My strategy with modafinil is to dose on the weekdays - so 5 days in a week.
I start with a half dose (100mg) on Monday and Tuesday, basically to get a better sleep, and with the tolerance going up, I'm also upping the dose to 200mg. But there are weeks when I stay on 100mg the whole week.
On the weekend I go without modafinil. I often sleep a lot, I think the body needs a break.
So I take Modafinil because of Narcolepsy. 200mg daily. Have been for the last 13 years. I can tell you right now. You are setting yourself up to induce narcoleptic states, formication, possible schizophrenic episodes, auditory hallucinations, and last but not least, heavy dependency.
I know Modafinil is being used as a nootropic in certain places, but I do not recommend using it the way you do. It's all the time at the same dose or nothing.
It will take a while for these side effects to show up, so don't be surprised if it goes well for a while, then all of a sudden you find yourself swatting imaginary ants on your body when it starts to wear off when the half life of15 hours is reached.
You might start to hear people talking, only to realize that you're actually alone...
Dormant narcolepsy without cataplexy can happen and it's permanent.
Your mood will become unnoticebly irritable and swing up and down for no reason.
I urge you to reconsider taking this without a prescription. If you have one, follow it to a tee. Do not mess with this drug. It has ZERO recreational benefits. I only say it because I care.
Sorry for sounding harsh, but I will disregard your opinion. It kind of reminds me how, many years ago, a person warned me that I shouldn't go into software development, or I will surely go crazy in a few years (looking back, he probably suffered a burnout). Such things can happen, but they are far from being a rule.
I've been in this pattern for several years, and it works great with very few mild side effects. If I'm using it for too long in a row (week or so), it simply loses the effect and I will fall asleep after lunch (or simply be too low energy / letargic).
Disregard all you want. You don't have to listen to me at all. I'm just an internet stranger. All of us react differently to everything. 🙃
Clearly you must see the absurdity in your comparison of learning a skill that is potentially productive (and lucrative) versus taking a substance that has very real side effects and long term consequences.