How to budget time between Vocab, Grammar, and Kanji

There has been a lot of good suggestions in this thread but just to emphasise some points I think are important.

  • You should do what works for you and what works for your goals.
  • You should be realistic about what is achievable given the time and effort you put in (Japanese takes thousands of hours to get okay at).
  • Your main source of learning should be using the language naturally (input/ouptut).
  • Input comes before output (but you still have to practice output).
  • If native sources of input are still too hard for you then use every trick available to you to make it easier (rewatching, yomitan, grammar study, cramming core vocab, graded readers, anything).
  • As per all of the above, SRS should exist in service of actually using the language (so don’t burn yourself out on it for no reason).
  • Above all: just keep going and don’t stop.

In terms of dividing time, I would strongly suggest just trying things out and see what you like. Try something for a few months and see how you feel. As you can tell from the replies in this thread, everyone has their preferences. Preferences also change over time and along with goals. If you are earnestly studying and at least somewhat doing what I laid out above then you will get okay at Japanese sooner or later. Good luck and keep going!

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