The Student Room Group

Ritalin, modafinil and other exam-performance enhancing drugs

Poll

Choose from one of the following

I've read at least a couple of articles in papers and science journals this month about the increasing number of students taking drugs to improve their exam performance.

I'd like to get a rough idea of how many people take, or know someone who takes, such drugs. It would also be interesting to hear any stories about this type of thing.

I can't deny that I feel tempted to try modafinil because I've heard such promising things about how it improves memory and other areas of the brain, while being virtually free of side effects and with no risk of addiction or dependence. What are your views?


(I don't think it's inappropriate to post this in the exams forum as it's entirely related to exams and happens to be where most exam-taking-students are)

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I wonder if Justin Gatlin or Floyd Landis took performance enhancing drugs for their exams......
Reply 2
No Justin Gatlin used it while he was running. </sarcasm>
Reply 3
i didn't even know there was such a thing as exam performance enhancing drugs! where can i get these things?!:p: :rolleyes:
I doubt many people on here would have taken them or would want to.

Personally, I'd love to try modafinil - you could stay up the night before the exam too. The only difficulty is getting hold of the stuff :biggrin:.

while being virtually free of side effects and with no risk of addiction or dependence

Besides several mentionings in new scientist, I haven't heard about much research into it (probably because its fairly new). It would be foolish to assume it's perfectly safe, I think.
Reply 5
Hooray comments!

wave_o_mutilation
Besides several mentionings in new scientist, I haven't heard about much research into it (probably because its fairly new). It would be foolish to assume it's perfectly safe, I think.



Actually it isn't new: it was first mentioned in newscientist in 1991.

And it has been found only to cause mild side effects (i.e. stomach pains, feelings of sickness, etc) in less than 1% of cases. Hell, it looks safer than paracetamol. For completeness I should mention an article in the last week or so saying that one person who took modafinil in a study was in a fatal condition, but it hasn't been determined whether that was caused directly by modafinil or not.

I know it was a long shot to think someone on this forum might use modafinil or ritalin but apparently the use of ritalin has been growing rapidly among students in the US - the sunday times reported up to 20% take ritalin before exams.
Modafinil seems impossible to get though. Unless you fake narcolepsy.. .
Reply 7
i dont see how taking ritalin would help... it doesnt help much unless you actually have ADHD and need something to focus your mind.
The only supplement i take for examinations is my daily Fish Oil intake. Whilst it would be useful to boost your performance, it seems that the steps required to actually get your hands on this medication is a little desperate. You'd be better of spending your time revising rather than preparing a monologue to convince your doctor of the need for a prescription :smile:
Reply 9
So students need drugs to be good these days?
Xexxhoshi
So students need drugs to be good these days?


apparently so
does cannabis count, people at my old school had this before exams...
Reply 12
andy_cole2
does cannabis count, people at my old school had this before exams...


But did they take it with the aim of improving their performance in the exams? If they did then it doesn't count unfortunately.
That would be really silly, as some of the well documented side effects are lessened concentration and some memory loss lol. A friend of mine got high the night before an exam because he couldn't sleep, and he failed fairly spectacularly lol.
Reply 14
Xexxhoshi
So students need drugs to be good these days?

I don't think this is true. I think that they need drugs when they are ill like when they need an hormone therapy. They don't need drugs to be good in this days.
I haven't taken any of these drugs and I don't know anyone who has. I don't see how they'd improve exam performance, but even if they do, I'd rather get a grade because I revised and knew my stuff than because I cheated and took a drug, just like if I was a body builder, I'd rather win a competition because I was naturally the strongest than because I cheated and took steroids.
Reply 16
You are perfectly right kellywood_5. I agree with you in totally. The drugs aren't good. The worst thing is that this medicines can be taken from foreign online pharmacies child.
Reply 17
Exam performance enhancing drugs probably don't work. But I hear pro-plus and other caffeine based drugs are good for longer and more effective revision.
Reply 18
They work (I would guess).
Reply 19
If I understand correctly modafinil is the caffiene alternative that keeps you up?
That would work, due to its lack of groggy side effects youd get with pro plus of caffiene... in that you couldnt physically stay up all night with the latte two then be completely funcitonal the next day, whereas hat I understand with modafinil you can.

But its prescription only.
As for ritalin... this is just a stimunlant like any other, but I think I would be inclined to try modafinil instead due to the ADHD connections of ritalin. But in theory, it might work....

but then both these would only work as it would give you more time to revise, I don't think they improve memory.

IF they did, the yes I'd take them.