Just started rtk today ^__^ Tips? Share a thought with me!

Index » RtK Volume 1

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Reply #1 - 2008 November 01, 3:07 pm
Cristina Member
Registered: 2008-10-31 Posts: 13 Website

Hello everyone!! I just found this site a few days ago and just yesterday i FIIIINALLY understood what the whole rtk program is. (cuzz i decided to register) LOL yeah...i know...i bit slow ^^; b...but i have an excuse...the registration page kept sowing me an error >_<

Now that i'm up and going..well...more like informed and going smile I really like the feel this site has, with the great forum and resources ^__^
THANK YOU GUYS for finding out about all those great movie linlks,radios, podcast, AJATT, the cool wallpapers, add-on and so on <3

I actually found out about Heisig's books this summer when i downloaded an almost random torrent with books on studying japanese. I just loved the idea!! and i spent a week learning 140 kanji..then i had some trouble reviewing, taking a lot of time only with that number, and then i had to go on a trip. Not being able to BUY the book...you can't find it in my country(otherwise i'd give almost what ever price to get it) i had to use a digital version...not being able to carry the .pdf around eventually i stopped.
Somehow...unknowing it..i started reading them again...my hands just couldn't let them be smile i watch anime all the time, heck! i even draw anime ^__^ listening to japan-a-radio and other stuff like that all the time (i was doing that before i learned about the AJATT thing! cool i say!! that's how i learned a lot of german words so i thought i'd use it on japanese...watching RTL2)
THEN i came across you guys and today, 1st of november, in my fresh 17 i made a little skewbald (hope i wrote it right XD) and i reviewed up till lesson 8 now...i'm not sure...

I mean, after reviewing i got 3-4 failed so i clicked the red status, it took me study and when i checked studied...i got them in the 2nd row...is that normal? shouldn't i have reviewed them or something?   
and i still feel like i don't know them...the program says i'll review them in 3 days (i think) but isn't that too far away? i'm tempted to review them apart

Also, i downloaded  anki but i'm not sure if i shuld use it...like...i have to know how to read it to impute it in, and then say the meaning...

I think the main thing that's troubling me is, won't i actually forget them if i just see the kanji a bit and then take such a huge break...and 50 a day (i think i can do that much..or at least 30) anyways...should i do some card reviews aside from the reviews here, if i feel like i need it..or maybe some kanji games?


I really hope that i made sense and don't be mean....i'm quite confused right now @.@
i still swallow this whole memory thing hard...it's hard to believe that you can remember something, and for a long term, so easily!

Reply #2 - 2008 November 01, 4:23 pm
Squintox Member
From: Toronto, Canada Registered: 2008-07-27 Posts: 292 Website

You'll forget and you'll remember, but they will get into your head eventually.

What's important in post-RTK is being able to write and recognize it though, not give its English meaning, so don't stress it too much tongue

It's a long journey up ahead, good luck!

Last edited by Squintox (2008 November 01, 4:28 pm)

Reply #3 - 2008 November 01, 4:39 pm
alyks Member
From: Arizona Registered: 2008-05-31 Posts: 914 Website

Hm... I don't know what tips to give you. I suppose I could give some commonsense ones, like "Be nice to your little sister", "Don't mix beer and wine, ever", oh yeah, "Don't drive on the railroad tracks".

Don't worry about long intervals. Read up about spaced repetition and the leitner system. I would also say don't try to "cram" your reviews. As in, don't try to review cards extra times just because you think you won't remember. The good rule is don't give any thought to the amount of time between reviews. Also, write out the kanji from memory. That's the test of remembering.

Watch the screencasts on how to use Anki: http://www.ichi2.net/anki
Put in what you don't want to forget. People who believe in input before output put in Japanese sentences so they don't forget their understanding. Generally people here start off with Heisig and use the review system on this site, then use Anki to remember what they study about Japanese. I myself didn't use this site and instead used Anki for remembering kanji also, because I couldn't use this site with my own method.

But you should finish Heisig before you study Japanese, so you can focus all your efforts on remembering kanji. So because of this, you probably don't need Anki at this stage.

Last edited by alyks (2008 November 01, 4:42 pm)

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Reply #4 - 2008 November 01, 9:22 pm
Transtic Member
Registered: 2007-07-29 Posts: 201

Hi Cristina, welcome and congratulations for entering the world of RTK, SRS, AJATT and all the great tools that are there waiting for us to make good use of them.

As for tips:

- Read a lot about different methods and activities related to what you want to learn.

- Don't just read about them, use (at least some of) them.

- Get used to the idea that you don't have to be perfect at all from the beginning, as also not everything will work from the beginning, so have patience and don't get discouraged.

- Methods and activities are just tools that are there to help you  enjoy your learning experience, they are there to serve you, and not the other way round.

- Don't forget that you are learning because you want to and because you enjoy the experience, don't act like this people (sorry guys, but reading that thread really makes me feel bad).

- Specifically about this site, trust the system and give it some time, most probably you won't regret it.

- Don't take what other people say as the absolute truth, learning is a very personal experience and you have to make your own path.

And finally, the most important thing is...














   Enjoy.     smile

Reply #5 - 2008 November 01, 10:21 pm
stehr Member
From: california Registered: 2007-09-25 Posts: 281

Just don't stop halfway through.  RTK takes a commitment and should be finished in a block amount of time.  If you do stop halfway, and you want to learn them again,  you'll have to start again from the beginning.  Plus if you stop halfway you'll have wasted a lot your time.  So take a look and see if you can set aside 7-10 months to study between 1-2 hours per day (assuming you're an average student).  If not, there's no point in the program, unless you want to learn about mnemonics, or unless you just enjoy casual learning.

Last edited by stehr (2008 November 01, 10:21 pm)

Reply #6 - 2008 November 02, 4:21 am
Cristina Member
Registered: 2008-10-31 Posts: 13 Website

Squintox wrote:

What's important in post-RTK is being able to write and recognize it though, not give its English meaning, so don't stress it too much

Haha yeah :p thanks for answering and i normally don't do that...it takes to long to translate them so in every language, except when i'm asked or something like that, i'm ok if i understand what that phrase means

alyks wrote:

Hm... I don't know what tips to give you. I suppose I could give some commonsense ones, like "Be nice to your little sister", "Don't mix beer and wine, ever", oh yeah, "Don't drive on the railroad tracks".

LoL! I am the little sister big_smile

Yeah..test of remembering b..but isn't it weird,when a card is in the red row you just go to study and if you mark it as learned it goes into a green stack? Or maybe i'm not doing right...like...i should wait till next day and THEN press the study button..not right after reviewing...
Thanks for posting!! And i saw those screencasts but you have to paste the kanji or write it (meaning you gotta know the pronunciation)if you want anki to show it...it's not like you write the word and he generates the kanji, right? (or am i too picky now >_< )

Transtic wrote:

- Specifically about this site, trust the system and give it some time, most probably you won't regret it.

- Don't take what other people say as the absolute truth, learning is a very personal experience and you have to make your own path.

And finally, the most important thing is...Enjoy.

I guess i should wait a few days to get the flow of it...get it in my system haha smile
And yeah!! *smacks forehead* it should be fun...i tend to forget that and be to serious about it all.

stehr wrote:

Just don't stop halfway through.  RTK takes a commitment and should be finished in a block amount of time.  If you do stop halfway, and you want to learn them again,  you'll have to start again from the beginning.  Plus if you stop halfway you'll have wasted a lot your time.  So take a look and see if you can set aside 7-10 months to study between 1-2 hours per day (assuming you're an average student).  If not, there's no point in the program, unless you want to learn about mnemonics, or unless you just enjoy casual learning.

You're soo right! I loose a lot of time witch i could be using for the 2nd half >_<
No, there's no problem..i still can make that commitment 100% sure..that's why i want to learn as much as i can while i'm a student smile I think you just nailed that into my head.




Thanks guys for all your reply!!!!
One more thing before i get going big_smile...you know, my heisig book is digitally but i need to feel the page to be comfortable so..i was thinking...should i print them out or continue writing them by hand in my little notebook. I did this till now but...it's maybe to time consuming? On the other hand i feel like i'm fixing the keyword better in my memory...

Reply #7 - 2008 November 02, 3:32 pm
annabel398 Member
From: Austin TX Registered: 2008-08-04 Posts: 80

I like to write out the kanji two or three times as I'm learning it. It helps me fix the primitives and their relative positions in my head. But lots here don't.

I also write them out when reviewing, which yes, does take a little bit longer, but it keeps me honest. If I write it in the air or on my palm with a finger, I'm more likely to call it right even if it was a little bit (or more than a little bit) off. When it's right there on the page in front of me, I'm more honest with myself. Again, though, many don't write during their reviews.

I think you should do what feels right for you. Me, I enjoy writing and find the kanji powerfully attractive, so I write them. It feels like productive work for me. (Writing them a hundred times apiece definitely would NOT, though!)

(ETA: Also, I like going to my desk and seeing a notebook full of handwritten kanji sitting there :-)

Last edited by annabel398 (2008 November 02, 3:33 pm)

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