Ritalin & Adderall on the lsat Forum

[seespotrun]

Worrying about anonymity on an anonymous internet forum....really?

You live in Washington state and use Comcast. Comcast could probably tell the proper authorities a lot more than that. How anonymous are you really?

Do me, do me!

You live in PA and you use Comcast.

Also, you recently gave advice to 1Ls on outlining, told 1Ls to "suck it", and knocked on wood to avoid being no-offered, meaning you're a 2L. You used to post in the Villanova Class of 2012 thread, so I'm going to presume you're a 2L at Villanova who has a firm offer for next summer, and that's based off about 2 minutes' worth of reading your post history.

It's hard to talk on this forum about what matters to you and not greatly reduce your anonymity in the process.

[homestyle28]

I know exactly how they work, and knowing the IP and mac address is a far cry from being able to identify an individual belonging to that.

meh. Tell that to the RIAA.

As far as identifying anyone based on the writings of "some anonymous internet poster" who happens to have credentials to anyone in real life, I think you underestimate how many people actually live in this world and write garbage on the internet.

Rumor has it that plenty of adcom members like to peek in on TLS from time to time. But even so, why risk it at all? All the debt of LS only to be denied bar admission? seems not worth it to me.

[robotclubmember]

If you're already on a prescription, then your "performance boost" will be actually being able to function asymptomatically.

If you're not prescribed it, then obtaining and taking such drugs is illegal and probably not something you want to discuss on an internet forum, where things like your username and IP address might help make you identifiable.

Food for thought.

I don't give a fuck.

You do know you have a character and fitness statement on all your LS apps right? I believe VW was hinting at the fact that, presuming you plan to lie about illegal activities on your apps and in the future (e.g. bar admissions C&F) you might want to preserve some anonymity.

In a year with what will probably be a record level of applicants, I guess I'm just betting that adcomms aren't going to do much to track the identity of a person who admitted he took adderall once. I would be highly impressed if my comments and user names were somehow traced back to a name, and then, on top of that, the adcomms actually flagged my name somehow so that out of the thousands and thousands of applications, they would be able to identify mine. "Yep boys, this is the guy. We caught him red-handed. He took a singular unprescribed adderall. We're dinging him."

Lol. I don't give a fuck. I just want to give advice to people who seek it.

[fosterp]

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[DoubleChecks]

If you're already on a prescription, then your "performance boost" will be actually being able to function asymptomatically.

If you're not prescribed it, then obtaining and taking such drugs is illegal and probably not something you want to discuss on an internet forum, where things like your username and IP address might help make you identifiable.

Food for thought.

I don't give a fuck.

You do know you have a character and fitness statement on all your LS apps right? I believe VW was hinting at the fact that, presuming you plan to lie about illegal activities on your apps and in the future (e.g. bar admissions C&F) you might want to preserve some anonymity.

In a year with what will probably be a record level of applicants, I guess I'm just betting that adcomms aren't going to do much to track the identity of a person who admitted he took adderall once. I would be highly impressed if my comments and user names were somehow traced back to a name, and then, on top of that, the adcomms actually flagged my name somehow so that out of the thousands and thousands of applications, they would be able to identify mine. "Yep boys, this is the guy. We caught him red-handed. He took a singular unprescribed adderall. We're dinging him."

Lol. I don't give a fuck. I just want to give advice to people who seek it.

i dont think adcomms will find out about your identity. unless it is really obvious, they'd be guessing at best. your future employers would probably not find out from the forum either...but speaking from personal experience? your law school classmates will find out who you are...really easily haha. im glad ive never said anything i really regret online, but that is something that could follow you in your future career...C&F tests...etc. also, lest you forget the general makeup of the legal profession, i imagine there WILL be a classmate who finds out, who DOES care enough to report you (assuming you did/said something super offensive) haha.

just giving advice.

[vanwinkle]

who DOES care enough to report you

[DoubleChecks]

who DOES care enough to report you

hahaha

oh and in case my post was even remotely unclear -- i do not and have not ever taken ritalin or adderall lol

[s0ph1e2007]

Do whatever you want to do.


Don't ask people on a website about it.

[tenpenny3]

as someone who is prescribed methylphenidate, I find when I try to do LSAT prep without it, (for a lack of better term) I "window shop" the test, never indulging myself in the questions or stimulus, just reading without comprehending completely (this is ALL sections, especially RC). With it, I am able to dive in much deeper and easier. For those who I know do not need it, yet try it, their mind races, and like stated earlier, over think and over analyze.

If you are prescribed, you should know the effects of the recommended dose, and stick with it, maybe even take less or a day or two off of it before test day to allow some dopamine to replenish (and make sure you get good sleep test week so your NT's can replenish adequately). For me, any amount of caffeine makes me jittery and I do not study or perform very well, so know the effects of something else you may encounter on test day (I made the mistake of drinking a cup of coffee when I woke up and paid dearly for it).

[jwmalone87]

I wouldn't recommend it. I took Adderall for the October LSAT and it only made my nerves worse - my hand was physically shaking during the first section and I completely missed some finer nuances for LG. Now, I may have missed those anyway (I'm not great at games), but Adderall certainly didn't help me catch them, either.

I've stopped for my December practice and I'm scoring higher than I've ever scored before (mid to occasionally high 160s). If you're not supposed to take them, don't.

[inmans]

How about you solicit the advice of a medical professional (psychiatrist) and see what that individual recommends.

The perceived effects of drugs like adderall are very subjective; i'd say take these opinions with a grain of salt.

[robotclubmember]

How about you solicit the advice of a medical professional (psychiatrist) and see what that individual recommends.

The perceived effects of drugs like adderall are very subjective; i'd say take these opinions with a grain of salt.

And a medical professional is likely to have taken the LSAT? The question is, how do you perform on the LSAT while taking adderall. A medical professional is unqualified to give a meaningful opinion on that. They personally have not likely taken Adderall, or the LSAT, and it's highly unlikely they combined them. If you want to know about general effects of adderall, ask a doctor, or go to webmd.com if you want to save a co-pay. If you want real advice that almost everyone on this site who has actual experience agrees with: It's a bad idea unless you actually need it, and you will see slight improvements on RC and performance will be impaired on LG and LR (75% of the test). It's a mistake, unless you are prescribed, and those with personal experience consistently report this to be the case.

Don't listen to that guy. He doesn't know what he's talking about. I've been there. Listen to me.

[robotclubmember]

who DOES care enough to report you

hi

[tomwatts]

How about you solicit the advice of a medical professional (psychiatrist) and see what that individual recommends.

The perceived effects of drugs like adderall are very subjective; i'd say take these opinions with a grain of salt.

And a medical professional is likely to have taken the LSAT? The question is, how do you perform on the LSAT while taking adderall. A medical professional is unqualified to give a meaningful opinion on that. They personally have not likely taken Adderall, or the LSAT, and it's highly unlikely they combined them. If you want to know about general effects of adderall, ask a doctor, or go to webmd.com if you want to save a co-pay. If you want real advice that almost everyone on this site who has actual experience agrees with: It's a bad idea unless you actually need it, and you will see slight improvements on RC and performance will be impaired on LG and LR (75% of the test). It's a mistake, unless you are prescribed, and those with personal experience consistently report this to be the case.

Don't listen to that guy. He doesn't know what he's talking about. I've been there. Listen to me.

*cough* *cough* MCAT *cough* USMLE *cough* *cough*

To the general topic: What about doing a bunch of cocaine in the bathroom right before the test? If you think that sounds pretty stupid, then you should feel the same way about other stimulants that you don't normally use. (The last qualification, "that you don't normally use," is for smokers or coffee drinkers, who shouldn't decide to quit on the morning of the LSAT.)

[robotclubmember]

How about you solicit the advice of a medical professional (psychiatrist) and see what that individual recommends.

The perceived effects of drugs like adderall are very subjective; i'd say take these opinions with a grain of salt.

And a medical professional is likely to have taken the LSAT? The question is, how do you perform on the LSAT while taking adderall. A medical professional is unqualified to give a meaningful opinion on that. They personally have not likely taken Adderall, or the LSAT, and it's highly unlikely they combined them. If you want to know about general effects of adderall, ask a doctor, or go to webmd.com if you want to save a co-pay. If you want real advice that almost everyone on this site who has actual experience agrees with: It's a bad idea unless you actually need it, and you will see slight improvements on RC and performance will be impaired on LG and LR (75% of the test). It's a mistake, unless you are prescribed, and those with personal experience consistently report this to be the case.

Don't listen to that guy. He doesn't know what he's talking about. I've been there. Listen to me.

*cough* *cough* MCAT *cough* USMLE *cough* *cough*

To the general topic: What about doing a bunch of cocaine in the bathroom right before the test? If you think that sounds pretty stupid, then you should feel the same way about other stimulants that you don't normally use. (The last qualification, "that you don't normally use," is for smokers or coffee drinkers, who shouldn't decide to quit on the morning of the LSAT.)

I posted something a while back which touches on that. I'm not saying it's stupid for any reason other than that it WILL reduce your performance.

This topic gets brought up every gd cycle. Man up and do the damn thing yourself. Wimps.

Rack duh disciprine.

Well Ginj, hope you're not planning on drinking any caffeine. Caffeine is a psychoactive drug, albeit with milder effects, but addictive properties nonetheless. First Red Bull or Mountain Dew you drink means, I guess, you aren't doing it on your own anymore.

People have compared adderall to steroids. And in many ways that's true. Like I said, I'd advocate a better diet to keep you alert and not sluggish while studying. Everyone here who has tried it will agree the adderall will not really help you, except there probably is a way to do it right like I said, if taken at the right times and in small therapeutic doses. But taking adderall doesn't mean you're not "doing it yourself." People on steroids still work out in the gym harder than anyone else does most of the time. They don't just take steroids and then sit on their couch, they bust their asses in the gym five days a week. Performance enhancing drugs doesn't mean the drug is doing the whole performance. Caffeine is a performance enhancing drug, that just happens to be legal, if it makes you feel better. The next time you take a sip of coffee, just remember, by your logic, you're a fraud. Personally? I don't care either way, I'm just offering an objective opinion to people interested in this, rather than wasting people's time with a base opinion.

This is a more detailed post I wrote on the impact of taking unprescribed adderall on LSAT performance:

Everything people are saying here is true. I know this because I tried adderall yesterday while studying. The previous day I took a prep test and got all logic games correct with 6 minutes left over, but I got 8 reading comprehension questions wrong. It was clear that area needed some improvement. Given how far behind I was in that area, I decided to try adderall to make what I was doing at least feel interesting.

The result? I only got 1 wrong in reading comprehension the next day. However, I didn't even make it to the last set of logic game questions. I made it 19 before running out of time. And 3 of those were wrong, lol

Adderall gives you the ability to read something with your entire brain. It's like setting your brain down directly on the book and absorbing through osmosis. Adderall is fantastic for absorbing and retaining facts, which is why it helps in reading comprehension. Which would be great if you were studying for the Bar or CPA exam, I suppose. Or you wanted to learn vocabulary for the GRE. It will help you with rote memorization, but as everyone knows, that's not what the LSAT is. 75% of the LSAT is reasoning, and if your mind is racing with amphetamines, the creative part of your brain will start shutting down and you will not be able to capture the subtle minutia of a good AR or LR problem.

But there probably is a way to do it. My recommendation would be, take adderall on the days when you are learning theories. For example, diagramming problems, logic game setups. You would continue to remember those setups very well. But on days when you are taking prep tests and ESPECIALLY on the day of the real thing, don't even touch this stuff. It's a big mistake. Also, when you come off of adderall, depression tends to set it. Not fun.

Just having a good diet will do more for you than adderall. Eat an avocado and some spinach every day. Green tea is nice. Etc.

MCAT not applicable, and odds are, doctors are too out of touch to give a valid opinion on this very specific question.

[inmans]

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[SchopenhauerFTW]

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[robotclubmember]

"It's a bad idea unless you actually need it"

Wait a second... who is qualified to determine if an individual "needs" it?

"The question is, how do you perform on the LSAT while taking adderall. A medical professional is unqualified to give a meaningful opinion on that"

A medical professional is unqualified to give an opinion on how adderall affects cognitive performance? Right.

If a psychiatrist legitimately thinks that an individual qualifies for a prescription (that is, has "adhd"), then it's likely that the drug will have positive effects (be that on the LSAT, in the workplace, etc.).

I like how you took an incomplete quote of what I said to challenge what I said. What I said is true, because I seriously doubt any medical professional is intimately familiar with the LSAT. They don't know what types of questions are being asked or how you would solve them. Most have simply never even looked at one. Their opinion would be useless. Do you think they'd be able to predict how it would impact your score in each section? If you ask a medical professional, he isn't going to say "It may increase your RC by increasing your focus, but may decrease your LG and LR scores because it reduces analytical processing abilities." He's going to say something generic that may be valuable, but doesn't give anyone concrete advice as far as the LSAT goes. That was my only point and I'm surprised I actually have to defend what is a blatantly obvious conclusion.

And you are correct. I wouldn't recommend Adderall for those who do not have a prescription. A medical professional is qualified to say who "needs" Adderall. They don't base prescriptions off LSAT performance, they base it off of diagnosable medical conditions, which they are amply qualified to speak to. If prescribed, it is treating a condition to bring you to par with those not afflicted, and should probably be taken.

[kaftka juice]

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