The challenge was intended to get people pumped about learning more vocabulary, and for one user from Mexico City, it did that and more:
“When I read the about the Extreme Challenge I was very excited. Firstly, because I’ve never been lucky when it comes to being randomly picked, so knowing that if I completed the challenge in time I would get a prize was really enticing. Secondly, the fact that I’d be able to achieve the 25-hour target in 25 or in 2 days helped me feel that I could be able to achieve it no matter how hectic my schedule was. Moreover, the timing for the challenge couldn’t have been better. On May 20th I was taking the HSK for the first time.
It wasn’t easy to complete the challenge though. I’ve always read in awe about those superhuman users featured in the newsletter who can skritter for more than 60 hours a month and wondered how they manage to achieve such a feat. I don’t know if it’s my internet speed or my computer being over the hill (3 years in computer years can be a lot), but an hour of Skritter often takes me 2 or 3 real-world hours. However, I love challenges and am quite eager to do things that seem difficult for me (I guess must of us studying Chinese or Japanese are this way). I believed that preparing for the HSK would get me to devote more than enough time to Skritter, ironically it was after the exam that I had more time for it.
I like the things Skritter does when you reach a certain amount of time: 5 minutes, 20 minutes, 1 hour… I don’t think I had ever been past the 2-hours mark, but in order to complete the challenge I had to make a couple of intensive sessions, which allowed me to receive more than one round of applause from Skritter, a suggestion about being in comfortable chair and a reminder about daily exercise (which was really funny because I had kind of neglected physical exercise just to complete the challenge).
I also found some very interesting vocabulary lists available from Skritter. I had mostly focused on practicing the vocabulary lists from my textbooks, and I had planned to check other lists after I finished those ones. Therefore, in normal times I would try to reduce the items on my queue, review my current lesson’s vocabulary and call it for the day. This time, I decided to check out other lists and I’m glad I did, there are so many, much more interesting and practical. They’ll certainly become an important part of my study from now on.
It was difficult for me to choose the prize because I really want them all. I’m choosing a Wacom because I think it will last the longest, I’ve read some great stuff about it in Skritter and it’s something I would use everyday. I will definitely participate in the following Challenges and I hope I’ll be able to collect them all.
I would like to thank the Skritter team for changing the way I study hanzi, for their continuous improvements and for finding fun ways to motivate Skritterers like me to study even more. “