Is there a script, app, or other straightforward method that will alert me when I have current-level radicals or current-level kanji (but not necessarily vocab) ready to review?
In other words, I’d like to review current-level radicals and kanji as soon as they pop up in the SRS system, so that I can keep moving up through the levels at a good pace. I know that WK will alert you when you have items ready for review, but this doesn’t differentiate by the type of item – so for example, I might set time aside at noon to dedicate 45 minutes to WK reviews, only to discover by the end that the all items in my queue were vocab – and yet if I’d waited until 3 PM to start my reviews, I would have had both radicals/kanji and vocab to knock out.
(Note: I don’t want to use a script that reorders items in my review queue, because I’m a believer in the SRS methodology. I’m want to review the vocab as usual, but I just want to schedule my review sessions more strategically.)
I know that it is possible to select individual radicals and kanji from the dashboard and scroll to the bottom to see when they will next come up for review. But that’s not a very efficient method, since you have to check each one individually – and the new items tend to get less and less in sync as you start working through them and making mistakes on some but not others, etc.
Thanks for your advice!
To schedule your review strategically, there is nothing better than Ultimate Wanikani Timeline: /t/Userscript-WaniKani-Ultimate-Timeline/10516/1
You can see where your apprentices items are going to pop up with it. It became an essential tool for me.
WaniKani Mobile android app shows “This level Kanji” (and possibly radicals but I can’t check, done them for this level) under items ready for review on the dashboard. I have my items screen broken down by level and sorted by “next review due” and the colour coding means it only takes seconds to see when the best strategic timing for reviews might be. If you try this method be sure to hide meaning/readings from the list or you risk breaking the SRS. Though re-order scripts are available in app, for the same reasons you mention I keep them off.
I have to say though after doing this for a couple of levels I was finding my error rate for vocab skyrocketing and review count getting a bit out of hand with an ever increasing apprentice vocab list. I’ve found only planning my days on which I level and guru the bulk of new radicals to give me around 4 review sessions worked much better and hasn’t impacted the rate that I’ve leveled so far.
Useless advice if you don’t use Android and I expect most people have better retention than I do so the strategy probably wont hurt vocab for others the way it did for me.
Have fun
ejhickso said...Just like to point out reordering items in your review queue has nothing to do with SRS methodology (if you still do all of them any way). It's just Koichi that dislikes the idea of it. He argues that it's better to constantly switch between different types of items and question so you don't become lazy in your reviews.
(Note: I don't want to use a script that reorders items in my review queue, because I'm a believer in the SRS methodology. I'm want to review the vocab as usual, but I just want to schedule my review sessions more strategically.)
As for the apps: The Ultimate Timeline script has already been mentioned, and I believe most 3rd party apps for mobile platforms have some similar feature to better schedule reviews. They can even work with notifications. Search the list of apps for more information on this.
Thank you for these helpful responses!
I’m actually working on an app for this kind of thing at the moment.
For myself I like to have a better idea when I will level up so I know when I should finish off lessons before a load more come in.
So the app I’m working on is simpler than apps already out there, it just shows you some basic user data, and a list of current level items. Shows the radical/kanji, the srs number, the next review date, the date you could guru it on if you keep up with reviews. It shows stuff like how long to complete radicals, how long to complete kanji, what date you can potentially level up on etc. It will have notifications too when items are ready to review (it only handles current level radicals/kanji so this is pretty much what the OP is asking for I think, maybe I could set notifications x minutes before next review too).
I started making it because I felt like it would be useful for me, and so I thought maybe others will find it useful too. It’s almost done, just been busy with work lately, and I’m going to japan for two weeks on the 17th, so it will probably be in May when I can release it.
Screenshot example:
http://imgur.com/TgtYipT