With the immense pressure of final exams, projects and papers, students at Quinnipiac are facing countless hours of studying and writing. And sometimes it feels like too much.

Some end up losing hours of sleep, others forgo sleep altogether. Many give up their weekend festivities to spend extra time in the library.

Some look to Adderall.

Adderall is commonly referred to as the “study drug,” and according to Drugs.com, it is a central nervous system stimulant that affects chemicals in the brain and nerves that contribute to hyperactivity and impulse control. This drug is often prescribed to people that have Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Some people with ADHD have trouble focusing for long periods of time and find that Adderall helps effectively counteract their symptoms.

In the final weeks of classes and cram sessions, Adderall has been discovered in the hands of college students looking for medicated help.

This drug is meant to help people who actually have a mental disorder, not college students who are looking for that extra edge during crunch time.

Misusing and abusing this drug, like any amphetamine, can lead to dependency and addiction, meaning that addicted users will find any excuse to abuse Adderall, even after final exams are over.

Other serious side effects include heart problems or even death.

Taking this drug without a legitimate medical reason not only insults our intelligence, but our integrity. Besides those people who actually have ADHD, everyone else is capable of getting through work without the help of medication. Students who don’t have a medical reason but use Adderall are simply taking the easy way out. Sit down in your chair, remove what might distract you and write your paper, study for your test, and get your work done.

Throughout high school and lower levels of education, we are taught to establish effective study habits and skills. Throughout our time in the institutionalized schooling system, we discover what study methods work and what don’t such as things like background music or dim or bright lighting – not the absence or presence of Adderall.

Campuses are filled with places to study with minimal distractions and are perfect for getting work done. The strict policy of study hours, extended classroom hours and our library’s availability show that there is ultimately no excuse to study with the prescribed medication. The only fathomable reason for someone taking Adderall, other than having ADHD, is laziness.