College students are known to be some of the busiest people around. Trying to find time for a social life, sports/exercise, and sleep all while maintaining good grades almost seems impossible, but it’s something many college kids face. When they are
attempting to do this and find themselves in a situation with a big exam the day and no prior studying, an all-nighter seems almost inevitable. With no where else to turn, these students often turn to “study drugs” to solve all their problems. Although it may solve their short term problems by giving them the boost they need to get through the night, they’re only hurting themselves more in the long run. student-cramming

The most two popular “study drugs” are known by the names of Adderall and Ritalin. Both are drugs prescribed to kids who suffer from ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) and that speed up the transmission of electrical and chemical signals throughout the central nervous systems. They speed up the transmissions by increasing the brain activity of norepinephrine and dopamine. The drugs help increase focus and motivation while reducing fatigue and hunger. (http://www.healthline.com)

The night before the big test, these “study drugs” might seem like the perfect answer. They’ll get you through the night with great focus but college students usually don’t know what they’re actually giving up for those late n051413adderall_05ight studying hours. Natalie Rich, the alcohol and drug intervention specialist at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, explains how the drug causes exhaustion and depression. “People who use these drugs only on occasion to study are much more likely to crash once the drug has worn off,” Rich continues to say “The crash can cause exhaustion and depression because the body’s energy supplies and dopamine have all been used up.” The more commonly used the drug is the worse these crashes may become. The National Institute on Drug Abuse also states that Adderall can cause hallucinations, impulsive behavior, paranoia, and irritability. Those extra study hours may have been beneficial; however I don’t think the other outcomes will help out as much. (www.hercampus.com)

The long term effects that come with the consistent use of these drugs may be even scarier, mainly addiction. All drugs post the threat of addiction but study drugs in particular posy a high potential for abuse. They are classified as a schedule 2 drug, abuse of these types of drug may lead to severe psychological or physical dependence (http://www.drugs.com) . No user ever intends to get addicted to the drug but it may very well happen, for example Richard Fee. Fee was an intelligent, talented student-athlete at Greensboro College. Fee started off buying adderall off his friends until he falsely convinced doctors he himself needed a prescription. Once Fee completed undergraduate school he moved back home to study in preparation of his medical school exam. Poor scores on the exam lead him to take higher doses which lead to mood swings and the other health effects mentioned above. This all continued to add up until the one November night where Fee could no longer take it and proceeded to hang himself from his bed room closet. The death of Fee shocked many and left his loved ones devastated (http://www.today.com). This is just one example of how addiction to these types of drugs can greatly effect the user and their loved ones.

These side effects are often slept on by students and overlooked. In a survey of 1800 students done by Alan DeSantis, a professor at the University of Kentucky, 81% of students interviewed “not dangerous at all” or “slightly dangerous”. (www.cnn.com) This is just another reason the abuse of the “study drugs” is a growing problem. Students ignore the health risks and just take the pills based off what their friends tell them. “Dude it’s sick, you’ll be up all night” “Just wait until the night before, pop an adderall and get all your studying done easy”. Those are common things said about adderall that might persuade the student to take adderall and completely ignore the actual facts about the drugs.

No one is saying a college kid has it easy, there are many other ways to get work done then cramming the night before with a “study drug”. Something as easy as setting your week up ahead of time with something like a planner might be enough to prevent you from cramming as a whole. If that’s not your style and you still want to get that late night cram try something like coffee which can give you that same energy boost without any of the additional side effect!

Images

http://www.hightimes.com/read/adderall-americas-favorite-amphetamine

http://scitechdaily.com/the-algorithmic-approach-to-the-mathematics-of-cramming/

Bibliography

Flam, Lisa. “Dad’s Word of Warning: Adderall ‘changed’ My Son.” Today.com, 7 Feb. 2013. Web. 12 Oct. 2015.

Gladu, Alex. “Using Study Drugs To Get Better Grades: Why You Should Think Twice.” Her Campus Media, 18 Apr. 2015. Web. 12 Oct. 2015.

“List of Schedule 2 (II) Drugs.” Drugs.com. Web. 12 Oct. 2015.

Morris, Susan. “Adderall vs. Ritalin: What’s the Difference?” Ed. Susan Bliss. Healthline Networks, 1 Oct. 2014. Web. 12 Oct. 2015.

Yanes, Arianna. “Just Say Yes? The Rise of ‘study Drugs’ in College – CNN.com.” CNN. Cable News Network, 18 Apr. 2014. Web. 12 Oct. 2015.

One thought on “Are study drugs effective?

  1. Tyler Christopher Perlmutter

    College students always find themselves pressed for time with their busy schedules. So popping a pill and pulling one all nighter seems like a attractive idea. Studies tend to show the studying for 20-50 minutes at a time in many intervals helps one retain information better. Nobody is too busy to find half an hour in their day to just read over some notes. This way students can avoid these dangerous pills.

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