What would be an ideal amount of study time per day/week

I've been learning Japanese for 3 weeks now I've been using Rosetta Stone though i find it too overwhelming and have started from scratch using.

Genki + Heisigs Remembering the Kanji.

The trouble is when i first started i must have done about 4 hours a day in 2 2 hour chunks. This turned out to be quite counter-productive as I seemed to forget half of it and became quote stressed.

I tried just doing half hour a day but found it wasn't really enough.

Could anyone recommend a daily schedule or similar for me to adhere to which would help me a lot.

I am unemployed so can learn in the day.

The optimum times of the day are 1pm-3pm 4pm-6.30pm and 7-9pm if that any help.


cheers

As much as possible... would be the ideal amount. Regardless of how much you do break it up into 1h sessions and do something relaxing in between.

I find it easier not to try and schedule anything. You become less willing if your timeing youself and limiting what you are doing each day/session. Forcing yourself to do something leaves you half-hearted and you will not remember much compared to when your interested in what you are doing.

Whenever you have time, study. Even if its only for 10min or 6 hours, do it. Only stop when its no longer fun and feels like a job. Then take some time off and come back when your excited about it again.

My opinion is that even if it is fun, after a while you lose focus.
Whilst I agree to a certain extent, I disagree on the point that it never should be forced.
If you undertake to master a language via active learning, you will sooner or later arrive at a point where certain study activities will become soul destroying. If you are able to force yourself that is an advantage. Most people don't find the learning process interesting, but what they may do with the elements they have learnt, in addition there is the joy of accomplishment. The stronger your discipline, the more effective your studies will be, and the more joy you will derive through the above mentioned ways.

I mean, honestly, imagine learning car parts vocabulary. Unless you're into the whole thing, you will feel like a slave on a Roman galley.

If you've learned something new or revised something old then no matter how long it took, be it 10 mins or 4 hours, then that is good enough per day. I find trying to make schedule bothersome, it actually discourages me. Obviously for some people they find it good to have a set routine of some sort for learning, but I'd rather learn whenever I had the time throughout the day using various learning tools.

Also something important to note is that it depends on your frame of mind when you want to study, because in the end it's not something you have to do, so if your having a crappy day then you might think "I'll make up for it tomorrow" or whatever and that kind of thinking leads you downhill fast most of the time.

Last thing, don't try too much, you've been studying 3 weeks? Then its touch and go, if you do too much you'll burn out, keep it at a pace you feel you can not should. And most importantly, enjoy it.

You do need to put in a certain amount of time, but I think it is even more important how you put in the time. Some techniques work better than others and some kanji are more important (more common) than others. I combine learning software like mnemosyne (to learn progressively) and while writing to get the most out of my study.

Everyone learns differently, so find the methods that work best for you. I find that first thing in the morning and right before bed are the best times for me to study and remember what I learn. That a lone saves me a lot of extra study time.