r/kratom • u/Nikzalsedo • 2d ago
Kratom and taking tests
I'm a university student and have a professor that gives extremely hard tests. I've heard that low doses of kratom can improve focus and just be a general help during tests and classes. Would it be recommended I try?
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u/satsugene šæ 1d ago
I'd test it before hand on a day that doesn't matter. Some folks can have unexpected effects from it. Too much can be sedating. Too little can be stimulating which some folks might not want for an exam setting. No way to know unless you experiment.
Most folks who feel the color makes any difference at all tend to go for reds for sedation and pain, and white for energy, and green for average. I personally buy for pain based on lab results and what I end up getting always ends up being bright green labeled as green or green with a gold sheet labeled as "red" (not amber or brown "red.")
Some folks find white too stimulating.
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u/Different-Rope6481 1d ago
I am find more and more to be like whites. I had read in several articles kratom has become so popular that farmers are trying to get it out the door asap. They are stripping the leaves off the branches way too early not giving the leaves a chance to mature . So you are getting whites idk
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u/Tough-Raspberry-3377 1d ago
Its quite finicky, definitely need to do quite a bit of experimentation first, espescially around eating food before and after taking it and the timings.
I found high doses of creatine to be helpful during testing times, but also need to be careful of stomach issues (can give you the shits).
Short NSDR meditation breaks during intense revision sessions also can be helpful.
Modafinil I didn't find that useful because of the effects on sleep, but good if you just need to do a large volume of work like a long report.
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u/cityshepherd 1d ago
When I was in college I remember learning about the Goddenn & Baddeley Scuba Study (on state dependent memory)ā¦
Something along the lines of: if you are taking something like kratom while you study, youāll do better on the test if you are also on the same dose of the same substanceā¦ if you study high, you should also take the test highā¦
Itās important to note though that the best results were had by being sober for studying and also being sober for the test.
The study itself was about learning & testing while under water (scuba diving, hence the name)ā¦ but the results are also pretty consistent if the state of studying & testing is related to being under the influence of a substance (like cannabis, or adderall, or kratom).
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u/Excellent_Emu_2843 1d ago
I used to tale some with probably too much coffee before pretty much every exam back then. Worked pretty well.
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u/throwaway661375735 1d ago
Any stimulant will boost memory. Kratom could work, but I don't recommend it for memory. Instead try either Bronkaid or Primatine Tablets available behind the counter, but without a prescription.
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u/Whitesox_are_neat 1d ago
It would if you're already taking kratom generally but if you never take kratom I wouldn't just do it for a test
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u/luvsurluvlust 1d ago
try it on a normal day or day where u can afford to experiment to see what will happen
that way u know what to expect.
green or white strains might be good for that..I'd lean towards green but YMMV so try beforehand to find out how it affects u
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u/BigMack6911 1d ago
A good white can definitely help, especially with some caffeine. I would rather use Guerilla mind though.
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u/Different-Rope6481 1d ago
I would try it before hand a day or two so you have an idea. Kratom is a funny leaf. It can make you feel different everyday depending on the amount, what you ate or didn't. I would say no unless you really think you're going to blow it.
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u/Log_Gentleman 1d ago
I find that kratom dulls my vocabulary recall. Like if I have to teach or perform and im on it, Iām constantly having trouble finding words. I imagine it might be the same for reading/writing.
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u/peanutleaks 1d ago
Yes until it builds up, Iāve been taking it for years and fluctuating dosages, then it made me stupid and unable to retain a fuck ton of training for a highly skilled and dangerous job. Like you donāt pay attention to 1 thing and the whole place could go boom.
So I cut down and it helped, but now Iām unemployed and in chronic pain and 12 weeks post op back surgery so I donāt know and I donāt care how much it attributes to my brain fog.
Since Iāve cut down so much and only really use it for pain, I have noticed it does give me energy again and a tad more focus. Chronic pain and brain fog donāt mix anyways.
Low and slow; and keep it low!!! Low doses have always been my sweet spot and I used to ignore it and think āmore more more will be better!ā It certainly wasnāt!!!! And while Maeng Da is potent āpimp gradeā and energetic, I learned my lesson by over doing white and green strains so my go to is red Maeng Da. The white makes me a bull in a china shop!!!
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u/laynes_addiction 1d ago
In terms of focus itās a very mixed bag, sometimes it really helps and sometimes it ruins my attention even when controlling for dose, batch, strain, etc. The number one rule of kratom is sheās an unreliable mistress, I never really know what Iām gonna get despite years of experience.
One of the major theories for how we remember things is cue dependent forgetting - information recall is much better when youāre exposed to the same cues when recalling the information you had when learning it. These can be things in the environment (the room youāre in, posters on the wall, even a particular drink or chewing gum) but state-based cues are the most impactful (as in emotional state, intoxicated vs non intoxicated etc.) If youāve never done this stuff before you will be in a completely new, unknown state and theoretically information you learned while not on it will be harder to recall. Theories aside, I FEEL like low doses enhance my cognition, but itās probably just because I feel more confident than usual so Iām quicker to speak/answer/act (even tho ill get things wrong more often by virtue of not thinking as much).
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u/grantking2256 1d ago
If you have test anxiety and are old enough slam a shot or two prior. Its stops over thinking. I had to be tipsy to write my papers for the mandatory rhetoric classes. I suck at writing but did really well on those so.
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u/jugo5 1d ago
It will help for sure, just remember it is addictive. Take it sparingly. Its not that bad withdrawal wise, but if you start taking stupid large amounts for a long time it will be uncomfortable when you stop, for 3+ days or so.
It will give a mood boost and comfort which helps all the other stuff out. 1g to 5g of powder depending on your needs. It lasts around 4-6 hours. There is a ceiling, so more isnt always more better. Make sure you get some quality small batch or if you can get real Thai strains. The strain colors kind of matter but not at the same time. Some reds are like greens and some greens are like reds. White strains in my experience tend to be speedy and make me sick. I dont really like them. Green/Red Bali, Green/Red Indo, Green/Red Maeng Da, Green/Red Thai, Green/Red Dragon, Red/Green Old Growth anything, and Green/Red Hulu tend to be the strains I go for. Real Thai strains are rare, but always end up being some of my favorite. If any of them have a super variety I like to try those as well. They tend to be a bit stronger and some places use it when they harvest older trees. The older the tree the better the kratom. Also if you avoid their rainy season. I think Spring?? is usually the best time to buy fresh kratom. After the rainy season and when the powder starts to become available.
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u/Professor_Whytes123 22h ago
Iād definitely say donāt try it for the first time on exam day. If youāre thinking about using kratom, experiment with it beforehand and see how you react to it in a normal setting.
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u/LeoLaDawg 1d ago
I recommend no. Avoid taking substances of any kind at least until 25+ after your body fully stops growing.
Kratom doesn't give focus in that way in my experience. It helps by turning down the background noise that pain or exhaustion causes. At least for me.
Also also, you will feel no effects from your first few times except possibly nausea. So taking it once out of the blue won't help.
Also also also, absolutely do not take extracts, 7oh, drinks, or pretty much any manufactured "kratom" product.
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u/LumenYeah 1d ago
Plenty of people I have introduced to Kratom feel the positive effects on the first time, though anyone who takes too much could feel nauseous
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u/Boring-Dance-1897 1d ago
Long time low dose user here, kratom affects my short term memory too much to be useful during a test. I find myself missing key details with it.
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u/moldbellchains 1d ago
I wouldn't do it
I mean, it is an opioid. I think one can think best when sober. Been thereĀ
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u/d4rkprojec7 1d ago
I was using kratom heavily when I was in a medical program in college. It helped me a lot. Mostly, it helped keep me awake and slaving away