Finals Guide
Monday, May 13, 2013
Page 5
ALL ABOUT ADDERALL
Going to chemical lengths to study
EMMA LEGAULT
elegault@kansan.com
The hottest new study buddy comes in the form of a small, circular peach-colored pill.
Meet Adderall: performance enhancement for your brain.
The drug, commonly prescribed for those with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), is making its way into the purses and desk drawers of those who don't have prescriptions; they think it will boost focus and concentration, ultimately resulting in better grades and final exam scores.
It's becoming a social norm, often referenced on social media. In a study conducted from Nov. 2011 to May 2012, researchers at Brigham Young University found that the number of times the term "Adderall" appeared in tweets peaked on Dec. 13 with 2,813 and on April 30 with 2,207—right around final exams.
necessity to get through the day. When Hillary Podrebarac isn't on her medication, she feels distracted, unmotivated, fidgety and has an impulse to blurt out whatever thought pops into her head.
Podrebac, a freshman from Lawrence, was diagnosed with ADHD in November. In high school, she was known for being a good, but rather talkative student.
"People would make jokes out about it, but I was unable to stop even though I knew I would get in trouble," she said.
There were more than 200,000 tweets involving Adderall over the course of the six-month period. Examples of these tweets included "adderall + school = winning," "Aderall stockpile for finals," and "We would all graduate with a 4.0 if adderall was sold over the counter."
When she walked into a packed lecture in Budig 120 for the first time, she realized that she wouldn't have a string of support telling pay attention in the room of more than 500 students. She sought the help of her doctor and a therapist.
For students with ADHD, the drug is a
"It made me feel really stupid," she said. "As soon as I was on the medication and started doing better in my classes, I realized, OK I'm not stupid. I just wasn't able to focus."
TARA BRYANT/KANSAN
During finals, many students abuse the prescription drug Adderall to enhance their focus while studying so they can get better grades on their tests.
When she takes her medication (Vyvanse, another prescription drug for ADHD, during the day and Adderall in the evening) Podrebarac is notably more productive and confident.
Podrebarac has always wanted to work in the medical field, so when her grades in chemistry and biology — both large lecture classes
— were slipping, she had no back up plan.
"I was like, 'Oh my gosh, I'm going to have to reevaluate my life. What do I want to be?'
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