take that back. The action of making mistakes isn't going to make you better. But, the mindset of being willing to make a... ---
**Author:** ![theghostofdenzo](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/wanikanicommunity/user_avatar/community.wanikani.com/theghostofdenzo/32/643458_2.png) [@theghostofdenzo](https://community.wanikani.com/u/theghostofdenzo)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2020, 4:50pm UTC](https://community.wanikani.com/t/knowing-how-wanikani-works-is-making-everything-way-more-stressful-now/43786/55 "2020-05-16T16:50:50Z")
Here’s a page full of the only wisdom you need to know about making mistakes, repeated over and over again: [https://quoteinvestigator.com/2014/12/16/no-mistakes/](https://quoteinvestigator.com/2014/12/16/no-mistakes/) ---
**Author:** ![kumamushi](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/wanikanicommunity/user_avatar/community.wanikani.com/kumamushi/32/299833_2.png) [@kumamushi](https://community.wanikani.com/u/kumamushi)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2020, 5:14pm UTC](https://community.wanikani.com/t/knowing-how-wanikani-works-is-making-everything-way-more-stressful-now/43786/56 "2020-05-16T17:14:39Z")
As the great Adam Savage once said: Failure is always an option. ---
**Author:** ![colinweeks](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/wanikanicommunity/user_avatar/community.wanikani.com/colinweeks/32/302938_2.png) [@colinweeks](https://community.wanikani.com/u/colinweeks)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2020, 5:28pm UTC](https://community.wanikani.com/t/knowing-how-wanikani-works-is-making-everything-way-more-stressful-now/43786/57 "2020-05-16T17:28:00Z")
You can do this!! I’m only 1 level ahead of you… I’ve noticed as the workload is now starting to pick up I’m less attached to getting everything right (similar to how you were when you started). It’s freeing up a lot of mental space for me. Once the workload picks up you won’t even have time to stress about making mistakes because you’ll still have 143 more questions in your cue… LOL. All I’m saying is that, simply because of the huge workload, you will be forced back into that relaxed way of doing things… being able to say “oh well I got that one wrong AGAIN… moving on… _yawn_ It’s the same way that parents eventually relax about the tiny details once they have their second kid… There is just so much to do that they realize there energy and time is better invested into the big picture and not on whether or not their daughter eats her last 2 carrots at lunch. DON’T GIVE UP 😜 ---
**Author:** ![seqka711](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/wanikanicommunity/user_avatar/community.wanikani.com/seqka711/32/309253_2.png) [@seqka711](https://community.wanikani.com/u/seqka711)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2020, 5:47pm UTC](https://community.wanikani.com/t/knowing-how-wanikani-works-is-making-everything-way-more-stressful-now/43786/58 "2020-05-16T17:47:16Z")
That stroke order is funny because I actually do write the kanji in the air! I’m probably not doing it in the correct order or anything, but it gives me something to do with my hands while my brain is trying to remember the important shit. I already have Open Framework and have downloaded quite a few scripts. I think I’ll try download the Ninja Lookup and Advanced Context Sentences though. Thanks for the tips! ---
**Author:** ![saibaneko](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/wanikanicommunity/user_avatar/community.wanikani.com/saibaneko/32/804718_2.png) [@saibaneko](https://community.wanikani.com/u/saibaneko)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2020, 6:20pm UTC](https://community.wanikani.com/t/knowing-how-wanikani-works-is-making-everything-way-more-stressful-now/43786/59 "2020-05-16T18:20:17Z")
I trace the kanji on the pillow under the keyboard and I move my index up and down in the air to follow the pitch in the words on vocab. It’s nyaice to involve the whole brain when learning. ![KittyPawsUp](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/wanikanicommunity/original/4X/c/a/d/cadbc0ccfd1db248b2fe294f0823472e2c9f31eb.gif) ---
**Author:** ![seqka711](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/wanikanicommunity/user_avatar/community.wanikani.com/seqka711/32/309253_2.png) [@seqka711](https://community.wanikani.com/u/seqka711)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2020, 6:32pm UTC](https://community.wanikani.com/t/knowing-how-wanikani-works-is-making-everything-way-more-stressful-now/43786/60 "2020-05-16T18:32:57Z")
Once summer hits (and I can go outside again) I’m going to grab some sparklers and write kanji in the air! That sounds like fun! [Previous page](https://community.wanikani.com/t/knowing-how-wanikani-works-is-making-everything-way-more-stressful-now/43786.md?page=2) [Next page](https://community.wanikani.com/t/knowing-how-wanikani-works-is-making-everything-way-more-stressful-now/43786.md?page=4)