If you miss it, relearn it. If you got it right, no need to relearn it. Somethings just stick better than others, and you get that through reviewing.

Ok, it depends on if you want to "Item Box" or "Time Box".

If you "Item Box", then you do a set amount of Reviews, Review Added Cards, Study Failed Cards, Study New Cards.

For me last year, I did 100 due reviews, reviewed the 25 new cards from day before, studied exactly 25 failed cards, study/added 25 new cards. The review portion took about 20-30 minutes. The studying part took another hour or two.

If you "Time Box", then you do the above, but for distinct times.

I now opt for Time Box. Do as many cards as you can in the allotted time. The order of precedence per day should be: Review due Cards, Initial Review Added Cards, Study Failed Cards, Add/Study New cards. Let's say the work load gets larger. Well, you'll spend most time on reviews. As reviews get spaced out (due to the benefit of SRS), you'll have time left over to do other parts. Because of this, failed cards and new cards add to your work load, so they have to be at the end of the process.

Basically, don't say a set amount per day. Some days will be easier, some will not. It's best to go off time and get what you can get done in that time. You're less likely to go into burn out.

I reviewed as many new cards as I could every day.

I would first do my reviews, then clear my failed pile, lastly do new cards.
Staying in that habit for a set period of time each day made the workload fairly smooth, reviews and new stuff works itself out that way, according to your own speed.

The first few days, all you have is new cards or very recent cards. Expect to add a lot during this time. As time goes on, you're going to have older cards and new cards. In addition to these are failed cards in case you're using RevTK's SRS (Anki handles it differently). So your new cards added have to slow down, or you make the choice to increase your study time.

Reviewing cards take pretty much the same amount of time. So you can make the call right now "I will review XXX cards everyday max". That means no avalanche. You're controlling the amount snow build-up (to hammer the analogy even further). If you use Anki, there's the side benefit that reviews that are held off due to build up of due cards will be re-scheduled on passing based on the longer time you took.

If you write out the kanji for reviews, assume 3 per minute. If you just look at it, assume 5 or 6 per minute. You'll soon find out how long it takes you.

Learning new cards and reviewing failed cards take a little longer. That's up to the person for the averages. For me, failed cards  I gave the same amount of time as new cards if the story is not working. New cards were pretty much pick the right story, adapt as needed, and write it out.

Anyway, whether you time box or item box, you force the SRS to your demands and not the other way around.

PS: Here's my current set-up as I'm doing RTK3

Item Box method:

1. Review maximum of 60 due cards (takes about 20 minutes as I write them out).
2. I learn up to 25 new cards MINUS any missed cards (ex: missed 12 cards, so I'll learn 13 new cards). So, if more than 25 missed cards then I do not learn new cards that day. (takes about 1 a minute, though this depends on the kanji)
3. Study up to 25 missed cards. Usually pretty fast unless there's need to adapt a story.
4. Add all the new cards I just studied, do a quick test on them but I pass them all so it's done in 2 minutes or so.

Step 4 is just my preference. I've just wrote them out and made a story up about them so they're ready for the 2 or 3 day spacing. So at the end of the day, a maximum of 25 cards are added to the 2nd stack.

Anyway, all the above takes about 30 minutes. If you're netting yourself more time, just shift the numbers to fit your schedule.

Last edited by Nukemarine (2009 February 02, 9:23 am)

It's so cute that you believe that.

~J