During exam crunch time, many students resort to extreme measures. Thirty percent of college students are reported to illegally consume Adderall, a stimulant and study enhancer. Still, more students consume Adderall and similar drugs legally through prescriptions. On a neurological level, the long-term costs of Adderall consumption outweigh its temporary benefits. Serious students who care about their health should put down the pill bottle and brew a cup of coffee instead.
Adderall is used to treat disorders like Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, otherwise known as ADHD. Students use Adderall to maintain a long-lasting and precise focus on schoolwork; its popularity in a college setting is no surprise. The artificial focus comes with a price. Just like any other prescription medication, “side effects may occur.” Drugs.com reports a long list of effects one can experience during their everlasting study session. Fast heartbeats, anxiety, unbalanced emotional states as well as tremors are known to affect users. There is a disconnect between our society’s obsession with mental acuity and our indifference to side effects which may hinder long-term mental clarity. Minimalism is key when it comes to adjusting our neurology.
We must ask ourselves if Adderall is truly needed to ensure outstanding study habits. The reality is, most people do not use Adderall as a long-term study device. I have yet to encounter a person who illegally consumes Adderall on a daily basis throughout the semester. Adderall is typically used by those who choose to cram rather than casually study throughout the semester with help of coffee.
While coffee has its own side effects, I will take stained teeth over stimulant-fueled anxiety any day. Coffee allows one to study efficiently throughout the semester without a persistent need for “unnatural” stimulants that disrupt our neurochemistry, resulting in unbalanced emotional states.
The short-term benefits of Adderall are clear. If one were to test a person’s success on an exam after consuming Adderall versus coffee, I can almost guarantee Adderall would be the victor. However, this hypothetical study does not address the variable of time.
Success is based on two determining attributes: attention and time. To determine one’s success solely based on the intensity of focus is illogical. Time is an underrated indicator people rarely take into account. While coffee and Adderall both have their benefits, Adderall’s detriments outweigh its benefits. Due to Adderall’s negative side effects and its inaccessibility, people choose to limit their involvement with the drug, thus creating a limitation on the variable, time.
In order to thrive academically, it’s important to take into account the necessary variables. With that in mind, the difference between the consumption of Adderall versus coffee is negligible. In turn, while coffee may not be as beneficial as Adderall in your nightly study session, it’s important to note that coffee provides an effect which will bolster one’s ability to study efficiently on a nightly basis.