Tips for time management while studying with WaniKani?

WaniKani Tips & Tricks
#6

I agree with @DerRittmeister and @Pluckabee that you’re probably best off limiting how fast you do lessons. I tend to try to level up quickly, so here’s how I do that while keeping things from piling up too much. Note that this is only really possible since Wanikani started giving you lessons in level order. I guess I could have used a script before, but I never tried it.

  • When I level up, as soon as I’m able, I do the lessons for the remaining vocab from the last level and the lessons for the new radicals, then I stop.
  • I do reviews only for a day or a day and a half, then do the lessons for the first kanji in the new level.
  • After that’s sat for another day or so, I’ll do all the remaining lessons, which are just the first vocab for the new level.
  • At this point, the radicals and kanji will start to move up to guru in a naturally staggered sort of way, and I’ll do the resulting new lessons as they come up.

This method doesn’t reduce your average review load over, say, a week, but it does help to spread reviews out more evenly, so you don’t have a ton at once and then nothing for a while. I also expect this method will stop working in the late 40’s, but I’ll deal with that when I get there. :smile:

#7

My method for doing lessons was very similar to jprspereira, except, instead of dividing the total number of vocab by the number of days you want to spend on a level, I divide the total number of items for the entire level (radical + kanji + vocab) by the number of days, and that determines the number of lessons total I need to do per day - and of course I’d prioritize radicals first, and kanji spread over the next few days.

The goal of course is to try to have a steady amount of reviews.

As far as time management, I try to do WK reviews whenever I can, even if it means just doing a few at a time. For example, while I’m waiting in line at the grocery store, sitting on the toilet, during my lunch break etc.

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#8

Apart from slowing down with lessons, I think it’s essential to remain focused during reviews.

Often I catch myself slacking off during reviews, but when I’m really focused on doing reviews as fast as possible I can do 100 reviews in under 30 minutes. So perhaps it’s advisable to do smaller sets of reviews but stay focused during reviewing instead of ending up wasting more time in the end.

I guess that only applies as long as you didn’t take a break or something and really cannot remember the items. In this case it would not be possible to do the reviews any faster.

#9

I was very concerned with this too and have been helped out a lot by other forum-goers. :smiley:

@jprspereira’s comment contains a lot of useful tips. (It can be improved with more links :P)

For now, I’ve decided to settle on a 9-day leveling cycle (20-25 lessons/day, with 2 rest days). Since I’m not going at max speed, I do not reorder lessons and slowly grind my way through any level up vocab. I spend about 1 hour 15 min on WaniKani studies per day and use my rest days for reading, mainly (TangoRisto and YotsubaTo).

Reviews used to take me about 30 minutes a day for ~150. I’ve been able to cut it down further with the WaniKani Reorder Ultimate 2 userscript. Doing reviews in 1x1 mode (reading, then meaning) saves so much time; I wish I’d done it sooner.

Reviews should not be taking you so long (2h30min for 200 reviews is too slow. ~1.3 reviews per minute). I think you should set aside distractions and focus. I like playing music in the background to keep reviews more exciting. Try doing reviews more quickly. I’m relatively certain you can go 4x faster.

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#10

I intend to make the ultimate manual about WK when I get to lvl 60. Until then, let me just be lazy plz :man_shrugging:

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#11

Hahaha, sounds good to me. :slight_smile:

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#12

Reading this revolutionised the way I study WK (thanks @jprspereira): I do lessons at 7am only (I have my lesson batch size set to 7 and do a max. of 3 batches/21 lessons a day), followed by reviews; I do reviews again at 11am, and because I rarely have mistake-free reviews a few more at 3pm if I am able; then finally another longer session at 7pm. If I do not finish all reviews within the hour, they have to wait for my next scheduled study session.

I know I’m at a lower level than you, but refraining from doing lessons and reviews all day long every time they popped up has really helped my time management and so also my focus.

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#13

Thanks for tipps. Interesting strategy. I was probably exaggerating about how long it took me.

#14

Thanks for the tipps! :slight_smile: Haha speed-run music!! 2 days for 1000 reviews!?! You’re a genius!
On the train to and from work I do my reviews on the phone. Its two hours per day that I can transform in useful time! :slight_smile: Even though it is slow and clumsy, I admit that! :smiley:
Have to try Tango Risto as well.
The addon sounds interesting. How does that work? Can I install it on my Mac or do have to add it on the browser? Which browser?

#15

Thanks for the tipps. Maybe I should try that! :slight_smile:

#16

Yes, doing reviews on the train is nice as you have nothing better to do I suppose^^

I think you can only install Tango Risto on your phone:
http://www.tangoristo.com/features-2/
I love this app so much! I used to want to read the news, but ‘NHK Easy News’ was too easy, and the real news was too difficult, but this app made it possible to read the real news as you can instantly look up words via the app with its built in dictionary.

As you can see, there are other articles and stuff to read there as well.

#17

Hi rtcmanga!
I actually had the same problem. I stopped my reviewing for a while to focus on exams. I ended up having 500+ reviews to do, 100 new coming each day.
It took me 20 days. But I did it consequencely. And I did it! Now I feel like a boss!
Before that method, I needed 1h for 100 reviews. Since I use it, I achieve approx. 80-100 reviews in 25 min!

My method is easy and of course not from me :smiley:
I set a countdown to 25(!) minutes and just study! No phone (turn airplane mode on) and no other distraction (no music, no videos. I also love to hear while studying but no; Besides, it’s just half an hour). Any researches you do are only for Japanese learning purposes (i.e. if you forget the mnemonic of it or don’t like the WK one)

And immediately after the countdown has ended, go do a break! 5 - 10 min should be fine. It is important as your brain need to have a break too. Then repeat if you still want (and only if you feel like you want! You should be proud because you already did a session!)
My father taught me this method when I asked him how I can work more productively and stop wasting my time. I still love his advice!

Greetings! =)

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#18

I second the going fast part. If I can’t recall after 5-10 seconds I clearly don’t know it and shouldn’t get it right. That what the SRS system is there for. Hammering the knowledge in to you until you don’t have to think of it. Don’t ever be afraid of getting an answer wrong, you’re supposed too.

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#19

I think that’s how SRS of WaniKani works… it’ll flood you with reviews then the next thing that you’ll have to do is to wait for a couple of hours, even a couple days for the reviews to come wahahaha :rofl: But that’s what makes wanikani perfect xD Usually reviews pop up at 11am haha and that’s the peak time to sleep and I’m doing my best to finish the reviews omg xD You just really need to finish all of your reviews before you sleep :V

#20

No you can click on the clock and then it will show a numberat side of the clock. After you finish that number of reviews it ends the session.

#21

Hi …! I appreciate your input here. I found the greasy fork site where the timeline app can be downloaded but I am not in the know of how to install it … any help on that ?

Thanks again.

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#22

Please check this explanation on how to do it.. If you’re using Firefox, I also advise you to read this. :slight_smile:

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#23

Thanks jprspereira !
Much appreciated, I’ll give this a try…

Shoshaman

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#24

Let me know if there’s anything else I can help you with :slight_smile:

#25

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