Best Nootropics for Students

Do you want to enhance your academic potential with nootropics? Some nootropics are particularly suited for students because they may help optimize the following cognitive pathways:

  • Focus – the ability to truly watch and listen amidst distractions or boredom.
  • Memory – the process from learning to recalling new information.
  • Energy – even mental hard work requires an efficient fuel reserve system.
  • Mood – a positive attitude does open doors, academic and otherwise.
  • Motivation – the potential of a healthy mind is achieved by motivation.

Read on to find out more about how nootropics can help students improve on all these fronts. 

Nootropics in academia

In modern academia, there has been a rise in the use of cognitive-enhancing pills. The subject of nootropics in the classroom may be somewhat delicate and questions about ethics, safety and legality arise regularly in discussions about academic performance enhancement.

To address these doubts we need to clear up two common misconceptions about nootropics:

  1. Nootropics do not increase I.Q.

Nootropics don’t make you smarter, they only unlock your full potential. 

  1. Nootropics are not unnatural

Rather, nootropics optimize the brain’s natural bio-pathways much in the same way that healthy sports nutrition optimizes an athlete’s sports physiology. The doors of perception are not constructed but rather opened by nootropics.

Most nootropics on popular demand today are either extracted from natural sources or the natural source itself. It may surprise you to learn that one of the most popular nootropic stacks used by students today is simply caffeine combined with L-Theanine, a green tea amino acid. [3]

Which nootropics are best for studying?

Natural nootropic supplements are one of the easiest and safest ways to boost your academic performance (check out our crash course on natural nootropics). The right nootropic stack will help you focus on what you’re studying, pay attention during class or a lecture, and provide all-day energy so you don’t crash.

The nootropics recommended in this post are ideally suited for studying to help encode the material to memory (e.g. Bacopa Monnieri). Then recall this knowledge during an important exam or test (e.g. CDP-Choline). A few of the nootropics on this list may even help reduce anxiety when you’re prepping for an exam or date (e.g. L-Theanine).

N.B. Nootropics are not recommended for anyone under 18 because your brain is still developing. [2]

Citicoline

Citicoline nootropic capsules 250mg

CDP-Choline (or Citicoline) is a naturally occurring choline source for the synthesis of acetylcholine. CDP-Choline enhances the release of dopamine, norepinephrine and serotonin in your brain.

CDP-Choline is known for increasing cognition and brain function, improving concentration, focus and motivation, and reducing fatigue. Check out our article on the benefits of Choline and where to find it.

The recommended dosage of CDP-Choline for students is 250 mg twice a day.

You can also take Alpha-GPC as an alternative to Citicoline.

Rhodiola Rosea

Rhodiola Rosea may help protect the mind against stress and tiredness. Rhodiola Rosea is often considered one of the most effective natural performance enhancers. Rhodiola seems to better qualify as a poor performance inhibitor; thanks in large part to the herb’s inhibitory effects on stress hormone cortisol and fatigue.

While a single dose of Rhodiola has been shown to boost mental and physical performance for up to 4-6 hours, this nootropic plant may be regularly consumed for everyday enhancement. [3]

We offer two different kinds of Rhodiola in our nootropics shop. Comparatively speaking, research has suggested that Rhodiola Rosea with 3% Salidroside is more stimulating whereas Rhodiola Rosea Extract with 3% Rosavins is more calming or relaxing. Which Rhodiola Rosea will work best for you depends on your goals.

Dosage of Rhodiola Rosea is 150 – 200 mg per day. [2]

Bacopa Monnieri

Bacopa Monnieri was first made popular in Medhya Rasayana, India’s ancient Ayurvedic medical system. 

The bacosides A and B in Bacopa help improve signaling between brain neurons. This improves the student’s attention, recall, memory and focus. Studies show that Bacopa may help increase the speed of visual information processing, boost learning rate and memory consolidation, and reduce anxiety. [2]

The recommended dosage of Bacopa Monnieri extract (45% bacosides) is 200 – 450 mg per day. Higher doses should be divided into smaller doses taken several hours apart. [2]

Caffeine

Noocaf coffee focus bag - nootropic infused coffee

Caffeine used in moderation is a great nootropic for studying because it helps improve reaction time, alertness, memory and mood. Caffeine may increase wakefulness: instead of becoming sleepy, you are more alert.

According to the Mayo Clinic, 400 mg of caffeine per day appears to be safe for most healthy adults, which is about the amount of caffeine in four cups of regularly brewed coffee. [2]

To counteract some of the side effects of using caffeine we recommend stacking it with L-Theanine. L-Theanine + caffeine is a great natural stimulant nootropic stack – i.e. combination. A study conducted in the UK found that if stacking L-Theanine with caffeine, the most effective dosage was 50 mg caffeine + 100 mg L-Theanine. [2]

At Nootropics.com we offer something better than caffeine alone – Noocaf Coffee!

Noocaf is high-quality coffee infused with nootropics.  It was designed with high-performance in mind. We infused high-quality ground coffee with a carefully selected blend of premium nootropics to give you more than simple caffeine ever could alone.

L-Theanine

L-Theanine nootropic capsules 200mg

L-Theanine – an amino acid found in green tea increases GABA, serotonin, and dopamine levels in your brain. Producing an energizing and calming effect while improving learning and memory. L-Theanine also boosts alpha and theta brain waves. Promoting alert relaxation and relief from the trauma of exams. You get calm, relaxed thinking without sedation.

The recommended dosage of L-Theanine for students is 200 – 400 mg once or twice per day. 

Find Premium quality L-Theanine here.

So, are you ready to ace college?

College students face dynamic cognitive demands that leave  them drained of brainpower –  just in time for exams!

Don’t let it happen to you this year, consider the above-mentioned nootropics for studying to improve your academic performance. 

These natural supplement options enhance learning ability while improving brain health – without the potential side effects and risks of synthetic stimulant options that many other college students seem to be taking. [3]

Buy nootropics for students at Nootropics.com

References

[1]  Tomen, David (2020). Secrets of the Optimized Brain: 92 Nootropics to Unlock your True Brain Potential. Nootropics Expert (3rd Edition). 

[available at: nootropicsexpert.com]

[2] Best Nootropics for Studying

[3] Nootropics for College Students

References by Nootropic:

CDP-Choline (or Citicoline) 

Examine.com on CDP-choline

 Examine.com on Alpha-GPC

Rhodiola Rosea

Examine.com Article

Wikipedia Entry

Anti-inflammatory effects of Rhodiola rosea L.: A review

Rhodiola rosea L. as a putative botanical antidepressant

Rhodiola rosea for physical and mental fatigue: a systematic review

Rhodiola rosea L. and Alzheimer’s Disease: From Farm to Pharmacy

Rosenroot (Rhodiola rosea): traditional use, chemical composition, pharmacology and clinical efficacy

Stress management and the role of Rhodiola rosea: a review

Rhodiola rosea and its neuropsychotropic effects

Rhodiola rosea versus sertraline for major depressive disorder: A randomized placebo-controlled trial

The Effects of Rhodiola rosea L. Extract on Anxiety, Stress, Cognition and Other Mood Symptoms

Rhodiola rosea L. modulates inflammatory processes in a CRH-activated BV2 cell model

Exploring the effect of adaptogenic Rhodiola Rosea extract on neuroplasticity in humans

Effects of rhodiola rosea on oxidative stress and negative emotional states in patients with obstructive sleep apnea

Rhodiola rosea for mental and physical fatigue in nursing students: a randomized controlled trial

Panax ginseng, Rhodiola rosea and Schisandra chinensis

Rhodiola rosea in Subjects with Prolonged or Chronic Fatigue Symptoms: Results of an Open-Label Clinical Trial

A randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group study of the standardised extract shr-5 of the roots of Rhodiola rosea in the treatment of subjects with stress-related fatigue

Effects of short-term Rhodiola Rosea (Golden Root Extract) supplementation on anaerobic exercise performance

L-Theanine

Examine Article

Wikipedia Entry

The acute effects of L-theanine in comparison with alpra-zolam on anticipatory anxiety in humans

L-theanine relieves positive, activation, and anxiety symptoms in patients with schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder: an 8-week, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, 2-center study

L-theanine, a natural constituent in tea, and its effect on mental state

L-Theanine, an amino acid in green tea, attenuates beta-amyloid-induced cognitive dysfunction and neurotoxicity: reduction in oxidative damage and inactivation of ERK/p38 kinase and NF-kappaB pathways

L-theanine administration results in neuroprotection and prevents glutamate receptor agonist-mediated injury in the rat model of cerebral ischemia-reperfusion

The effects of L-theanine (Suntheanine) on objective sleep quality in boys with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD): a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial

How much theanine in a cup of tea? Effects of tea type and method of preparation

L-Theanine prevents alcoholic liver injury through enhancing the antioxidant capability of hepatocytes

Effects of theanine on alcohol metabolism and hepatic toxicity

Bacopa Monnieri

Bacopa Monnieri by Nootropics Expert

Caffeine

Noocaf Coffee

Caffeine by Nootropics Expert