Rating every nootropic combination I've tried as a college student
This post will be a record of nootropics (and combinations) I have tried as a college student, with notes about which ones worked and which ones did not. These anecdotes should be considered only as anecdotes, and one’s efforts with nootropics as a supplement.
With that in mind, here are the nootropics I’ve used:
modafinil, piracetam, phenibut, alpha-gpc, l-theanine, noopept, caffeine
Note that I used intermittently, not as a daily routine.
Modafinil 200 mg, sliced into 50 mg dose
Rating: A+
Use case: Long-term task (a project that's due, or working through an entire problem set if you can put your mind into it).
Cons: Sleep can be wrecked
it's not really a nootropic but a dopamine reuptake inhibitor (increases dopamine levels).
A great way to see how it works is like throwing something sticky onto a wall. You'll stay on that task for as long as it's there. But it doesn't really help with motivation. It doesn't work if what you are doing is something you hate. You need brain power (ideally a to‑do list beforehand) to start. Once it starts you'll be soaked in for hours. It's great but not an everyday thing because I feel like it messes up sleep or you don't get quality sleep the day of and the day afterward.
I've done it 1x a week, 2x a week (spaced apart).
Combination: With coffee, you get more anxious but more of a "get stuff done" and that caffeine buzz... Sleep will be harder, however.
Piracetam
Rating: B
Use case: Problem solving / absorbing new information (math homework, music instrument, and anthging similar)
Cons: Dosage may vary
sometimes I get agitated easily or have a gloomy mood about 6 hours after the dose.
Combination
- Piracetam (1200 mg tablet)
some stimulation; I had more stamina and mental activity did not seem as difficult as it seemed. Felt more engaged in work.
- Piracetam (1200 mg tablet) + caffeine + L‑theanine:
light, but absorb information quickly (rating boosts to B+).
- Piracetam (1.2 g–2.4 g powder weighed) + caffeine + L‑theanine:
felt kinda dirty, not too sure. It feels like it isn't as clean as the tablet but it might be placebo. I feel the piracetam effects but more rough, I guess. Better for bulk and price. You can say that it's the same piracetam tablet, but less refined.
Piracetam (1.2 g powder) + caffeine + L‑theanine + Alpha‑GPC (this combo boosts to A- rating) :
the Alpha‑GPC adds extra choline and maximizes piracetam use. It's the best combo. However, I felt like Alpha‑GPC in too high a dose felt like too much choline and caused low mood (2 days afterward). Lately I experimented by adding more piracetam from 1.2 g + 300 mg Alpha to 2.4 g + 300 mg and it seemed to lessen that impact
I only do these on weekends (piracetam, caffeine,l‑theanine, alpha-gpc). On Mon/Tues I kind of feel more depressed than usual, though.
Noopept
Use case: Problem solving / absorbing "difficult" information.
Cons: Short acting (1–2 hr); felt kinda stressed afterwards like mentally exhausted. Sometimes short‑term memory is kinda bad (if I take more than the standard dose), like other anecdotal reports I experience as well.
Noopept (10 mg) C Rating if taken by it's own:
I kinda feel the anxiolytic effect but not as much. I can output from my brain more and it's easier.
Caffeine + Noopept:
this is a great combo but it's short acting; in fact this combo (coffee + Noopept) increases its rating. I feel it's more powerful than piracetam but it's a sharp drop. Kinda felt more stressed afterwards and craved sweets. However, I still recall distinctly: I was doing college Physics II and looking at solutions was like butter and my brain absorbed it easily. 1–2 hrs afterward the effect lessened, and I felt like procrastinating even more. Rating: B+ It doesn't really feel like a booster, but combined there's some sort of synergistic effect).
Phenibut: great for calming down.
Rating: B
Cons: Habit forming, but if you know how to use it properly it can be to your advantage. I kind of imagine using this like the black Spider‑Man suit; if you recall that scene with Tobey Maguire on the tower and he trying to get out of that suit, it can help out, but once you dive in too deep... it's pretty difficult. As someone who used it responsibly, it helped me go outside more and experiment with different social scenarios where I wouldn't have been able to.
Of course some may argue why I rank it low; I rank it low because of its ROI and risk. If there was not that much risk it would be on the same tier as modafinil.
Summary:
My favorite nootropic is piracetam and caffeine. Alternatively, for doing many things in a single day (I write a to‑do list, and I guarantee it will be done as long as it's manageable) is modafinil. Then for short‑acting Noopept, that "I want to feel smart" effect.
Conclusion
My advice would be to use it moderately and not as an everyday thing. I go to a competitive college, and even without these, I still would manage. I think of them as a supplement, where mindset is above all. Feel free comment if you had the same experience or if it was different.