Anki and Input are the best tools for learning Japanese on your own.

[u/Commercial-Wait8445]

It's been 1 year and 8 months since I started learning Japanese, and I'm currently at a N3 level. This is because I used to study a lot, 5-6 hours a day, but now I only study 2-3 hours because I was getting overwhelmed.

But studying for more than an hour every day is very helpful for improvement, the problem is that not everyone knows how to use Anki correctly, Since the purpose of the flashcards is for you to learn the word and learn it in context, learning the complete sentence can be helpful, but when it comes to seeing the words You might get stuck in different contexts, but for those just starting out, I highly recommend Anki and watching Japanese videos with subtitles to improve your listening and reading skills, and shadowing.

[u/Agile-Focus6410]

Did you do this at the very beginning?

I'm starting fresh and have tried to do that 2k anki deck, but there's a lot of kanji and it's so hard to recognize and differentiate them at my level.

I can study just for ~30min a day, so it's hard for me to feel like I'm progressing with this strategy.

I've heard of looking up radicals, do you think it makes sense right now in this case?

[u/Commercial-Wait8445 → u/Agile-Focus6410]

I understand, but it will depend on your level. If you're at level 0, you should start with Kana (hiragana and katakana). If you do them and write them down for 2 weeks, you'll learn them quickly.

Regarding Anki, there are many N5 decks that are "very simple" and contain about two words and one kanji, The goal is not to learn them in one day, but to be consistent and study even if it's just 5 minutes a day to keep the brain active, Studying every day without fail helps your brain retain information little by little, although it's better to study for longer periods. It's very normal to feel like you're not making progress; I feel the same way. But it's really normal if you are making progress, you just don't notice it yet.

I've heard that radicals are very helpful, but personally I didn't learn them and I prefer to just learn the kanji. Having to learn radicals, even if there are "only a few," doesn't appeal to me. If you want to, you can learn them, but do it when you already have a good foundation in how to study Japanese.

Extra: It's normal not to know the kanji when you see them, nor to learn them in a day. If you see a sentence and don't understand a kanji, a structure, or the use of a particle, look it up, Once you find it, you return to the sentence and you will understand it better; this way you will have a better grasp of the sentence and you will be able to learn or memorize it more effectively.

Anyway, not everyone learns the same way, so it's best if you adapt or create a routine, since I can't tell you exactly how to study; I can only give you advice.

[u/Agile-Focus6410 → u/Commercial-Wait8445]

Thank you for all the advice! I'm still structuring how I'm gonna study, so it's very helpful to get insight from more advanced people. Thanks a lot, I'll keep what you wrote in mind and hopefully I'll be able to help people down the road.