Spring Break
Studying for finals becomes risky business
Students cramming for finals should beware of common "study drugs"
Jaimie Siegle, Contributing Writer, jsiegle@smu.edu
Issue date: 5/2/08 Section: News
Matt Newcomer first took Adderall during his senior year of high school. He had free access to the prescribed drug from a friend who had been diagnosed with Attention-Deficit Disorder. He took one pill the night before an exam in his Advanced Placement biology class.
"[I] heard about the rumored 'glorious things' that Adderall could do," Newcomer said.
Newcomer almost always made As on his biology exams when using this strategy. Now a sophomore at James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Va., the 20-year-old chemistry major said he rarely takes these pills to help him study for his college exams.
"Now I know how to study - three or four days before a test," he said, though he did admit to occasionally taking one Adderall pill the first day to help him focus.
"I'm not dependent on it, but it does help a lot," Newcomer said.
But some college students do frequently use prescribed drugs to help them study. Over the past few years, studies have shown that "study drugs" like Adderall and Ritalin have caught on at many campuses. Experts say, however, that the alleged immediate effects may not be as beneficial for acing tests as students think.
In addition, popping these pills regularly may have several dangerous long-term and short-term side effects. Some researchers say that stimulants like Ritalin and Adderall could theoretically become the next "gateway drug," opening doors to more dangerous drugs for students.
"There are problems with abuse because these are … stimulant drugs," said Dr. Juan Salinas, an expert in psychology and Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder at the University of Texas at Austin. "There's a danger that [Adderall or Ritalin] may … sensitize some people who are prone to addiction."
These prescribed drugs are stimulants used by patients who are diagnosed with either ADD or ADHD. People with the disorder lack dopamine, a neurotransmitter vital to the nervous system. Taking mild doses of these drugs enable them to have better focus and attention. It also increases alertness, allowing the drug to treat narcolepsy.
"[I] heard about the rumored 'glorious things' that Adderall could do," Newcomer said.
Newcomer almost always made As on his biology exams when using this strategy. Now a sophomore at James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Va., the 20-year-old chemistry major said he rarely takes these pills to help him study for his college exams.
"Now I know how to study - three or four days before a test," he said, though he did admit to occasionally taking one Adderall pill the first day to help him focus.
"I'm not dependent on it, but it does help a lot," Newcomer said.
But some college students do frequently use prescribed drugs to help them study. Over the past few years, studies have shown that "study drugs" like Adderall and Ritalin have caught on at many campuses. Experts say, however, that the alleged immediate effects may not be as beneficial for acing tests as students think.
In addition, popping these pills regularly may have several dangerous long-term and short-term side effects. Some researchers say that stimulants like Ritalin and Adderall could theoretically become the next "gateway drug," opening doors to more dangerous drugs for students.
"There are problems with abuse because these are … stimulant drugs," said Dr. Juan Salinas, an expert in psychology and Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder at the University of Texas at Austin. "There's a danger that [Adderall or Ritalin] may … sensitize some people who are prone to addiction."
These prescribed drugs are stimulants used by patients who are diagnosed with either ADD or ADHD. People with the disorder lack dopamine, a neurotransmitter vital to the nervous system. Taking mild doses of these drugs enable them to have better focus and attention. It also increases alertness, allowing the drug to treat narcolepsy.
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