I wondered how many reviews people tended to have using the 'next 5 days' feature. I've currently got 950 ish, and this seems high. Previously I've been around the 600 mark, but it just seems to be growing at the moment. Is this because I'm learning new words?

It's starting to feel like a never ending quest....

Just 950, that where a long time ago I had that low numbers;-) I am currently at 1500+ and yes, that is because I have added a lot lately. It also depends how you have graded the items and what retention rate you use. I use 97% So I do get a lot of reviews and I surely needs them. Life is an endless quest and so is learning so I see this as very welcome.

What is this setting and is it available on iOS app. I skritter every day and usually have about 300 reviews, which I try and clear every day.

1375

What's this feature you speak of o.O.

We are talking about a feature from the web app. On the study page on the web app you have in the upper right corner a text saying (click to calculate). Do that and you can see a prediction of your reviews for the coming 5 days. Click on any of the numbers and you can see it for the coming month. This number will change a great deal due to what you add, how much you practice etc. so it is only a guide.

mine varies from 1500 - 3000 on good days and bad days..!
This is what SRS is supposed to do.

Thanks all, it's useful to get an idea of where others are.

But it does seem that the more you learn, the more reviews, so the more work you have to do to just 'keep afloat' {sigh}

Sandeep - what's SRS?

What are people's retention rates like? I sit at about 85% even though I have set it at 95%. My word writings and tones are usually down at about 70%.

@bjnsharp
mine is 82. I think you are adding a ton of words everyday. Are you importing things you learned in memrise to skritter as well? This way you will reach 10000 words in an year and change..

on a side note do you know the link for NPCR book 2's course on memrise.com ? I searched yet couldn't find it.

I added all of book 1 and 2 because I knew all the meanings and could read them but not write. Now I have started adding book 3 in preparation for my second year of my degree (I will study book 3 and 4) recently I haven't added that many new characters or words because I am not as familiar with them, although I have seen lots on memrise. I'm hoping to have 2500 characters before next May when I go study in China for a year. I have looked on memrise and there is no list for the other books. There are individual lists for the lessons but I started studying the HSK lists instead. I have been favouring skritter recently over memrise though as I find I learn all aspects of the characters and words rather than memrise where I just learn to recognise the English meaning for them. Skritter has helped me make a lot more associations between characters that I just want seeing on memrise.

I can't see Click to Calculate on the Study page (iPod). Where is it?

@chinesecatherine, SRS is Spaces Repetition System. That is what Skritter,Anki etc are about. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spaced_repetition_system

@zeppa, This feature is not available on the IOS(Ipod) app. You only find it at the web version.

@bjnsharp .. since how long you have been learning chinese?

@chinesecatherine..
since how long you have been learning chinese? why are you learning it ?

As mandrinbos said SRS is spaced repetition system. briefly it tries to estimate when you will forget a word and try to make you review the word just around that time.
One will have large numbers in pending reviews in any of the underneath cases:-

1) One adds too many words
2) One stays away from Skritter(SRS) for days
3) One has exceptionally bad memory and keeps forgetting more often than usual human beings.

One will have small number of reviews in all the contrary scenarios as above.
Hope it makes sense.

@mandarinboy Thanks - the word 'app' confused me, I thought app meant iPod and program meant Web.

@Sandeep I've actually been learning Chinese for about 4 years, but admit it's been sporadic! I started when I was an admissions officer for a University, dealing with lots of Chinese transcripts. I always had a translation, but worked out a few of the characters as a bit of a distraction, and it sort of went from there. So for me, it all started with 大学 (university, for those who don't know).

I've been using skritter since May, and it has helped so much. I feel I'm starting to formalise what I've done informally before, and I admit the discipline is good for me too - I can feel an improvement!

And thanks for the definition of SRS too - I knew about the concept, but couldn't remember the name. Again, because of what I do for a living, SRS will always mean 'Student Record System' to me :)