So I'm pretty close to mastering Hiragana, and soon I will be learning the Katakana. From there, the real challenge begins; learning the Kanji!

The only problem is, I'm not really sure how to go about doing this. I have been learning the Hiragana through flashcards and written practice and will most likely do the same for the Katakana. However these are syllabaries and are only about 46 characters each with slight variations.

The Kanji features over 3000 characters in regular use and memorising them will be a completly different experience to the kana.

My understanding is that Japanese people are taught about 100 or so each school year until they leave high school. I'm not sure how it is structured but I would imagine they begin with common kanji and work towards less common ones.

I've heard that this isn't a good way for foreigners who already speak another language and they should learn by 'Radical'. The only problem is I cannot find a clear definition of a radical, or how to go about learning them this way.

Another method I have heard is learning by stroke count. I suppose it is a sensible way to structure but I don't see the point if stroke count doesn't hold any significance to the kanji's meaning.

What is a 'radical' and how should I use them to learn Kanji? And, is this a good way to learn?

Or, would I be better using the stroke count or school method?

What way did/are you learning? And what are the pro's and con's?

Thanks!