Adderall Helps Students Focus and Cheat
by Some students in school are using a prescription ADHD drug to enhance their test-taking abilities. Is it okay? Or is it cheating?
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Between friends, families, work, extracurriculars and relaxing, homework is often neglected. This leaves too much work to do late at night or early in the morning for some students. Students are beginning to buy themselves more time by using Adderall, a drug used to treat ADHD, which can only be obtained by a prescription. A person on Adderall feels more awake and focused, which is why many students are now using it to help them keep up or get ahead in school.
Just as an athlete might use steroids, students are using Adderall to maximize their performance in school. When looked at from this view, many people see using Adderall as a new way to cheat.
Many people feel pressure to be the best at everything they do. Athletes use steroids to maximize their performance, and now students are using drugs to get ahead of the competition.
Students who illegally use Adderall are considered cheaters by many people. People are using Adderall for a wide variety of reasons but many use it to cram for tests, complete papers, or to help them stay focused and concentrated during tests such as finals, Advanced Placement exams, the SAT or ACT.
Adderall is a drug prescribed to people with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. Adderall corrects the chemical imbalances in the brains of people with ADHD and allows them to focus or stay on task just as someone without ADHD would. It is meant to level the playing field and give someone with ADHD the same ability to learn.
If students use Adderall when it is not prescribed to them, they have a large advantage over students with an actual problem.
“I have a hard time focusing so I use Adderall to help me. I think anyone with a prescription has an advantage over the rest of the class. We all have a lot going on and it’s hard for everyone to focus, so really they have the advantage,” blond senior girl who wishes to remain anonymous said.
The legal ramifications of being caught with Adderall that is not theirs is serious. Adderall is a Schedule II drug; one that has safe and accepted medical uses but is also has a high risk of abuse.
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Post CommentF C Banks
On March 7, 2009 at 7:55 pm
Interesting article, I have heard of adderall being abused for this type of activity
Nice work.
R J Evans
On March 8, 2009 at 4:25 am
Being from the previous generation (which makes me feel old) I used to see people taking various caffeine-rich substances while at university, in prep for exams. I was fairly jealous until I saw the *state* that they were in directly afterwards, taking weeks if not months to regain their proper composure, sleeping habit and in one or two cases, their mental health. So, if that is what caffeine can do, I would advise anyone to steer clear of adderall. Call me old fashioned but application throughout the academic year usually means that peeps will pass their exams!
David
On January 22, 2010 at 3:11 pm
Taking an prescription drug in order to do better in life isn’t cheating because an education isn’t competition. If there was more rewards in life for failures and people that do things the honest way then we wouldnt have to stoop to this level in order to receive an education.
Anonymous
On May 19, 2010 at 5:01 am
I definitely don’t consider taking adderall unprescribed as cheating. The student is still putting in the effort to learn the information. When I take it, it helps me spend more timing on studying and practicing the material, it’s not giving me answers.
Brian
On June 9, 2010 at 7:45 pm
Quote from David:
“Taking an prescription drug in order to do better in life isn’t cheating because an education isn’t competition.”
Education isn’t competition? Maybe not in highschool, but in college, it definitely is. A competition between peers for who will get the better internship, coop, or job. If you can’t understand that, then you shouldn’t be debating in the first place.
stacy
On September 20, 2010 at 6:11 pm
taking adderrall for “add” or “ADHD” is sickening. In my opinion these are made up disorders, i am a junior in highschool and a majority of my friends are perscribed adderral, concerta ect. Being teenagers we all have trouble focusing, are tired on a regular basis, and deal with educational pressures constantly. Taking adderall is an unfair advantage and i dont see how any parent in their right mind would allow their child to take it. Studies have shown that it dulls personalities (when not taken people’s personalities are often dulled) this is one of the many side affects of adderall. I do view taking these perscriptions, even when perscribed, as cheating. No, it may not give you the answers, but it does give you unnatural advantage.