Hi there,
I don’t have a very long history with Chinese, but I really relate to your approach. Like you, I didn’t have much time to dedicate to it and was looking for something simple—something I could easily pick back up without pressure.
Since I’d already learned another language online before (on clic-campus), I realized that for me, consistency mattered more than speed. With Chinese, I quickly saw that there’s no real “quick” method in the strict sense, especially because of the tones and pronunciation. That said, short, well-structured formats helped me make progress without getting discouraged.
I didn’t take in-person classes at first, and it wasn’t essential for me. I mostly worked with materials I could access whenever I had a moment, even just 15–20 minutes. Classes can definitely help with correcting pronunciation, but I’d say it really depends on your goal and motivation.
Looking back, accepting that slow but steady progress was more helpful than searching for a miracle method. And taking breaks when needed, without guilt, is part of the learning process too 😊