So I'm at a point where all I have to do to get my T is go see my doctor. Like literally walk into the office and they'll give me my shot. The thing is, I have two weeks of school left, then a week of finals. I'm a good student, and I put a lot of effort and focus into school, but I know T can cause some rather intense side effects right from the get-go (sex drive etc).

I'm wondering, is it a terrible idea to start T right before final exams? Will it wreak havoc on my ability to focus and concentrate? Should I suck it up and wait the extra three weeks to be done with school?

Any thoughts experiences appreciated!

I think you'd be fine to start now if you wanted to. It's not going to hit you like a ton of bricks. I was really horny the first few weeks but that was about it.

Maybe you'd have more concentration problems if you waited. It could make you constantly think about it.

Really it's whatever you prefer.

I don't have personal experience of being on T, so I'll leave that for the guys who do, but if it was me I would wait until afterwards.  I made the mistake of making what possibly weren't the right choices with my education, and I'm left here applying for apprenticeships that I don't really want and having waited an entire year that really isn't going to get me anywhere.  Even if libido doesn't hit you, you might find that you're looking for changes more than you are studying.  I know I would be, but I'm a major procrastinator.

You've got your whole life to be on T, and those three weeks seem like a long time now, but that's just over 5% of an entire year, which really isn't that much at all, but messing up a crucial part of your education could make life harder for you forever.  I wouldn't personally want to do anything to jeopardise that if I was to go back and re-do things.

Book an appointment to get your shot for the day after your last final or something so you've got something to look forward to when you finish.

I also think you'll be fine. If anything, you'll be more focused on your finals because you started T (you'll feel good about yourself and somewhat at ease).

But if you really are unsure, then just hold off. Congrats on being able to start T btw =]

When i started T it was right before finals. in aome aspects it was good and in some it was bad. It helped make me more confident, but at the same time i was so worried someone would notice changes(I wasn't out at school). None of the like mental/emotional effects were a problem though.

Depends on how your doctor does it .... my doctor started me out slow so I could adjust to the T .. it took me about 9 months to get to a full dose ... so you wouldn't be affected. 

If you start at a full dose ... your body is going through puberty ... so a lot of guys spend the first month or so sleeping more which could get in your way of studying.

If you are on a low dose, it might be more distracting to not start T. I was so anxious about starting that any delay would have been excruciating.

However, I started on a high dose, and the libido hit me so hard on the fifth day that I am glad I wasn't a student facing finals. I was masturbating at any opportunity, and I was thinking about sex ALL THE TIME. I had no idea how to turn it off. Fortunately, I was teaching only part time, and the more dramatic mood alterations came later.

I suppose I would have been able to get through a few weeks as a student, but it wouldn't have been ideal.

Thanks for the replies all.

My doc said we'd be starting at a low dose and then ramping up.

I feel silly because I actually hadn't considered all the time I waste thinking about starting and how that might be getting in my way. I think I'm going to go for it. It's a low dose. I'm ready to get this transition going already.

If it's a low dose, then you will probably be okay. Maybe try the first shot and see how it goes?

My libido was a serious sleeping giant. I had turned it off for years, but I discovered that my lack of interest was mostly psychological. When I came fully out of the closet, I had something like a normal sex drive all of a sudden--before T. As long as my partner recognized that I was really male, and as long as he didn't see me with my shirt off, I could handle it. I also had an attraction to my therapist that was a little tough to control, but I could manage it.

I thought I was horny as hell during all of this time, but I had no conception of what it's really like to be ramped up. Testosterone took me to a whole new level. In retrospect, a lower starting dose probably would have been prudent.

I really can't see it being that much of an issue, and I see no reason not to start now. Yeah, high libido can sometimes be a pain but it won't (or shouldn't be) to the extent that you're not doing well in school. If you're studying and you feel really randy, just deal with it, which takes like 5 minutes and then get back to studying lol.

Quote from: Prof HB on April 28, 2013, 09:33:42 PM
I really can't see it being that much of an issue, and I see no reason not to start now. Yeah, high libido can sometimes be a pain but it won't (or shouldn't be) to the extent that you're not doing well in school.

My new libido seriously interfered with my ability to get things done, but I think I was an exception. And anyway, I was on a high dose and was working only about 3/4 time, if I'm not mistaken. So I managed.

Quote from: Robert Scott on April 28, 2013, 08:55:39 PM
Depends on how your doctor does it .... my doctor started me out slow so I could adjust to the T .. it took me about 9 months to get to a full dose ... so you wouldn't be affected. 

If you start at a full dose ... your body is going through puberty ... so a lot of guys spend the first month or so sleeping more which could get in your way of studying.

I had no idea it could cause you to sleep more. That might be why I feel so exhausted without any real reason. I have plenty of energy when I finally get up out of bed but I feel like I'm dragging myself off the mattress and brushing my teeth like a zombie.

Yes, I was sleeping more during my first few months, too. I had forgotten about that.