Study drugs
Study drugs are a phenomenon inside the lines of studying. It enhances your focus as well as your work ethic. As good as that all sounds, study drugs has received a lot of criticism. This is understandable since the term for this focus-enhancing pill is called a ‘drug’. This is probably why the name for the pills has been changed to “academic doping”. There has also been asked question the drugs on whether it is cheating to take these pills before studying or taking a test. Another question is whether it is dangerous for the students to take these drugs.
Study drugs are drugs that have the purpose to improve one’s cognitive ability. These drugs pills such as Adderall and Ritalin. By improving one’s cognitive ability you will be able to concentrate more and thereby work more effectively. These drugs can be used for studying but it can also be used for a lot of other things that require a high amount of focus, activities such as work, games and sports. So basically study drugs are enhances your performance on other levels than studying.
In the interview, “More Students Turning Illegally To 'Smart' Drugs” by Michelle Trudeau from February 5, 2009, the side effects of the drug Adderall are underlined. Michelle Trudeau talks to a boy who does not like to take the drugs because of the side effects, “He explains that he doesn't like taking his Adderall because of the side effects he experiences, such as insomnia and loss of appetite.” Wikipedia aid this statement and the webpage are also stating other side effects in the long-term. A website called www.drugs.com accounts for Adderall’s side effects where these side effects are a few among many others:
• Fast, pounding, or uneven heartbeats;
• Pain or burning when you urinate;
• Talking more than usual, feelings of extreme happiness or sadness;
This shows that study drugs can be dangerous to take, but is it the students fault that they take these drugs or do the school put too much pressure on students by giving them to much homework, or are the schools making the students expect too much of themselves? The unidentified woman in the interview says that she had too much studying to do for upcoming tests, “After thinking about it for a moment, she says it was freshman year. She was cramming for tests.”
America is often referred to as the land of opportunity. To take the opportunities that come your way, you have got to have a winning mentality, and go to college. If you do not go to college, chances of getting a fancy job with a high pay are equal zero.
In the article, “Do ‘Study Drugs’ Breed a Nation of Winners or - Cheaters?” David Sack believes that the answer to reach these goals without study drugs is to insert the mentality, “Cooperation over competition” .
In the article David Sack focuses negatively on study drugs by accentuating the side effects and how it is morally wrong to take study drugs. He also underlines how important it is for the student’s parents to take responsibility for their child and teach him or her that it is unethical to take study drugs, as it is no different from taking steroids or doping in the world of sports. David Sack hopes the future will bring new definition of success where intelligence is based on the following, “We need a new definition of intelligence based not only on academic prowess but also emotional intelligence, life skills and other abilities” . David Sack gives the reader an idea of just how widely distributed study drugs are. “David Sack states that, “One in 10 teens has used Adderall or Ritalin without a doctor’s prescription” .
Are there alternatives to study drugs? There are other options for enhancing your focus. You could for example turn off your TV or turn down the music in your ears. Through this you remove distractions. Studies show that even though most students either listen to music or watch TV while they study and these students believe that this enhances their focus on their studies, because it takes away the fact, that it is just boring and heavy homework that has to be done. This however should be turned off at all times. Another way of relieving stress from studying is to for example take a walk or exercise. Multiple studies have shown that exercising will help the student focus as their bodies will not be filled with energy that has to be used before they can sit down and focus on something that is not physically active.
From all of this info you can conclude that study drugs are both illegal and bad for your health. Study drugs are also unethical and it is considered cheating. Furthermore there are healthier alternatives such as removing distractions or working out. Therefore you should not take study drugs.