As college-aged students, we’re prone to procrastination. I’ll admit that rarely can I say I’ve completed an assignment more than one or two days in advance. Most of the time it can be really stressful and difficult to concentrate when I try to do things last minute. I am not the only student dealing with this kind of stress and although many students manage to pull through with coffee-fueled all-nighters, the use of recreational drugs such as Adderall, Ritalin and Vyvanse to study is becoming more and more prevalent on the college campus.
What all of these drugs have in common is that they are all frequently prescribed to people with ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder) or ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder). Students turn to these drugs during stressful times like midterms and finals to help them focus on reading, studying, writing papers, etc., which may seem helpful to your academics, but there are many side effects that are not so helpful to your mind and body.
“One time I took Adderall before studying for a test and I ended up cleaning my room obsessively for three hours instead of studying,” says Hailey*, a sophomore at James Madison University. This wasn’t the first time I have heard of such an experience either. Mike*, a senior here, told me how whenever he takes Adderall, he makes sure that before he takes it he’s already cleaned his room, made a study playlist and has someone change his Facebook password to avoid being able to focus on anything else besides the work he has to do.
Another issue with using Adderall recreationally is the effects it has on your appetite. “Whenever I take Adderall, I literally don’t eat for like, two days—I’m just not hungry and completely turned off by food,” says Amanda*, a junior at JMU. To college-aged women this may seem like a desirable side effect, but in reality the time you’re not eating causes your metabolism to slow down and when you begin to eat again, your body will store more of the food as fat because it fears you will starve it again. Not eating also causes issues with students who decide to drink alcohol after taking Adderall. It already isn’t safe to drink alcohol while taking Adderall, so with no food in your stomach on top of it is a recipe for disaster.
“The first time I took Adderall, I didn’t sleep for 40 hours. It got so bad that my eyes got so dry and I had to use drops and I got this yellowish film over them. It was disgusting,” says Ashley*, a sophomore at JMU. Not sleeping is possibly one of the most dangerous side effects of using Adderall regularly for studying. Sure you can pull all-nighters more easily when using it but when the effects finally wear off, you’re left ready to crash and your body won’t function properly during daily activities. You’ll also probably have yucky looking bags under your eyes! Lack of sleep is also detrimental to your immune system, so regular use of Adderall may cause students to become ill more regularly.
So what can you do instead to get energized and stay focused for this semester’s finals week!?
- Do some light exercise! Exercising for even 30 minutes a day has been proven to give you an energy boost, and it’s good for keeping you in shape too!
- Eat smaller meals more frequently! Have you ever noticed that after you eat a large meal at a restaurant you become very sleepy? It’s because your body is using your energy to digest the meal instead of leaving energy for you to do other things (like study!!!). Eating smaller meals throughout the day will keep your energy at a steady and healthy level.
- Take a nap! You don’t have to take a two hour-long nap to feel energized. In fact, taking a quick 20-minute nap can help you feel recharged and ready to get on with the rest of your day!
- Take a shower! Your body (and brain!) will feel refreshed and way more awake after a quick hot shower!
- DRINK WATER! Although we may always believe in using caffeine to stay awake, our bodies are composed of mostly water, so drinking 8 glasses of water a day will keep your body energized and performing at its peak without the caffeine and calories found in coffee!
Don’t fear finals week! Take it face on with these tips and you’ll be sure to stay focused and energized without the potential consequences of prescription drugs!