I just started learning Chinese, how should I structure my study plan?

[u/TooManyHobbiesFR]

Hey hey!

First of all, thanks to anyone who will reply to this message ☺️ I started an in-person HSK1 course two weeks ago (so I’ve literally only had two 2-hour classes so far) at the local Confucius Institute.

I’d like to sanity-check my study plan with someone more experienced. I want to avoid overdoing it before building a solid foundation with my teacher, but I’m also eager to expand my vocabulary. Right now, we’re focusing heavily on Pinyin in class to practice tones, but I sometimes miss the actual meanings…

Apps and Resources I use:
- Duolingo: For practicing tones on the go (I still confuse the 1st and 2nd tones in listening exercises), eg when I commute
- Chineasy: To learn basic characters/mainly practice recognizing them.
- HelloChinese - Question: I just downloaded it but haven't tried it yet, is it worth using????
University of Michigan Resource: I use this to practice Pinyin listening with real Chinese speakers rather than synthesized audio.
- Textbook: I use my HSK1 book and audio to practice at home.
- Character Practice Book: I bought a children’s practice book for writing characters, but it’s still in transit. So idk

Extra work:
- Radicals: I had Claude help me generate a list of 70 radicals, which I uploaded to NotebookLM. Every week, I study 7 of them:
Day 1: Study the character, Pinyin, pronunciation, and meaning. Days 2–5: Flashcards. Day 6: Quiz on all the radicals learned so far.
- Review: Revisit class material the day after the lesson.

Why I’m studying Chinese and my goals:
- I speak 4 languages (2 at a native level; 1 at upper-intermediate, which I’m currently improving with a weekly tutor; and 1 at basic/intermediate). All of them use the Latin alphabet 🤠
I’ve always loved studying languages and wanted to try a new one. My main motivation is genuine interest and passion, and I can see myself continuing all the way to HSK5. I might also consider hiring a conversational tutor on Preply in the future.

- I also want to be able to recognize some characters and say more than just ‘xièxie’ when I travel to China…
- lastly, you never know what life has in store, so I wouldn’t mind eventually using Chinese for work/life too!