4 ms·

I'm currently (as in right now) using Modafinil as a brain-booster to keep me awake for an exam this afternoon. With regard to this: "If, for example, students

I'm currently (as in right now) using Modafinil as a brain-booster to keep me awake for an exam this afternoon. With regard to this: "If, for example, students use such drugs to mitigate the consequences of procrastination, they may fail to develop mental discipline and time-management skills.", as lots of HN readers may know, procrastination's a bitch. There are infinite methods to counteract it, yet we (I) keep falling through the cracks and not doing what I'm supposed to be doing. Not saying this drug suddenly eliminates that (I've been brain-boosted while procrastinating -hey, isnt' writing on HN hours before an exam procrastination?-), but it buys me time and a little edge in my gray matter to keep me going. "Instead of ferreting out and punishing students, universities should focus on restoring a culture of deep engagement in education, rather than just competition for credentials" Well, here in Argentina, and this college particularly, although I'm doing it for credentials mostly, the main problem is not "the culture", but how contents are delivered by proffessors in the classroom. My studying plan is from '95, and little has changed since then in it (System's engineering, btw). Some proffesors are like mummies from the 70's, talking about Algol and Ada like it's the next hot technology. On the other hand, education's free, there are lots of jobs, and IT is one of the fastest growing areas of work nowadays (where is it not?). I currently have a job working for a company that develops products for MS and some other clients, using MS tools. That said, I'm a bit concerned about my health, and will be taking routine medical checks. Nevertheless, I'm not an addict (no, really). Although I use it now and then, I don't crave for it, nor I need it all the time. It's just an extra help for certain situations, like taking coffee when you're asleep, or ibuprofene when you have a mild headache (that perhaps could be solved by going to bed for a couple hours, but you have to keep working/stuying). Prohibition, like on many other things, won't do any good to anyone, except maybe the ones that sell the drugs.

sgift 16y ago
I've never used any of these drugs myself, but arguments like "if you use this, you'll never learn <some skill which author thinks is important>" always seem a bit dull to me: Isn't the main value of new technologies/drugs/utilities that people don't have to do things the 'old way' anymore? Nobody is using a slide rule these days, but why should they?
- RyanMcGreal 16y ago
  There's a difference in kind, it seems to me, between acquiring proficiency in a particular technology - like using a slide rule or an abacus or a scientific calculator or JSON serialization on a REST interface - and developing habits of planning, working and time management to maximize productivity in any technical context. These days, my job requirements throw lots of new technologies my way, but my basic approach to learning a technique, incorporating it into my workflow and completing a project remains more or less consistent. By all means, eliminate busywork and seek efficiencies that get you to your solution more quickly; but don't fall into the trap of thinking an all-nighter on bennies is a viable replacement for organization and self-discipline.
  - deleted 16y ago
    [deleted]
  - true_religion 16y ago
    Although you can use drugs to enable an all-nighter to learn a certain technology just before you need it, you can also use drugs during the daytime hours to enable you to concentrate on learning material far before you need it. The former solution is what I've seen preferred by students who don't prioritize school, and the latter is what the so-called "nerds" use.
    - mrleinad 16y ago
      Of course. That's my M.O. as well. Don't let my previous post and the fact that I was sacked at today's exam make you think otherwise. :( I get another chance in 2 weeks. I better go back to stuying..

sgift 16y ago

I've never used any of these drugs myself, but arguments like "if you use this, you'll never learn <some skill which author thinks is important>" always seem a bit dull to me: Isn't the main value of new technologies/drugs/utilities that people don't have to do things the 'old way' anymore? Nobody is using a slide rule these days, but why should they?

RyanMcGreal 16y ago
There's a difference in kind, it seems to me, between acquiring proficiency in a particular technology - like using a slide rule or an abacus or a scientific calculator or JSON serialization on a REST interface - and developing habits of planning, working and time management to maximize productivity in any technical context. These days, my job requirements throw lots of new technologies my way, but my basic approach to learning a technique, incorporating it into my workflow and completing a project remains more or less consistent. By all means, eliminate busywork and seek efficiencies that get you to your solution more quickly; but don't fall into the trap of thinking an all-nighter on bennies is a viable replacement for organization and self-discipline.
- deleted 16y ago
  [deleted]
- true_religion 16y ago
  Although you can use drugs to enable an all-nighter to learn a certain technology just before you need it, you can also use drugs during the daytime hours to enable you to concentrate on learning material far before you need it. The former solution is what I've seen preferred by students who don't prioritize school, and the latter is what the so-called "nerds" use.
  - mrleinad 16y ago
    Of course. That's my M.O. as well. Don't let my previous post and the fact that I was sacked at today's exam make you think otherwise. :( I get another chance in 2 weeks. I better go back to stuying..