Comments on: Secrets to Smoother SRSing, Part 5: Timeboxing

By: Aaron Tang

Aaron Tang — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 06:28:30 +0000

I think time boxing was something that actually motivated me to do to my Reps, as through time-boxing, i am spending the least possible time on the language whilst achieving a very level of productivity. In addition, time boxing allows me to treat Japanese like a “game” and venture for new methods to make the process more efficient.

Excellent Post!

By: Day 189 : The Fine Apps

Day 189 : The Fine Apps — Sun, 25 Sep 2011 18:30:45 +0000

[…] wasting an awful lot of time distracted by the internet. I need to focus.Goals: – Do timeboxing (for the 99999th time). – Read more (optionally add a chain for reading). – Be exposed […]

By: Einar

Einar — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 11:01:46 +0000

Sebastian V@ Apros IQ tests, i once read abit about the IQ test system. I instantainiously went up 10 points when i took a test, did i get smarter? No, course not, there is no such thing as being smart, just how used you are to diffrent stuff, a very ambiguos thing indeed. If someone dedicates their next couple of years to training ther IQ test skills they can with no doubt score 200 and beyond every time.

By: The current battle plan « 我輩はブリートである。

The current battle plan « 我輩はブリートである。 — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 03:39:32 +0000

[…] top of the usual benefits of timeboxing, the increasingly shorter segments present something of a psychological carrot-on-a-stick – […]

By: Sebastian V.

Sebastian V. — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 07:44:56 +0000

Whoops, wrong article I guess…

By: Sebastian V.

Sebastian V. — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 07:40:25 +0000

>>>Did you know that your score will go up each time you take an SAT or JLPT or even an IQ test? Did ya suddenly become more scholastically apt? Did ya get smarter? Do ya know more Japanese than 5 minutes ago?

Actually, yes. According to what I learned from AJATT.com, just by reading the JLPT questions I am in a way learning Japanese. 😉

By: David

David — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 11:19:17 +0000

I did a time box test yesterday, but not quite like it’s outlined here. — What I did was, I used a program that tracks how long you’re working on something, and to stop it, you switch the active activity to “Off-clock.” What I noticed was that I learn Kanji much quicker than I originally thought. This was both, motivating and relieving. What this also did for me was track how much time I spent being distracted from actually making progress. If I wasn’t distraction free and thinking only on the character at hand, then I would off-clock. One other thing that I think this helps is that, like the time-boxing method outlined above, it gives you a slight pressure to keep moving. I tried to keep each Kanji under 5 minutes. I ended up getting ahead of time, but then came an overwhelming amount of distraction. (I’m home this week from college, so family is being quite demanding of my attention. Note: never, ever have younger sisters. If your parents are considering having another child, tell them not to. 😉 ).

Anyway, I just wanted to share that bit of experience I had with some form of Time-Boxing. It does help keep me on task. And now, off to make some progress.

By: Max

Max — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 03:51:11 +0000

@ Rob
On weekdays, I generally don’t have much time for reps before 10 PM or so, so I have to admit that I’ve cut the “writing” part out my reps for the most part…

I don’t like it, but I figured that review and new knowledge have a higher priority for the time being.

That site is great, btw! Definitely looks like there’s some fun to be had there, thanks a lot 😀

By: Rob

Rob — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 01:25:29 +0000

1-2 minute SRSing? Interesting idea, but when I hear that it makes me curious about something. When you (including all readers) are SRSing, what percentage of the time are you dictating and writing out the full sentence?

I nearly always write out the sentence after listening to it, which takes more time of course, so doing only 1-2 minutes would probably only get me through 1 or 2 sentences. I prefer doing it this way, but I can help but wonder if more people are doing it differently.

On a side note, I came across this site:

www.freshverse.com/tv.php

This is a first. It is live Japanese TV (usually it’s on Fuji テレビ) that is embedded on the webpage so no external player is required. Pretty sweet.

By: Squintox

Squintox — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 12:21:03 +0000

I recommend anyone using Anki to download the RLC Blitzer Plug-in. It’s a plug-in that can help you “timebox”.

Say, you open Anki, and have 300 reviews, initially you do 10 reps. And then the Blitzer asks if you want to keep going; “5 more cards”, “1 more card”, “Enough”. It will prompt you a minute later if you want to keep going, if you pressed enough. Try it! It’s very useful, I get through about 300 reviews in 2 hours with it, and it makes it a lot easier!

By: khatzumoto

khatzumoto — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 10:18:28 +0000

Momoko and I went to college together, so we’ve known each other a long time 😀 …

By: jamesFALLEN

jamesFALLEN — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 09:11:53 +0000

Total non learning related question here,

hey katz,
how did you meet momoko so fast. Since I assume you had just recently came to Japan before choosing an apartment…? Love the whole site man. I have been following the methods exactly for about 5 months now. Really inspirational bro.

james

By: Nukemarine

Nukemarine — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 08:07:17 +0000

It may seem minor, but a few years back I began to take the Two-Face (from Batman) approach to indecision. If I really was indecisive about something down to two choices, I flipped a coin and stuck to it. Plus, if it turned sour, I just blamed luck and not my choice. I’m not sure if there’s psychology behind it, but I think people on average feel better following choices made by other people or even fate. Plays on your time boxing method, as the clock is making the call and not you. That we’re the one that flipped the coin (and decided which decision is assigned which), or turned on the clock (and decided what the task will be, and for how long) is irrelevant.

By: km

km — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 04:54:10 +0000

Thanks, Khatz. This is something I have been suspecting for a while and now I will give it a go!

By: Ken

Ken — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 21:24:58 +0000

*sigh*

I’ve had a week to write three papers for my Monday English class, but I’m just now starting on them. At close to 4:30pm Sunday afternoon.

I think it’s about time I give this timeboxing thing a try if only to lessen the chances of suddenly dropping dead from self-inflicted stress.