School on full speed: Bad for your health

University can be a stressful time, especially for first year students. Some students feel the need to take “study drugs” to increase their motivation and generally do better in school.

These study drugs—prescription drugs such as Adderall—are used to increase concentration and motivation to get things completed, such as studying for that test or assignment due tomorrow.  However, these prescription drugs are not intended to fix bad study habits. They are for individuals with attention deficit disorder (ADD) or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Using them without a doctor’s diagnosis is ultimately more harmful than helpful. Sure, there are some positives to using the drugs in this way, like increased motivation to get stuff done, increased concentration during your late night readings and during classes.

But, in this case, the negatives outweigh the positives. Some of the drawbacks of these drugs can include: irregular heartbeat, increased blood pressure, restlessness, anxiety, nervousness, sweating, paranoia, consuming a dangerous amount of alcohol because your body misses all the signals that you have had enough to drink, and changes in sex drive.

University students may feel pressured into taking these drugs because they feel the need to compete with their peers.  However, are they worth taking after seeing all of those negative effects?

Stick with Mr. Coffee instead,  or just practice a natural way of studying at school.  Hit up the library alone, have that coffee break when needed, or try to take courses you’re actually interested in. That way, you won’t need study drugs or anything else to keep you motivated and on task.

MORE: School on full speed: An issue of academic integrity

MORE: School on full speed: A product of pressure

MORE: School on full speed: Students shouldn’t purchase productivity