Do you guys write down your lessons? I was considering starting to write down just the radical and kanji’s and their readings because it might be really time consuming to write all of the vocab down, especially since the number of vocab continues to increase.
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Nope. I read the mnemonics and let the SRS do its job haha. If I forget something, I read the mnemonic again to refresh my memory.
I’m also not studying writing at all, so there’s that.
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I write down all of the vocabulary in my notebook and all of my kanji in a little booklet so I can go back and refer to it if I need to but it’s not really necessary.
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Initially, I didn’t bother writing radicals/kanji, but as they got more complicated I figured it helps to know how they’re structured. Especially when they’ve got very subtle differences (things like 未 and 末, or 目 and 耳)
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I have the stroke order script order installed. I draw all the kanji and vocab on the pillow my keyboard sits on with my fingers. I try to remember what radicals I’m drawing/writing. It’s not permanent obviously but it helps me. I’ve thinking of trying to find some piece of fabric that would retain the shape of the finger drawing to contemplate my terrible work but most fabrics only move in one direction. I suppose I could use my tablet or one of those note taking tablets but I like that I don’t need anything but my finger. Yup, I’m lazy!
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Yeah during the lessons I write down every kanji/vocab, their reading, and meaning. Not even for reference, but writing stuff down has always been super helpful for focusing my attention on what I want to remember. It makes the lessons take forevvvvvver, and I wouldn’t be surprised if I quit doing it at some point, but for now here we are.
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It already takes forever to be fluent even with just Kanji and by writing stuff you will make that period even longer.
Just ask yourself, when was the last time you wrote something on paper? Or like how frequently do you that?
You don’t need it. Just trust the SRS process and you will be fine. I can read some complicated sentences but I can’t even write a simple one. Once you become fluent you can spend some time on that if you want.
However, at your stage, your time is probably limited so you want to use it more efficiently.
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Yes. I’m level 24, and I’m surprised I haven’t given up on doing it yet, though, it has decreased. I just write down the Kanji and Vocab 1 - 3 times. It helps to ingrain the Kanji in my head for the most part, and I just want to do it.
If you feel that (a particular) Kanji is too difficult, try writing it down a couple of times. Writing things down helps cement them better in your mind.
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I always write them when I do my lessons every morning. Idk if it actually helps me remember anything, but it’s a habit I’ve picked up throughout my learning since before starting WK. I’m just someone who loves taking notes.
And honestly, there’s something to be said about the satisfaction of going through a half filled notebook and realizing how much actual content you’ve stuffed in your brain. 
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No, but only because I don’t have the luxury of devoting specific time to WK. I usually do lessons and reviews on my phone using Tsurukame and rarely on my laptop.
I think learning how to write the kanji helps in fixating them and initially my plan was to do WaniKani together with KameSame and KanjiStudy (a really good app for learning handwriting). But realistically speaking, I don’t think it’s doable. I’m only on level 13 and I already slowed down my level up rate by 4 to 5 days, yet my lessons pile is never empty.
Personally, I fear I’ll lose motivation if it takes me too long to start understanding things in Japanese, so I find it better to fast track my way through WK. For me this approach is working, I’m really starting to understand way more things in Japanese dramas and anime now (with Japanese subtitles on).
Maybe you can use some helpful scripts like the Confusion Guesser and the Similar Kanji ones, they will help you notice just the one important difference between kanji to enable you to go on without having to actually know how to write all the kanji. And adding notes with your mnemonics when a word or kanji won’t stick really helps too.
it’s my second year and second attempt in here. i do classroom lessons so I write them down to get better in writing. Visually…
I only write hiragana and katakana. IMO, learning the stroke order for all my kanji and vocab would just take too much time. I can certainly see it’s usefulness though, writing out hiragana and katakana is how I keep them in my memory.
It won’t take as long as you think, actually. More often then not, you’ll just have to go through the stroke order once, then you’ll remember it every time you write the kanji again. You’ll do it without thinking about it. As for Vocab, well that’s just a combination of Kanji, so the stroke order isn’t new.
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yeah agreed, it’s very easy to get stroke order like 95% right. it’s fairly consistent so once you know stroke orders of the individual radicals and a few basics on the order that kanji are constructed in, you can guess the stroke order for almost every kanji.
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I write all vocab with meanings in a notebook; separate page for radicals. I can review the notebook when away from my computer. Writing does take more time, but I remember it better. Writing & stroke order are important to me. If I can’t guess the stroke order I look it up with an app. I have to fill out forms & write short letters occasionally. Learning stroke order is good for reading handwriting also.
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I do actually. It is proven that writing things down helps in memory and retention of information. I also do it to learn to write the Kanji. Some vocabulary have the same Kanji over and over again, so that is helpful in my hand’s memory of writing them.
You don’t HAVE to write things down. I just do. Here is an example:
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I know that writing isn’t important in the beginning, but if you are wanting to being fluent in a language you should learn to write it, in my opinion. That would be like learning English and not learning how to write the letter A and so on in the alphabet. And I do try to write some. When was the last time you wrote in your mother tongue? See, you should learn to write! 
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