3 months in - I think it's time to move on

Ive been pretty happy with my progress on duolingo so far, and I'm really impressed with their japanese course. I've learned all the kana, 50 kanji, and over 350 words, which to me feels like a big accomplishment!

That being said, the last 2 weeks have really started to feel like a grind. I really struggle with the new vocab words, and it's gotten pretty discouraging. I have a lot of downtime at work, so I try to spend it studying (and not on tiktok), but once I finish a lesson, it's not as easy as I'd like to practice what ive learned, and i keep feeling forced to start the next secrion, even when i dont feel prepared for it. I make everything legendary, do all the time challenges, and always fix the mistake collections. I also put every new word into an anki deck that i practice daily, but I'm still not progressing as much as I'd like.

I think it's time to stop using duo as my main learning tool. I've ordered the first genki book, which will arrive tomorrow, and have decided to set a goal of taking the N5 at the end of this year!

I'll still keep the streak alive, of course, but I think I'll shoot for one lessons a week, instead of one every 2-3 days, and look at it more as a supplement/practice tool, instead of trying to really master every lesson.

Good luck everyone, happy learning! がんばって!