Right now, my reviews are going well and progressing decently. However, I struggle the most on that first “post-lesson” quiz, like the 1 question/topic learned right after you first learn your batch of topics for the day. Those I seem to completely blank out on despite having just seen them minutes prior.
Is it cheating to look at the notes for those first? Or if your mind blanks on those first are you supposed to just put some random kana in and then click See Answer?
Don’t cheat. Just get it wrong until you remember it.
If I don’t remember it at all then yeah, random kana and check the answer. Otherwise, I try to think it over for a couple minutes because sometimes I just need to let the topic marinate in my head for a little bit.
I generally try not to check the notes before answering. If there are any that I can’t answer at all on the first go around after the review quiz is done I’ll go back and check the notes and write them down in a notebook. Idk if writing it down actually helps me remember the grammar, but it at least makes me feel like I’m trying 
I totally get how you feel though, this happens to me all the time. I swear grammar just bounces off my head.
The way I did bunpro was FULL of cheating lol and I finished all the grammar and remember most of it now lol.
I kept cheating and checking the review notes over and over again. To be honest, every time I come across a review point on the srs I just re read the full grammar point again.
That’s the way that worked for me
I feel like if you’re doing it immediately afterwards and forgetting, you haven’t really learned the grammar point. I find if I write a few of my own sentences using the grammar point as I study it, it really helps to solidify it.
That being said, you will eventually learn it through exposure regardless. Just make sure you aren’t marking it correct and eventually it’ll stick.
Maybe it’s in how the questions are presented, because I’ll get some of them wrong at first as well. Well, the vocab not the grammar. I’m further than this app has shown me on grammar.
Usually, I can’t remember the spelling of the newer vocab. But, after giving it a few tries, I’ll check my notes. While I know here it’s technically “cheating” I generally get it right the 2nd or 3rd review.
So, I think it is in the difficulty of the fill in the blank for me as the first exercise. If it were multiple choice for a round or two and then fill in the blank, I’d get it, as that’s how I’ve been functioning with Reword. (You have three options to pick for the quizzed word–MC, typing, regular flashcard.)
I’ve only tried Bunpro for the past couple of days. And I think I’ll get a lot out of it, but I can’t solely rely on this app. I also use a grammar book, which after 80 days is starting to make sense. I also use a couple of SRS apps and a fun app. I will use all tools at my disposal and practice how I want. I’m fairly pleased with my progress although there are probably more efficient ways, but I know I wouldn’t be having as much fun. Just like I know I won’t have fun giving up learning the Kanji, but I do something similar there as well. Recognition, Decomposition, Meaning, Form, Vocab expansion + Pronunciation. I definitely skip all the readings, but pick up one or two in the Recognition and Meaning phases by osmosis. I focus more on the readings with the last step. Although, this isn’t a true linear path, but they’re definitely different stages I’ve identified.
And for me, if I’m having fun with it, I keep learning at a pace I’m comfortable with. I’m starting to break into reading short sentences/passages, and then I’ll add in more writing of my own sentences.
yeah forgetting stuff sucks.
takes about 7 or 8 separate times spread across a decent time interval before it sinks in for me, and then if I don’t see it for a while afterwards, it goes
I spent around 50 hours over multiple sessions in total really trying to understand the concepts behind all the most basic grammar (Which 90% of all other grammar are made of). It suprised me how intricate and nuances those basic stepping stones really are and it took a while to really understand all sides of them.
In return, now, when I see a new grammar point, I can remember it fully after just a few reviews because it, well, just makes sense I guess.
So I suggest you focus on the building-blocks instead of just mindlessly memorizing every grammar point.
Of course I am nowhere near perfect, but if anyone has a question about a grammar point that simply wont stick, you can message me and I can try to explain it the best I can.
it takes like 100 varied instances of exposure with different contexts, etc. to remember a word properly.
if you completely blank on the word, the meaning, and the kanji i would recommend reading through the page again and going through the examples as well.
For vocabulary, I’ve found it helpful to look up the word on Jisho.org and also look up the kanji. I use WaniKani and check out their mnemonics if I’ve not seen the kanji before already. Seeing the pieces of the word and some different contexts tends to help me.
Don’t worry, I think that happens to a lot of us. It can really take a long time to “internalize” grammar and vocab. I’m working on N1 level grammar and vocab right now and I definitely still have days where this happens to me. Like my brain forgets everything I ever learned up until that point. Sometimes I just need to slow down, and sometimes I just need to accept that my brain can’t keep up that day.
You can always look through other sources to get more information/exposure to certain grammar points. Reading things in japanese also helps a lot. (if you’re new to reading then try graded readers first)
I set a goal to learn 20 vocab words a day, and so I tend to forget them when they pop up in the next review… what I do is I purposefully get them wrong, and then once the lesson is finished, I create 2-5 cram reviews on “Missed Items” from the Summary page. It’s a very helpful feature!
Still waiting for the ability to create Missed Item crams from custom crams…
Good idea! I just made a feature request in the Feature Request thread to make crams from missed items and/or ghosts.
I’m the same way haha. I’ve learned that “cheating” on the first immediate review makes no difference for the long-term retention, for whatever reason. I could be fine/know the topic well for every review thereafter, but completely forget the immediate review. I think sometimes the knowledge just needs to integrate into our brain with time, so I wouldn’t worry that much about your first review.