I’m level 2 on WaniKani and finally figured out that I wasn’t supposed to be using it alone, so I came here. However, without mnemonics BunPro is way harder, and I’m not sure how much lessons should I be doing. At what interval should I be doing them, etc. Anything helps.
Without mnemonics I can’t recall some things, so I pretty much get stuff wrong even in the lesson itself. Is this common or am I just really bad at remembering?
Welcome to BunPro! It’s a lot of fun once a grammar concept ‘clicks’ in, but it also covers listening, speaking, reading, writing…not the same as kanji so it’s a different challenge. The SRS works a bit a different here too so everyone has a different pace too. Some grammar points have more depth than others too.
For new beginner, I may recommend checking out a book path on BP since the readings and sentences will likely leave questions. Genki I’m guessing is the most popular, Tae Kim is free but not a workbook, Minna I hear is good too. A path helps fill the gaps; there is a lot of info to cover for the basics like getting comfortable with conjugations and they built into new grammar points. I may suggest the dictionary series too, at least just the yellow one which cover a lot of ground and very helpful for many questions and exceptions. Also may suggest an italki tutor (even just to meet once or twice a month) help answer questions and help practice new found grammar skills; feel free to post them on WK or BP boards too.
I think that BunPro will make a lot more sense for you - and you’ll struggle less remembering! - if you work through it with a textbook. That way, you’ll be encountering the grammar elsewhere, so that’ll help - you’ll be able to go “Oh, I’ve read that in a sentence” and make the links there, and so on. My personal favourite textbook is Minna no Nihongo, but I did go in with full mastery of kana, a fair whack of kanji under my belt, and the grammar basics. I’ve heard Genki is a lot more beginner friendly. Tae Kim is a great resource for checking new grammar points, but as s1212z mentioned, not a workbook so I don’t recommend sitting and just straight trying to learn from that.
As regards lessons, I would take it easy. Add 5 each time, perhaps? Or if that’s a lot, 2 or 3. There’s really no rush! You can cherry pick what grammar points you add to reviews, too.
Don’t worry about pace too much. I got over N5 after 3 months. I was also a beginner when i started. I never used a text book. But the feeling is real click i have been suprised at how many sentences i could understand after starting here. Totally worth it. Keep on fighting👍
As someone past the beginner phase of study, I’d say take your time. Learning a language is a marathon not a sprint. Especially a language as difficult as Japanese can be. It took me a few months to get through N5 and almost all of N4, but I also reset my progress too. Don’t be afraid of that.
“Each time”? You mean each time I complete a review I add more?
That would get overwhelming pretty quick, I think! I used to add a couple of new items daily, but now it’s more like twice a week at most (I’m at N2 though).
There’s really no hard or fast “best” way to do it, because it all depends on how much time you can put in, whether you mind big review chunks coming up, how much you’re getting the stuff already in your review queue, etc.
3 new points a day maximum if you study at least an hour a day. 1 a day is a nice pace if you’re in no hurry.
By study you mean reading books or the “readings” section?
I think s1212z has a lot of good recommendations worth following. My advice would be to find a steady rythm, start a habit and some rules to follow. The quickest motivator killer is falling too far behind on reviews, something you might not notice the first month or two when everything is new and exciting and you steam ahead. Three months in, the situation might be different. Take your time, but be consistent.
I saved the bunpro page as a shortcut on my phone, positioned it in the most easy to access place, directly over the home button, on the start screen.
Whenever I use my phone it works as a reminder to do my reviews if I haven’t done them for the day.
Whenever I commute, I do my reviews, at least 20, but max 40 per day, every day. It’s a good pace if you are mostly on your phone and you can take some extra time to think about the sentences. Also it is an amount that is easy enough to get through at 2330 if streaks are something that motivate you 
Whenever I drop below 30 qued up reviews I add max 5 grammar points that week, spread over some days.
Wow N5 in three months! That’s super inspiring 
!!
I actually have a similar question… but different. 
I am currently level 15 on WK and I have 20 years of “learning” Japanese experience. By “learning” I mean that I can understand a lot of conversational Japanese. I can read up to level 15 of WK in Kanji but prior to 125 days ago when I started that craziness, I knew the kana and maybe 100 Kanji (meanings mostly, barely any readings).
With WK, there is a pace you can keep to level up in X number of days. BunPro is totally open; I can learn as much or as little as I want/can.
Since I started BunPro this week, what is a way to know whether I am going to fast and will regret it? With WK, seeing Apprentice items and keeping them below 100 as many in the WK forums suggested has kept me grounded. When I had over 200 Apprentice items it was daily pain.
In the spirit of trying to keep this manageable, I have only done 33/111 of the N5 lessons over 4-5 days. It hasn’t gotten bad and checking in 3 times a day as I do WK seems to be manageable.
Thoughts?
Thanks in advance!
These were the 3 options I considered when I started:
I chose #1, adding the bulk of N5/4 in just a few days resulting in months of very high review counts which were eventually kicked into higher SRS patterns and then burned. I figured just to use the entire platform, if I know already then should be easy or if I forgot, glad I reviewed. For me, I always clear WK reviews daily and then mix around BunPro and other studies accordingly. My BP review count is usually hanging but I’m ok with that. I prefer not to blast through BP reviews either just by key word either; so reading and listening comp are part of the platform or look up grammar info, vocab mining, etc…I don’t feel rushed either. I started as conversational comfortable as well, but kanji not so good, so I actually like grammar study more but preferred to work on weak areas through WK to help build vocab and reading skills. Hope this helps, good luck!
whatever works for you.
not the pace, but consistency is the key.
on the other hand, “just 5 minutes in a day you can learn any language” advertising is shit though.
i started so fast, then burned myself out. now i’m taking my time.
Couldn’t agree more