I'm doing core 10k, around 2k right now, 50 cards a day. How much time do I need to spend looking at a word before clicking show answer and deciding whether to fail the card or not? At first I used to spent about 10-15 secs, but now I'm trying to reduce it to about 3-5 secs. It would all be fine but my percentage really dropped down. The amount of time I throw into Anki has lowered also.
Should I not worry about retention rate right now? Since I don't really have that many mature cards yet, but if they show up I fail about a lil less than a half them.

For me it depends on how I feel... Core2k/6k/10k is not the be all and end all of Japanese. Sometimes I fail them, sometimes I pass them. Anything in my spoken sentences deck just blows away core 2k/6k stuff, which just acts as reinforcement.

A word you can't recall more-or-less instantly isn't a word you really know, so don't worry about your retention rate dropping. 3.1-second reviews here.

Quote:clicking show answer

Don't click, press the space bar (and use the number keys to rate the card with your other hand)

It also takes longer if you write them out for correct kanji/spelling, which I recommend doing for half the cards everyday (at least until you're sure).

Vempele Wrote:A word you can't recall more-or-less instantly isn't a word you really know, so don't worry about your retention rate dropping. 3.1-second reviews here.

Quote:clicking show answer

Don't click, press the space bar (and use the number keys to rate the card with your other hand)

Yeah, thanks I'm using the keyboard, just said it that way so it's easier to understand.
Have you already finished the deck or is it just too easy to memorize the words? I can't possibly understand how someone can do 3.1 sec reviews, without knowing the words very well.

KanjiMood Wrote:It also takes longer if you write them out for correct kanji/spelling, which I recommend doing for half the cards everyday (at least until you're sure).

Thanks. Is your spoken sentence deck self made?

kuljd Wrote:Thanks. Is your spoken sentence deck self made?

Yes, from various sources, its just a sentence on one side with the reading in kana and English translation on back side with quick grammar notes if necessary. I also select certain cards to have an audio front side if they contain complicated words, I then transcribe the important kanji as I hear them (in my head, don't need to write it physically obviously). Doing it this way you just remember everything automatically almost, especially when the word pops up in core6k later..

If I don't have audio for a sentence I don't add it.. 9/10.

kuljd Wrote:Have you already finished the deck or is it just too easy to memorize the words? I can't possibly understand how someone can do 3.1 sec reviews, without knowing the words very well.

Recalling new vocab just gets that easy after a certain point, you build up an intuition for it. Also, I already knew 85% of Core2k when I started, and much of the remaining 15% is just a logical extension of that.