After job, kids and other responsibilities doing wanikani was a low-priority activity which suffered numerous forced long suspensions. At one point my review queue got over 1000. Things that helped: vacation mode, limiting lessons to 10/day, forcing myself to respond within a few seconds to each item rather than straining a long time to remember. Fail fast and keep going.
At the very beginning I looked forward to reading Japanese soon. I found I was able to painfully work through NHK easy around level 30, but did not become relatively comfortable reading juvenile (e.g. 6th grade level science & history) material until around level 50. I look forward to migrating my study time away from WK to reading and listening.
That’s very motivating! I’ve had my ups and downs. I stopped wanikani for an entire year at level 16, but I’m back. I had to reset to level 3 coz I didn’t remember anything beyond that. And now I’m level 15 again Looking forward to level 60.
Congrats my friend! I can identify with you… I guess I am also much older than the average wanikaner here so there are a lot of other responsibilities above the daily reviews to take care of. That being said, progress is slow but steady!
I Am currently at level 25 and have been reading NHK easy with relatively ease. I suggest everyone wanting to start reading to use Manabi reader app.
Thanks! Good luck to you and everyone else past ordinary student age.
The available tools have gotten better since I started WaniKani. I just discovered the rikaikun chrome extension which makes reading any Japanese much easier.
I’ve read it already! It was very helpful, sobering and useful at the same time. I’m focusing on conversation practice with my tutor so I want to sprint to 30 and then SLOW WAY DOWN. Your stats on the waning usefulness of level 30-60 was important to read. I don’t want to get to 60 and not have learned the grammar necessary to use that knowledge. My plan is level 30 in 30 weeks, and then slow almost in half to down the remaining 30 levels in another year.
Now I just need to get out there and do it. Talk is cheap!
