College Students Using Adderall to Study for Exams
It used to be that when a student had a test or a paper coming up, he would start preparing for it weeks in advance. He would find motivation to study from within by wanting to do well in a class, and that motivation alone would be enough to help him stay concentrated and driven during his study sessions.
Flash forward to 2011, and there’s a new factor in students’ studying habits. It’s not what every student does, but many do, include Jared Gabay, a senior at Auburn University. What could this new factor be? Gabay and many other students use a “study drug” to give them a little extra study boost.
“I’m more driven,” said Gabay about how he feels when he takes Adderall, a prescription drug that was created to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD. “I don’t focus on anything else [except my studies when I have taken an Adderall]. If I have a paper, that’s all I’m doing. No distractions, no socializing, just on with it.”
Many students on campuses across the nation are using Adderall and other ADHD medications, such as Ritalin, to help them study.