Yesterday I started my next journey in Japanese, after spending the past 13 days getting comfortable with Hiragana and Katakana. I spent a lot of time reading Tofugu’s recommendations on how to approach my journey, and where ever it leads. I decided that WaniKani made the most sense.
I guess the next question is, why will I be knocked out during my reviews on Friday? I have surgery on Friday. It’s nothing life threatening, but I know it will cause turbulence during the next few days of my study.
I take my study very seriously but not so seriously that it’s a chore, I actually have a lot of fun during my study, WaniKani’s ridicules humour makes it very digestible! I even act and role play the mnemonics to be even more exaggerated. “Omg… there is a barb stuck in me… who is responsible?!” As I look around the room. It’s cringe but hey… I love a good laugh, even if it’s at my own expense.
Any advice on what I should do? I’m worried that losing ‘x’ amount of days could cause issues, but because I’m so new to WaniKani, I don’t know if these ‘issues’ are actually that bad, and maybe I’m exaggerating them with my lovely side kick, anxiety.
The reviews will be waiting for when you’re ready whether you put vacation mode on or not. Especially since you’re on level 1 I’d recommended not delaying them.
As for your more general worry of breaking your streak, I know it’s easier said than done but don’t worry about it. A one day break isn’t likely to cause a huge disruption unless you have mountains of daily reviews, which is unlikely at your level.
Yes. My review list is very small currently. The timing that I started now rather than weeks ago is a good thing. I’m not in an awkward position of having so many reviews waiting.
With the amount of time and commitment that WaniKani kind of asks of us, there will inevitably be “life stuff” that happens along the way that might pull our attention away a bit. I think that it’s a natural part of the whole process.
I’d say overall what matters most is your health. If you need some time to gather strength for your surgery or you need some time to recover after it, there is certainly nothing wrong with letting a few kanji reviews add up.
Best of luck with your surgery and have fun with your japanese learning journey!
I definitely tend to get so strict with myself that instead of enjoying the journey I’m loving, I end up punishing myself. Even when I have a valid reason to respect my limitations. I think naturally I hate starting then stopping and think if I ever stop, then I will stall. Guess it’s still a fear of mine even though I’ve made a lot of improvements with out it affecting me.
I will take this advice on board, Illiya. Thank you so much.
I mean at level 1 or 2 you’ll have what, 100 items or so max? Even if you miss all your reviews it won’t be that much. One or two days in the journey that Japanese is won’t make a difference, so don’t beat yourself up about it
Working hard, pushing yourself, staying disciplined, and being consistent are also great qualities to have!
Your worries are completely justified too. I can totally relate with the feeling of, if I stop or pause, I might slow down or not start again.
It’s definitely a tricky balance to maintain between your work ethic and your health.
I’d say just keep in mind that neither is inherently wrong. There’s nothing wrong with worrying about your consistency and discipline, and there is nothing wrong with worrying about your health.
The thoughts and feelings you’ve mentioned are all valid. And I think it’s great that you are considering them and discussing them.
One way to look at it is, the healthier you are, the harder you can push yourself. So take care of yourself and you can still keep pushing your goals.
Damn, that got me good… that hit my core You’re right, 100%. I think it’s something I knew already and have been applying to other parts of my life, but still do need reminding of it. Picking up Japanese is so different from anything else I do, so it’s hard to remember that all these rules can still applied and work.
Thank you both, @catchingup and @Illiya. I appreciate the time you’ve given me. I wish you both the best.
No worries! I’m sure you will make the right decisions for yourself!
In some ways, going through the process of learning Japanese will also help you learn a lot about yourself too. It won’t be easy, but I think you’ll enjoy it very much!
I thought I’d leave an update. So I had the surgery on Friday last week, and I stopped taking lessons that day and the Saturday. I had time on Friday in the morning to do my reviews, (thankfully at such an early stage I didn’t have a lot), and Saturday I just worked through what reviews I did have. Which wasn’t too bad, being in hospital is surprisingly boring… ahah!
So while technically I missed 2 days of lessons, I still maintained my reviews. Thank you all for the advice. I’m still in post-op recovery but at home, and I have started lessons again and I don’t feel like I’ve fallen behind and I’m managing it fine.
I think in future this will help me if at any point I feel overwhelmed that I know how much I can be loose on and how much I can afford or should maintain - I’ll not have the same feeling of fear and anxiety because of it.
I’m really happy to hear that your surgery went well and that you are recovering!
Sounds to me like you made some great decisions and are still on track with your goals! I’m really proud of you!
It’s also wonderful to hear that you feel like you’ve come out a bit stronger and more confident after this experience.
I think it’s really cool that although we are simply studying kanji and japanese vocabulary, it still ultimately shapes us as individuals and builds our character.
The work and commitment that we put in here will affect other aspects and avenues of our lives .
You’re right, 100%. I think it’s something I knew already and have been applying to other parts of my life, but still do need reminding of it. Picking up Japanese is so different from anything else I do, so it’s hard to remember that all these rules can still applied and work.
