Having made some rookie mistakes studying kanji I’d like to share a few tips for getting the most out of your studies.

1.  Memorize the Pronunciation – At first glance this may seem obvious, but between the stroke order and each kanji’s meaning, sometimes the pronunciation gets pushed aside.  Be sure to keep in mind that the pronunciation is equally as important as the kanji and its meaning.  If you haven’t already, be sure to start memorizing each kanji’s pronunciation.

2.  Build Your Own Kanji Guide – While you may have already begun to keep a journal of your kanji or begun to practice them in a special notebook, it will be to your benefit to copy the stroke orders.  The benefit is three-fold:  First, you will learn the proper stroke order, which native speakers will be greatly impressed by.  Second, you will be forced to continually rewrite the kanji while building the stroke order, and Finally, you will have a nice diagram to look back on should you ever forget the stroke order.