This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at NCSU chapter.

Setting the st(A)ge

Wanting to get higher grades in a class is one of the natural aspirations for a college level student these days. Having to study for this exam, write a paper on that topic, prepare for an interview by those companies, do “what-chama-call-it” for “whoever” can really take its toll on you; and that’s only the academic side of College life! The friendly outings to schedule for, the spontaneous weekend trips to engage in, and those fun filled (alcohol free for those under 21) parties to plan for! We have quite a load to deal with just to survive a week in college, it’s a wonder how we make it sometimes.

Some of us manage our busy days by scheduling time for this and spacing out those projects like that, but if you’re anything like me, procrastination is your best friend. While most of us do the standard things to help us get along with our studies, there are a few of us that take it to the extreme. Doing things such as pulling an all-nighter for two nights straight or studying while the AC in the room is at 30 degrees (Fahrenheit!) are among the list of many shenanigans that college students engage in to take them that extra mile. Among this list also lies the consumption of little pills known as study drugs.

What (A)re Study Drugs?

For those that do not know what study drugs are, a brief excerpt from the University of Texas At Austin’s website can help clear this up.

“Study drugs” refers to drugs, particularly prescription drugs, used to increase concentration and stamina. The term is most often associated with the illegal use of Ritalin®, Adderal®, Concerta® by people who oftentimes acquire them illegaly.

(A)ssociated Effects

Most study drugs fiddle around with the brains chemistry by triggering the release of chemicals such as dopamine and norepinephrine in the brain. As with any drug, “study drugs” have their own set of effects associated with them.

Intended effects

Increased periods of concentration
Higher chance of remembering material
More effective observations skills

Unintended effects

Stomachaches
Loss of appetite
Insomnia
Weight loss

The (A)rgument

As always, there are two sides to every argument. Though I must admit that I was a little hard pressed to find an argument outright supporting the usage of study drugs, both sides do have representation. The primary point of polarization between the two sides was whether the usage of study drugs without a proper prescription was morally correct or not.

The morality of the usage of study drugs all came down to one basic question: is using a study drug cheating? The arguments saying yes weigh in with the point that using the pills without prescription for the sole purpose of streamlining one’s focus for an exam is out-right cheating, and is essentially just as serious of an offense as plagiarism. This side also boasts the fact that not only are study drugs potentially in contradiction with everyday honor codes, but they are, at the end of the day, illegal to use without a proper prescription form a doctor. As for the side saying that the usage of study drugs is not cheating, their claim is that the purpose of these so called “study drugs” is to help streamline focus and concentration, so what’s the big deal? There is also one key point made by Evan Schwartz, a columnist for the Minneapolis daily website, which goes as follows:

“A pill that increases your ability to concentrate and your GPA? Translate that kind of result to the sports field and you have steroids; transfer that dream to the bedroom and you have Viagra.”

(A)ctual users

In order to get a better perspective on study drugs, I did a short interview of two of my friends that were actual users of the so called “study drugs.” John Smith*, a NCSU student majoring in Aerospace engineering, was prescribed a medication known as Focalin – a somewhat “stripped down” version of a medication commonly prescribed to those with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) called Adderall – by his doctor. The other person (who also wishes to remain anonymous and shall be named Lucy) did not have a prescription for Adderall when she first took it but soon after got a prescription from her doctor in order to help her with reoccurring fatigue.

John’s perspective

John has been taking Focalin ever since he was in high school. He says that when he got to college, he took it all during first semester, but wanted to see how he would do without out it, so laid off of it for this passing second semester. John says he’s been doing just fine without it, but sometimes the stress from projects prompt him to use his medication. He says that the medicine helps him to get work done as it helps with his focus, but there are some rather cumbersome side effects. He listed bad eating habits, becoming jittery, and easily becoming socially “on edge” as some of the effects that he has had to deal with whenever he took his medication. When asked why he took Focalin instead of Adderall, he responded that his doctors didn’t recommend it as it could lead to cardiac arrest or other heart failures.

When asked for his final thoughts on those that use things such as Adderall or Ritalin the help them focus on their studies, John responded by simply saying “If [people] don’t need it, then why take it?”

Lucy’s perspective

Lucy has taken Adderall a few times while both possessing a prescription and before having a prescription for it. She states that the first time she ever took it was without a prescription via a friend who had the pills. “…The first time I took them [during that week], the Adderall lasted a while, so I took it again. The second time I took it, [the effects] didn’t last that long, and then the third time was even shorter.” She goes on to say that she has a natural affinity to metabolize medication quickly which might have led to the development of a quick tolerance of the medicine, thus leading to the medicine wearing off rather quickly with each later dosage. When asked her about the effects that it had on her, she stated that it really did slow down her thinking, and is just a step below of what she has heard some describe as being high. Aside from slowing down your thinking, she also went on to say that she found herself getting frustrated easier and had pretty annoying mental blocks. Lucy does say that it did make her want to do work, but despite all that focus, she sometimes couldn’t connect 1 and 1 together.

When asked for her final thoughts on the stigma that exist for those that have used or do use study drugs for focusing on their studies, she responds by saying: “People don’t realized that it’s not like speed or something. People think it makes you all jittery and stuff, but it’s not actually harmful unless you continuously take it [for a long period of time]… People think it’s a stimulant, and because people know it’s originally prescribed for ADD, they think its bad [to use without a prescription] because other people usually want to use it to correct a certain condition that they have.”

(A)ssorted Responses

In order to give this article a few faces, I went out and asked a few people two questions as to get their input on the topic of study drugs.

Would you consider the usage of study drugs by students/faculty that do not possess a prescription as unfair? Why or why not.

“It would be unfair for people who do not actually have a problem to be able to take drugs to possibly enhance their studying techniques merely because they can. It’s unfair because they don’t need the drugs in order to perform whereas the people who are prescribed need the drugs in order to perform at the same level.” –Franziska Gassaway, freshman in Psychological Bus. – NCSU

“I wouldn’t say it’s unfair but it is unsafe because study drugs don’t really enhance you… they really just keep you awake to study [or work on] other activities” –Alexander Pitt, freshman in Bus. Admin – UNCP

Considering the benefits of study drugs such as easier long-term focus, and a higher sense of awareness, would you consider using it every once in a while to help with studying?

“If they were proven save and not illegal” –Franziska Gassaway, freshman in Psychological Bus. – NCSU

“No because if I can’t focus on studying, I would just quit [studying temporarily] anyways, lol.” –Alexander Pitt, freshman in Bus. Admin – UNCP

(A)uthor’s thoughts

I personally have a bias against drugs in general (alcohol included), so I am pretty much against the usage of study drugs. I’m pretty sure that in a pinch, they may sound like a good idea, but over-all, something just smells fishy to me. Yes, sure it’s nice to be able to focus on your studies for an “awesome” amount of time, but I’m pretty sure there are some major reparations for chemically forcing yourself to focus. Maybe it’s just me and my learned paranoia of becoming addicted to silly things, or maybe it’s just my somewhat self-appointed image of integrity that puts me side against study drugs. Who knows, but at the end of the day, they are in fact illegal to use without a prescription, which, quite honestly, is enough to scare me away from em (please take that statement with a grain of salt).

For those that didn’t know much about study drugs, consider yourselves somewhat informed from reading this article. I would encourage further reading if this article has sparked your interest in any way, shape or form.

I personally would not recommend anyone take any sort of study drug, but for those that do, please be informed of the risk that you-all are taking, and PLEASE tread safely. I’m pretty sure the last thing anyone would want to do would be to develop a lifelong condition all because they overdose on Adderall while trying to cram for a PY205N exam their freshman year in college.

(A) recommended Blog

This blog is a very interesting read on Adderall, and it’s common use on college campuses.
http://blog.stingycampus.com/2010/12/02/adderall-the-super-drug/

(A)ll of My Sources

*name has been changed

A is for Adderall

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