🌸 JLPT N5 Prep Troubles – Need Advice from Fellow Learners 🌸

Hey everyone,

I’m currently preparing for JLPT N5 and honestly, I’m struggling to balance everything. I have a full-time job (10–7) on weekdays, and I attend Minna no Nihongo weekend classes (Sat/Sun 9–1) where they usually cover 2 exercises per week. Right now, I’ve reached Chapter 15.

My Challenges:

Reading: Too slow, I often get stuck on kanji.

Listening: Native speed feels like a bullet train 🚅, I only catch a few words.

Grammar: Understand during class, but forget in daily practice.

Kanji/Vocab: Weak memory, especially mixing up similar ones.

My Questions:

1. Am I going too slow or fast with my progress?

2. Will I realistically be able to crack N5 with a good score in December?

3. Most importantly → I don’t just want the certificate. I want to be able to use Japanese in daily life (listening, speaking, reading).

Looking for:

Your experiences (how you handled work + JLPT prep).

Any effective study methods for someone working full time.

Tools/resources that helped you improve listening & reading speed.

Tips on how to study so the knowledge stays (not just cram for the test).

🙏 Any advice would mean a lot! I want to make sure this journey gives me real Japanese skills, not just a piece of paper.

ありがとうございます！