Hey, so I have started RTK and I have done 130 kanji so far. I am currently using both Anki and RevTK, but I'm afraid that when the reviews really start, I'll be overwhelmed. Which one should I go with?
(Sorry if this is the wrong forum)

RevTK requires internet connection to review, while Anki doesnt. You can always copy your progress from RevTK into anki, or at least there is an addon to do it, but not the other way around I guess. Also you can always edit your Anki deck as you please, but it doesn't have some features from this site. I can't tell much more about the differences tho, since Im using Anki from the very start.

Personally, I love the RevTK site because it gives you quick access to a plethora of stories by other users that you can use, but if you're the type of person who wants to keep all of your daily reps in one place then I might stick with just Anki since that's probably the best way to continue your learning regimen post-RTK (with vocab/sentences/whatever you use)

Although RevTK does have an export feature! You might be able to export all your data into Anki at a later date, but I've never tried it so I'm not really sure how it works u_u Someone else will have to elaborate on this.

I agree with meeatcookies. I used Anki because I was reviewing on my phone mostly. I think there is some value to sitting in one place and reviewing at your computer with all the stories in front of you, but I was already spending a couple hours a day making new stories. I still have a binder with each story I made up written down in it and organized nicely, as I didn't even come across other user-created stories until halfway through the book. I surprised myself with my own diligence. I learned how to get organized and how Staples just won't cut it, thank emperor for Muji in NYC. After I started using RevTK I would be reviewing on Anki and if my notebook wasn't nearby, it was so useful to have an online storage for all the stories I made or borrowed for the second half of the book. I still wrote it all down, but sometimes it was more discreet at work to look at RevTK than to bust out my stationary for a reminder of how the story goes.
Either way you go, the important thing is to do reviews somewhere somehow, and just be happy you don't have to make physical flashcards. Although maybe you should, it's kind of romantic. I found that the index cards I bought all are see-thru even if you use pencil. So I'm not sure why they make such index cards.
The other thing is to really try to focus your imagination on the stories.

<--sniff, it brings a happy tear to my eye to see you just getting started on your journey

Personally, I prefer RevTK for learning, since it provides access to stories, and you can manually add each card as you study.
However, since RevTK's intervals are capped at about 8 months, I prefer Anki; I got to review my first sentence card again today, and after 9 months I got to push it back 2.6 years.
(I must admit that I'm a bit confused by the fact that Anki started to ask for 20-50 reviews every day when RevTK only asked for about 15-25 before I exported my data to Anki...)

Also, having my German, Japanese and Kanji deck in the same program (which is also cross platform, something RevTK hasn't really implemented well) is more efficient in my opinion.

Thanks everyone for your responses. I have decided to go with RevTK and I will use Anki for Tae Kim and Core2000.

There is an Anki deck which allows the user to click on the keyword, automatically opening a browser page to the related keyword and stories, without having to manually search for anything...

[ファブリス]

Quote:(...) without having to manually search for anything...

That also works on the RevTK flashcard review page by the way... (you never know some people may not notice): the keyword on the flashcard is a link. Clicking the link should open the Study page in a new tab or window.

And of course, if you just wanted to see the story or update it based on how it performed use the S key, which opens a "popup" dialog.



http://kanji.koohii.com/news/2009/4

Quick question, is there any harm using both? I'm at over 600 kanji right now and I study with Anki shortly after I wake up and use RevTK later in the day.

learningkanji Wrote:Quick question, is there any harm using both? I'm at over 600 kanji right now and I study with Anki shortly after I wake up and use RevTK later in the day.

Instead of using both, why not use one and learn more kanji each day?

[ファブリス]

learningkanji Wrote:Quick question, is there any harm using both? I'm at over 600 kanji right now and I study with Anki shortly after I wake up and use RevTK later in the day.

I've noticed people mentioning they use both SRS, sometimes another SRS app on tablet or phone...

Now I realize the reason probably is that you feel that you will remember better by doing more reviews.

Understand that what Heisig recommended is to really strengthen your memory of the primitive system, and put your main focus and effort on creating or adopting stories that are interesting or evocative enough to you.

Then the number of reviews is secondary. I would even recommend that you focus entirely on studying with the book and the Study pages on this site, as a completely independent step of the SRS, and only do your first review on the next day after a night's sleep. If a story didn't survive the night and you have trouble remembering the character components, then make another story. At this point doing more reviews is in fact detrimental as you will be wasting time on the long run, because you can easily remember by repetition early on, but it won't hold after several weeks or months of interruption.

Remember Heisig didn't even use an automated SRS. Whichever SRS you pick, pick ione which you feel comfortable using, but focus on the mnemonic system, and think of reviews as a way of testing whether your mnemonic system is working.

uisukii Wrote:

learningkanji Wrote:Quick question, is there any harm using both? I'm at over 600 kanji right now and I study with Anki shortly after I wake up and use RevTK later in the day.

Instead of using both, why not use one and learn more kanji each day?

I'm trying not to do too much. I feel like if I do too many they will overwhelm me and be harder to remember.

ファブリス Wrote:

learningkanji Wrote:Quick question, is there any harm using both? I'm at over 600 kanji right now and I study with Anki shortly after I wake up and use RevTK later in the day.

I've noticed people mentioning they use both SRS, sometimes another SRS app on tablet or phone...

Now I realize the reason probably is that you feel that you will remember better by doing more reviews.

Understand that what Heisig recommended is to really strengthen your memory of the primitive system, and put your main focus and effort on creating or adopting stories that are interesting or evocative enough to you.

Then the number of reviews is secondary. I would even recommend that you focus entirely on studying with the book and the Study pages on this site, as a completely independent step of the SRS, and only do your first review on the next day after a night's sleep. If a story didn't survive the night and you have trouble remembering the character components, then make another story. At this point doing more reviews is in fact detrimental as you will be wasting time on the long run, because you can easily remember by repetition early on, but it won't hold after several weeks or months of interruption.

Remember Heisig didn't even use an automated SRS. Whichever SRS you pick, pick ione which you feel comfortable using, but focus on the mnemonic system, and think of reviews as a way of testing whether your mnemonic system is working.

I see what you're saying. I have started using this site to study a week or so ago because the book stopped giving stories and I'm not creative enough make my own. If I had to choose between Anki and RevTK I'm leaning towards RevTK mostly because new cards aren't up for review automatically and are only added when you add them.

learningkanji Wrote:I see what you're saying. I have started using this site to study a week or so ago because the book stopped giving stories and I'm not creative enough make my own. If I had to choose between Anki and RevTK I'm leaning towards RevTK mostly because new cards aren't up for review automatically and are only added when you add them.

Remember you can always suspend cards in Anki! That keeps them out of the rep cycle without deleting them. (Whenever I get a new pre-made Anki deck, I always suspend every card and then unsuspend the ones I need as I go. ^^) Unless I misunderstood you, sorry!

Stian Wrote:Personally, I prefer RevTK for learning, since it provides access to stories, and you can manually add each card as you study.

In the RTK deck I'm using, the English keywords are hyperlinked to their respective RevTK story pages, very handy, especially when using mobile clients.

Edit: One thing I like about reviewing here is that it's a whole system dedicated to RTK, and that gives some sense of dedication, but the forum is a click away O_O!