Should You Consume Study Drugs During Finals?

In your lifetime, you’ll probably have to take at least one pill, capsule, or medicine tablet. It provides relief and it helps the body recuperate from illness.

Over the last decade, students at universities and colleges across the country have taken these pills with a whole different purpose. Prescription drugs, also known as “study drugs,” are popular among college students because they increase concentration and energy, which enhances learning and provides an opportunity to control impulses and focus on a subject.

While it is relatively cheap to obtain some of these drugs, the consequences in the long term could be fatal. [Check out some “study drug” effects on the accompanying infographic.]

These “study drugs” are actually prescription drugs to treat such conditions as attention deficit disorder (ADD) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The most common “study drugs” among college students are Ritalin, Adderall, Concerta, Focalin, and Vyvanse.

However, Niche.com, a website dedicated to “provide reviews and insight from everyday experts” on diverse colleges among the country, grades Lake Forest with a C- in drug safety. This means that the college has no prominent drug use among students; however, little information could be found about study drugs.

Unless, of course, you have been prescribed with ADD or ADHD drugs, this article does not encourage the use of such drugs to boost concentration. Besides the side effects on your body and brain, the potential legal consequences of using or selling prescription drugs is substantial, given that consuming or selling such drugs without a prescription is a felony.

If you happen to be an active user of “study drugs,” I would like to ask you a question. Surely, there should be a “valid” reason for you to actually do it. Whether you justify using prescription pills because of parental pressure, scholarship GPA requirement, personal achievement, or conditional grade rewards, I wonder if getting good grades is worth your well-being.

If concentrating for finals is a problem for you, the college provides a great space at the Counseling Services for you to develop a better study plan. Make sure you talk to your advisor, create study groups, and organize yourself. Eat healthy, have fun, enjoy college, and good luck on your final exams.