When I first started RtK I made a point to write out each kanji, and started using an Anki deck. I found it took quite a bit of time and limited myself to about 30-50 kanji in the morning. That 30-50 was either review or new cards. I planned to just "let it take as long as it takes" to get thru the book.

Many people on the forum encouraged me to finish the book ASAP. My classes start again on September 8th and I am leaving to Japan in the end of November. I think that there is value in finishing the book and seeing all the primitives and how they fit in before I start getting new vocabulary and kanji lists from my teacher. After all, the RtK order does not reflect the order I get the kanji in class. In that sense I think it's fine to plow ahead even if I don't retain it all the first time thru.

So for now I have stopped writing the kanji when I see them in Anki. This sharply reduces the amount of time it takes to review them. I do 50 reviews in the morning before work. Then thruout the day I now add sets of 22 cards (1% of the deck).

I think of this as "phase 2" of learning RtK. "phase 1" was about learning the method and making sure I was doing it right. Phase 2 for me is about completing the book.

I expect that when I finish all the cards I'll have a phase 3, which is about cementing what I know.

I'm wondering how many others found that their study of RtK followed a similar arc.

I can't comment on your question exactly, but I believe your reasoning is sound. I've long believed that if there is a best way to learn Japanese, it is different for each persons temperament and goals. For someone who has a fast approaching need to know as much useful Japanese as possible, I believe it is not the time to be a purist. Now is the time to prioritize what will be the most useful and learn it well enough to be put to good use.

I can't claim to know your situation, but judging by what you've written, I might go further and set your leech threshold lower to prioritize the more easily remembered kanji. Either that, or finish RTK lite first to prioritize the most useful kanji so they are more firmly committed to memory.

Don't forget that you can add cards to your deck in any order you choose; this effectively means that if you don't manage to get through all of the RTK I kanji before your classes start up again (or if you simply decide to revert to your original "steady as she goes" approach), then you'll still be able to add any new kanji learnt in the classroom whenever you choose. If you come across something that hasn't yet been covered by RTK I, you can still look it up and, if necessary, learn any new primitives involved.

Writing as someone who is redoing RTK after a gap of several years I'm firmly of the approach that consistency is the key--the first time I went through the first book I broke into a sprint as soon as I caught a glimpse of the finish line, a decision I've long since come to regret. Spending enough time with each kanji to form a vivid image, and not missing reviews are now the cornerstone of my system--nothing groundbreaking, clearly, but something I failed to appreciate the first time round.

At any rate, I don't really think any approach you take need be seen as bad in the long run. If you decide to plough through now and discover that the kanji are sticking, then more power to you. If you find, as I did, that you're having to go back and essentially make new stories for kanji you've already done, then that experience in and of itself will no doubt help you refine your approach to self-study.

Good luck!

Thanks for your support guys!