Academic Doping: Putting the High in High Ability

November 1, 2016

cofeeeeeeeeYou glance at the clock as it changes from 11:59 pm to 12:00 am and sigh. Six hours into studying and you’ve barely made a dent in the list of to do’s. You frantically begin to calculate the amount of work you still need to accomplish, along with the minimal amount of sleep that you need to function for the upcoming day. You run your hands through your unwashed hair, rub your sleepy eyes, and turn back to the task at hand with a hazy mind.

Finals week. Everything students have spent countless hours on this trimester has led up to this. The week packed full of review, coffee, and tests. These tests allow them to display the knowledge that you have acquired over the course of 12 weeks and academically compete with your peers. However, this week results in a great deal of stress for students.

Nowadays, the pressure of finals cannot be simply cured with a cup of coffee. With the caffeine not cutting it in the race against the clock, students have turned to a new quick fix: Adderall.

Adderall is a prescription stimulant that is prescribed to patients who have been diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). The use of Adderall without a prescription can lead to serious health complications; not to mention it is illegal. Stimulant drugs specifically block the body’s feeling of fatigue, both physically and mentally, for an extended period of time.

The effects of the drug tend to convince students that they aren’t in the wrong for taking the prescription drug. At the time, it may seem like they are taking the necessary measures to build a strong academic foundation for their future. However, this poses an issue. Students are less likely to take into consideration the negative effects of taking unprescribed Adderall, such as high blood pressure, severe addiction, and even death, due to its short term “positive” effects.

Academic doping is a unique form of drug use. What makes this drug different from the rest is the motivation that lies behind it.  The success that the drug seems to promise is what motivates students to partake in academic doping, not the sensation from taking the drug.

Overall the outcome is purely negative, despite the false notation of the “positives” it may suggest. Academic doping is highly dangerous and can cause long-term health complications. When it comes to studying, steer clear of the Adderall and stick to the coffee.

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    Sophia JacksonMar 2, 2018 at 12:28 pm

    Amazing article. I had no idea that these issues existed. I am planning on using this as a source for a research paper.

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