Piracetam

        The first nootropic or smart drug I want to highlight is piracetam.  Many clinical trials have been done on this substance and it has been found to enhance cognition and memory, slow brain aging, increase blood flow and oxygen to the brain.  The result is often increased mental energy, enhanced communication between the left and right lobes of the brain, as well an an increase in overall neuronal firing.  It if often prescribed by doctors in other countries for diseases from Alzheimer's to ADD.
What is even more interesting than these immediate effects are the studies done on the chronic use of piracetam which have shown to reverse the negative effects of aging and alcohol use on the brain.  The way piracetam does this was by reducing levels of lipofuscin in the brain, a fatty substance that is an indication of damage associated with aging or oxidative damage(e.g. drinking, smoking, environmental toxins and/or poor diet).
        The good news in all of this is that piracetam is very cheap and easily bought at your supplement supplier or online merchant.  I have read some interesting articles that have postulated that piracetam's relative obscurity is from a lack of marketing due to the fact that it is so cheap to produce.  It looks like the hefty profits pharmaceutical companies look for in their products are not feasible for such a low cost substance.
        Bottom line for those looking for a low cost and effective way to  increase the productivity of their studies, increase their mental energy, protect their brain, and improve their mood all with little to no side effects of other stimulants should look into piracetam.