Caffeine and the LSAT

joecarterruskey

Hey, so I'm a big fan of using caffeine to study with the LSAT (specifically caffeine pills). Will I be allowed to bring those into the test with me, or would they be confiscated? I've heard different answers.

jdawg113

shouldnt really have a problem, not like they pat you down but if you're really worried you could just put um in a sandwich, no one will ever know

Cant Get Right

Yeah, I doubt anyone would care. Maybe tuck them away to be safe but I don't think it's too big a deal. If you're really worried about it, caffeine is water soluble.

quinnxzhang

Per the list here: http://www.lsac.org/jd/lsat/day-of-test/, "medical products" are allowed in the testing room, so I imagine caffeine pills would be fine. Even if they weren't, you could probably take them before your exam or leave them with a hall monitor for your 15 minute break.

Nicole Hopkins

I managed to smuggle in my small vial of essential oils—I think it's gonna depend on the proctor, but they're probably not going to get too invasive with some pills.

Seriously though—be careful with this stuff. When you take the actual exam, your adrenaline will be through the ROOF. Caffeine pills could easily backfire. Make sure you practice a routine with them now and do not deviate from that routine on test day. Also, if you are even mildly jittery on them now, know that that feeling will likely radically intensify when you're taking the actual exam.

MrSamIam

Good point @"Nicole Hopkins" . I learned this the hard way, on a final - took a caffeine pill, then drank an energy drink, followed by a cup of coffee...couldn't bubble in answers to save my life!

I would call the LSAC and ask them directly. Though, I don't see why it would be a problem.

joecarterruskey

@"Nicole Hopkins" said:
Seriously though—be careful with this stuff. When you take the actual exam, your adrenaline will be through the ROOF. Caffeine pills could easily backfire. Make sure you practice a routine with them now and do not deviate from that routine on test day. Also, if you are even mildly jittery on them now, know that that feeling will likely radically intensify when you're taking the actual exam.

I have taken a caffeine pill before every single practice test I have ever taken, so I'm worried that I am conditioned to have it lol. Though I can see adrenaline being a major factor as well

hlsat180

tldr; to tag on the good advice on this thread, if you do choose to take caffeine, do so in moderation and do not combine with other stimulants.

@"Nicole Hopkins" said:
Make sure you practice a routine with them now and do not deviate from that routine on test day.

This. And a good rule for test prep in general.

@MrSamIam said:
on a final - took a caffeine pill, then drank an energy drink, followed by a cup of coffee...couldn't bubble in answers to save my life!

Careful! Issue isn't just amount of caffeine: Combining sources (like energy drinks) that contain other non-FDA tested supplements can have deleterious side effects.

In my view any caffeine upsides are outweighed by downsides. I typically enjoy 4-6 cups/day of med roast fresh from my own grinder and my tolerance is enough that I can still sleep a few hours later. I've found caffeine jump-starts alertness (if drowsy), aids digestion (protein), improves cardio (running/cycling), but otherwise does not improve cognitive function. But to maintain a steady glucose feed for 4 hours during test conditions, excessive caffeine could negatively affect concentration and hydration. For these reasons I've been weaning myself off coffee for at least one month; whatever you decide, I recommend doing so in moderation and preparing your test routine well before test day.

rachel

I'm curious if caffeine pills have less potential for stomach issues than does coffee. If I drink too much coffee, there are issues. Would pills minimize this effect?

Cant Get Right

They would @rachel . It's the acidity in coffee that causes stomach issues. You could also try cold brew. The brewing process reduces acidity by 2/3.

Caffeine works like pumping the gas in your car. Without fuel (calories) that's going to create a bad situation. So just be sure to match your caffeine intake with calories.

And, of course, just be sure to practice how you play. Whatever you do, don't add or cut anything from your routine for test day.

rachel

Thanks so much @"Cant Get Right"

runiggyrun

@rachel said:
I'm curious if caffeine pills have less potential for stomach issues than does coffee. If I drink too much coffee, there are issues. Would pills minimize this effect?

I don't know if you were referring strictly to stomach effects, or more general GI effects. Both coffee and caffeine have been shown to have effects on big intestine motility (they "make you go") - coffee much more than caffeine, but caffeine itself is not innocent.
DEFINITELY practice extensively if you're planning to use caffeine pills. The pharmacokinetic profile you get from ingesting a pill vs sipping a a coffee over half an hour can be dramatically different, and emphasize all kinds of side effects. Not to mention that the dose is generally higher in pills than in most coffees.
I'm a coffee drinker (2-4 cups a day), so I'm somewhat used to caffeine. Howevery, I still vividly remember the two experiences I had with pure caffeine. One was in college when I was trying to survive a day with 12 hours of back-to-back classes. I drank a vial of injectable caffeine solution (just caffeine in saline). I could not stop laughing for the next couple of hours - it was the closest I've ever been to a "high". Not a totally unpleasant experience, but not the state of mind you'd want for a major test.
The second time was in graduate school and I was just trying to cope with the 90 hr weeks expected of us. I took 2 no-doz pills. The shaking, buzzing, restlessness and heart racing were so bad I had to go lie down on the lawn in front of the department for over an hour until I got past the peak concentration. It felt like impending death.

Obviously, lots of people have no issues with caffeine pills, otherwise they wouldn't be sold by the millions, but definitely try before hand and err on the side of less rather than more for test day.