Sitting in the library for hours on end studying for midterms is an all too familiar experience for many students. That one little pill can ease the stress and hassle of studying sounds more than tempting.

More likely than not, you’re familiar with Adderall, a pill used to treat ADHD and frequently used by students to improve their study habits.

I’m not prescribed Adderall, and I would be a hypocrite if I said I was against taking this pill for study purposes, since I have before. At the same time, I know how severely un-prescribed drug habits accumulate. While this fear may be prevalent in numerous students, I know personally that this drug can sufficiently improve my ability to focus. It single-handedly has helped me numerous times in the past when suffering through all nighters at the library.  

Pennsylvania State University’s website states that, “Out of the 31 percent of college students that take some form of ADHD medication, only 5.3 percent of them are actually prescribed.” The demand for Adderall becomes extremely high during midterms and finals week. From personal experience, I know that this forces students to pay a competitive price to find this drug.

Although I personally feel that Adderall increases my ability to perform in school, the side effects of this drug weigh heavy. The Clinton Foundation states that “between 1993 and 2005, the proportion of college students using prescription drugs went up dramatically: use of stimulants like Ritalin or Adderall increased by 93 percent.” This stimulant has an addictive reputation that has many students in a craze during exam weeks.

Beyond the normal symptoms that most over-the-counter drugs give people, some common side effects of Adderall, according to WebMD, include chronic trouble sleeping, easily angered or annoyed, nausea, false sense of well-being,etc. Yet, somehow, the incentive Adderall offers to students overrides all these side effects.

The student use of un-prescribed Adderall is something that exists and is prevalent. The demand for this “miracle brain–enhancing”pill is constant and growing each semester. Students will continue to take Adderall in order to maintain of academic stability and walk away from college with the piece of paper they have been striving for.