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+--- Thread: RT1: please help me with 2 basic questions (/thread-4165.html)
RT1: please help me with 2 basic questions - YogaSpirit - 2009-10-11
I'm at frame 662 of RT1.
Since I started last August, I hardly hit the "4" button of Anki. To do that, I feel the need to be able to be 400% sure to recognize the meaning of the kanji within 1 or 2 seconds, with "0" doubt. In other words, either I get "instant recognition" of the kanji or I just mark it "3".
As such, my reviews accumulates a bit since 90% out of the time, I hit the "3" button when I'm correct with a kanji during my review. Should I be less harsh on myself and consider hitting the "4" button more often?
Second question: do I need to hand-write the kanji during my review, or is a "mental drawing" of it sufficient?
RT1: please help me with 2 basic questions - kmoeini - 2009-10-11
I don't know if anyone can answer the first question but yourself. If your reviews are piling up and you feel frustrated because your current system is too harsh, then by all means, hit the 4 button more often.
For the 2nd question, I would say write it out by hand. A "mental drawing" doesn't work for me, because lots of times when I write it out by hand, I see where I missed a stroke, and I'm not sure I would have caught that error just by imagining the kanji. If you don't have a pencil and paper handy, you can just draw it in the palm of your hand with a finger.
RT1: please help me with 2 basic questions - hknamida - 2009-10-11
The use of the Easy button is a delicate balancing act. I used to click it too often, but now I do it too rarely. My suggestion would be to keep doing it the way you do now, but don't forget to mark cards as easy when they actually are. Don't worry about your number of reviews, though. The older cards will show up less often as the spaced repetition algorithm works its magic.
As for writing the kanji during reviews, it all comes down to preference. I personally like to write them down, as there is a certain sense of achievement in slowly filling my notebook with kanji. Of course, it's also a great way to improve one's handwriting.
RT1: please help me with 2 basic questions - woodwojr - 2009-10-11
The easy button exists for a reason. If a character is easy, don't lie to the SRS and say it isn't; it just wastes your time and prevents the SRS from doing that magic it does so well.
~J
RT1: please help me with 2 basic questions - Nukemarine - 2009-10-11
To be honest, I just use
1 if it's a fail - wrote it wrong, thought of the wrong meaning, etc.
2 if it's a review of a missed card (automatic if you use space bar on Anki) or I guessed wrong and corrected myself. Maybe if I took too long also on this.
3 if it's a pass. This is automatic if you use the space bar.
I've never used the 4 button thus far. Easy was so subjective, I was adding complication to a simple system.
RT1: please help me with 2 basic questions - mafried - 2009-10-11
Adding on what woodwojr said, almost always hit the 4 button if you know it. The SRS is supposed to show you the card just when you are in the process of forgetting it--meaning a frigging difficult fact to remember should be the norm and deserves a 3. 2 is for facts you're unsure of and guessed wrong. 1 is reserved only for those facts you have no clue on and don't even remember once you see the answer.
I know many aspects of studying are subjective, but Anki's grading system is not. 4 lengthens the intervals and 2 shortens them, in a very objective way. If you never use 4 then you really are creating lots more work for yourself...
RT1: please help me with 2 basic questions - wildweathel - 2009-10-11
Move your hand for each character review, preferably holding a pen, preferably writing on something. Characters are gestures, not pictures. You need to think with your hands.
For grading, the only objective rule is:
If you do not correctly produce the kanji, you MUST grade 1
If you correctly produce the kanji, you MUST grade 2, 3, or 4.
Grading 2 on kanji you were unable to remember or (worse) remembered incorrectly, will result in Anki letting you forget those characters.
Grading 1 on correctly remembered, but difficult, kanji will waste a lot of time. Grade those characters 2.
2, 3, 4 is not as clear-cut.
My experience is that when starting out with an SRS, I was too critical of myself. Now, 4 means "easy" (just like it says): the answer comes to mind reasonably easily with little or no doubt. Be a little arrogant, it's okay!
The more you forget the faster your net learning after taking forgetting into account. You have tons of new SRS cards to learn if you want proficiency, so don't baby them. Individually, they're not important. Aim to fail if you want success.
RT1: please help me with 2 basic questions - YogaSpirit - 2009-10-11
Very interesting feedback from yours all.
If I may add a precision: actually, I'm testing myself only the keyword, but there are a good deal of kanji that I can't remember with the keyword but that I can draw perfectly once I read the story. Those kanjis for which I need the story, I always mark them as "1" (fail) or arely "2". Should I mark NEVER mark them "1" since I got them 100% perfect? In other words, should I keep considering reading the story is cheating, and as such, a failure?
RT1: please help me with 2 basic questions - mafried - 2009-10-11
From your post it sounds like you include the story on the question side of the card, no? If that's the case, then it's not cheating and you should be marking it 2. As to whether or not you should include the story in the question field, that's a different question altogether (and there was a long debate about it in the 100 kanji/day thread).
RT1: please help me with 2 basic questions - YogaSpirit - 2009-10-11
I confirm: the story appear just below the kanji on my cards, but in a reduced-sized font so that I can't see it and only focus on the keyword. After 5 to 8 secs, if I can't get a clue of what the story or kanji are, I read the story, and 90% of the time I can draw the kanji right. In such case, do you confirm I should mark it "2" or "3"?
RT1: please help me with 2 basic questions - mattimus - 2009-10-11
Since the subject has been brought up- How many reviews would estimate you have on a given day? (Assuming you are still working through RtK1 like me). I'm at frame 1200, and I have at least 100 reviews per day, sometimes upwards of 150. It's not a problem, but I'd be curious to know if I've been grading myself too harshly (I'm at 94.6% correct overall, so it's not like I'm getting them wrong all the time). Thanks
RT1: please help me with 2 basic questions - mafried - 2009-10-11
I would say first read the 100 kanji/day thread as the discussion there was much more in depth. But as a result of that discussion I would recommend that you not let the fact that you read the story affect how you grade the card, but remove the stories from cards that reach 'mature' status.
RT1: please help me with 2 basic questions - aphasiac - 2009-10-11
YogaSpirit Wrote:I confirm: the story appear just below the kanji on my cards, but in a reduced-sized font so that I can't see it and only focus on the keyword. After 5 to 8 secs, if I can't get a clue of what the story or kanji are, I read the story, and 90% of the time I can draw the kanji right. In such case, do you confirm I should mark it "2" or "3"?When you start using Japanese in the real world, you will not have the story written below each kanji. If you need to refer to the story when reviewing, that means you cannot go keyword->kanji i.e. mark it "1" and fail the card.
RT1: please help me with 2 basic questions - Dustin_Calgary - 2009-10-11
If I need any hints, even reading the story, i fail it, mark it 1
Basically the story tells you the components so you MAY AS WELL have seen it.
I mark 4's for most of my easier cards, I power through, if i fail a lot i also pass a lot, my net learning is higher cause i get more facts in.
3 is if it was tougher, didn't get it right away, 2 is if it took like a minute of fighting with myself, but any kind of peak or hint is an auto fail.
edited for spelling, oops
RT1: please help me with 2 basic questions - Koos83 - 2009-10-12
I agree; if I need the story, I mark it as failed, no matter if I can draw the kanji perfectly or not. It's like missing one stroke and being like: oh that's ok, I almost passed so I'll click 'pass'. Be strict with yourself. If you can't do it without hints, then you can't do it and you need to spend more time on it.
RT1: please help me with 2 basic questions - jacf29 - 2009-10-12
Here's how I do things.
If I have no idea -->> fail
If I go too fast with old kanji and screw up -->> fail
If it was hard and requires serious thinking for a period of around 10 seconds -->> hard
Takes under 10 seconds and/or I screw up on the writing but correct myself before turning the card -->> good
I remember it instantly with no doubt in my mind -->> excellent
The excellent button should be a rarity. But the more you do anki the less it matters. I have been doing it for a month now since I finished and the cards are going down in number every day. I imagine in a few more months it will be a matter of 20 cards or less a day.