Dejah Hayes

Andrew Brown
3/16/14
Reflection
College students using Adderall as medication always interested me as to why those use
the drug when it is neer !rescri"ed to their needs# As$ a freshman college student% $ am aware
a"out the drugs that are "eing used on my cam!us# $ selected this to!ic "ecause it has s!read as a
world wide issue and $ wanted to &now how one !ill can effect the grades you ma&e# 'his to!ic
has "een on the news and has "een inestigated at many different colleges to get students
reiews a"out the drug as well as their e(!erience with it# 'his issue a!!eals to me "ecause their
is a leel of unfairness distri"uted to the students who are using this drug to con)uer a high *+A
when other students are struggling to ma&e good grades the normal way# $t is "ecoming the norm
and too common on college cam!uses eerywhere around the country#
Any ty!e of addiction to a drug or stimulant inoles !ower# $t is a certain !ower that
allows a !erson to act in a !articular way from what they hae "een using# Adderall can "ecome
so de!endent to where students feel the need to ta&e it eeryday either one to three times or
more# ,ith my research $ was a"le to come across multi!le sources from we"site articles to
news!a!er articles% maga-ine articles% and "logs# .ost of my sources come from google#com%
news!a!erinde(#com% and mag!ortal#com# /ur!risingly% $ found !lenty of sources to choose from
for my to!ic# $0e learned how easy it is to access stimulant !ills from the heath center doctor0s
"ecause you can not "e "lood tested for it# +eo!le who are !rescri"ed ADHD !ills are willing to
sell them to their !eers for money# 1ormally one !ill can range fie dollars on a college cam!us#
Anyone who ta&es medication does not always hae the same effects as someone else# 'he
effects can "e long or short2term and continual use of Adderall damages the frontal corte( of the
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"rain# After reading all of my articles $ hae a more confident understanding of what the !ill does
and how it wor&s for students who use it# $ can see why it is not all "ad for !eo!le who hae
ADHD to hel! their disa"ility% "ut for those who a"use it% they can cause serious harm to
themseles#
All of my articles hel!ed me out with finding new information% "ut the ones that hel!ed
me out the most were Andrew 7aco"s% 7ulia .ar"ach% and +aige 8aleigh0s wor&# 'hese articles
e(!lains why $ !ic&ed the to!ic and what $ wanted to gain out of it# $t allowed me to iew college
students thought on the situation and what needs to "e addressed to the !u"lic to ma&e it "etter#
9or future references% this !roject could hel! me start a !rogram on cam!us to s!read the word
a"out stimulant awareness# $t would "e a great education !rogram to hel! students ma&e smart
choices and reduce the results of drug a"use# $ "eliee if students ma&e the effort to understand
the conse)uences of a"using the drug they would thin& twice a"out using it# 4ither way the
!rogram would "enefit the community and would let them &now how much we care a"out the
situation#
Annotated Bi"liogra!hy for College /tudents using Adderall
Coo!er% Aaron# College students ta&ing ADHD drugs for "etter grades# C11% 6511#
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Andrew Brown
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'he Au"urn :niersity senior% 7ared *a"ay shared his story of how effectie Adderall is for
ma&ing A0s and B0s in his classes# Researchers% Alan De/antis% a !rofessor and researcher at the
:niersity of 8entuc&y% and Dr# Raymond 8otwic&i% an assistant !rofessor in the De!artment of
+sychiatry at 4mory :niersity;s school of medicine in Atlanta% find that 35< of students hae
used the drug illegally and =5< of u!!erclassmen in fraternities and sororities hae ta&en them#
'he use of study drugs is so common that college students don0t see it as a !ro"lem#
4(!erts hae found long term side effects that could lead to !sychosis% a mental disorder
that includes a loss of contact with reality# 'hose who ta&e this drug without a !rescri!tion can
encounter significant !ro"lems "oth in terms of thin&ing% mood !ro"lems% functionality% jitters%
headaches% or een stomach !ro"lems# 'his news story from C11 is accrua"le with their conte(t
dis!ensing information to the world a"out the dangerous use of illegal ADHD drugs which will
cause the most !ro"lems in the future with college students#
'he information in this article lets you &now that it is a real life !ro"lem for college
students as one senior confesses his story# $t "rings more attention to hae a student oice their
o!inion on how they feel it hel!s and what it will really does for them in the long run if the
su"stance continues to "e a"used# Readers may gain &nowledge of facts that are easy to
understand a"out the drug#
Healy, Melissa. Its finals week: Do you know what your teen is taking to study so hard?. Los
Angeles Times, 2013.
Dr. Matthew Davis, a pediatrician at the University of Michigan, touched on how there is a gap
between student behavior and parental suspicion calling it a big mismatch. It is dangerous for
parens not to view stimulant abuse for the same as illicit drug use. Surveys find white children
using this medication more heavily than other ethnicity's. There are possible reasons in which
parents may not realize there kids using these drugs making it a problem of affluent and
academically ambitious communities.
If parents knew more knowledge of their children using ADHD medication or selling
there personal medication, would survey results be as high as they are? Parents should stay alert
of their kids activities and how well they manage their time even in college. Health factors are at
risk for people using these harmful medications without being prescribed to them by the doctor.
Students should be educated about stimulants as well as parents. It is just as important for parents
to know information on these drugs as students who use them.
Parents could use the article for knowledge more than college students. It is mainly
addressed to them to provide them the 411 of what happens on college campuses. Also, it can
give parents the idea of staying in touch with their kids more and up to date with whats
happening in their lives.
Hom, Elaine J. LiveScience Contributor. Adderall: Uses, Abuses & Side Effects. November 6,
2013.
Adderall is viewed in the context of science and how the drug effects the body over time. It gives
you details of how it looks and acts once it is swallowed or snorted. Information is provided
about how many different ways the drug can be used as well as long-term and short-term effects.
ADHD must be diagnosed through a series of test that rule out other mental disorders.
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The knowledge of the drug is misguided many times by individuals who use it.
People who use it unprescribed should research about it to see what the side effects could be.
Adderall can react differently for different individuals. Majority of the time people to not know
that the stimulant is not intended for those who exhibit symptoms that are secondary to
environmental factors or exhibit symptoms that indicate primary psychiatric disorders.
If you know absolutely nothing about Adderall this is a perfect article to read. It does not
give feedback on how it is abused, but it provides you in detail what the drug is all about. This
allows you to see the highs and lows of taking the drug and how fatal it can be to the human
body.
Jacobs, Andrew. Reporter. The Adderall Advantage. The New York Times Magazine, 2005.
College students have a difficult time trying to study for their final as well as staying focused. It
is hard enough to stay awake and concentrate on one subject for hours. Since 1994 to 2003, the
general population of prescription abuse has doubled. College students turn to there fellow peers
to get there hands on the drug who sell it to them. It is easy to get ahold of pre-scripted drugs
says Dr. Robert A Winfield who is director of University Health Service at the University of
Michigan, Ann Arbor.
Adderall is being distributed too easily around campuses through peers and within the
Heath Center. An increase of students who falsely claim to be ADHD have grown in number. It is
impossible for doctors to see legitimate diagnose because there is no blood test. Students have
admitted to Adderall for changing their lives in a positive way. The truth is, Adderall does not
improve your intelligence, it just increases your diligence.
The understanding of why this takes place on college campuses gives you a complete
understanding through students eyes. Their point of view about Adderall is not alarming to any
possible negative effects that could come their way. This generation is very competitive and will
go extreme measures to have the success they want.
Jenkins, Kristen Blog. Adderall: College Students Best Friend-- Or Worst Enemy?? Serendip
Biology 202, 2007.
Several studies have shown that the brains afflicted with ADHD malfunction in the frontal
cortex. When dopamine is increased to the flow of the frontal cortex, it allows the brain to carry
out functions as a normal brain would. A person with normal functions who take the stimulant
will experience a heightened sense of motivation, focus, and concentration. Students have
preached the stimulant to promise then effort less high GPAs. They claim the dependence on the
drug makes a huge improvement for themselves.
Is it fair to regular students who do not use this stimulant and struggle in their classes to
succeed just as much as students who do use this drug? In the article Josie, an afflicted ADHD
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students shares, For people with ADD, it just makes them normal, and for people without ADD,
it makes them above average. If both me and someone without ADD were both on Adderall, I
could never outdo them. I believe this kind of situation afflicts with the school system and how
honorable students may seem.
This blog was well thawed out as it explains not just the effects of the drug, but the
conflict it can cause when it comes to fairness. Most blogs are opinion based and share their
thoughts on the topic. Ms. Jenkins did a great job on her research to accommodate relevance to
the issue concerning how dependent it becomes to students with out them realizing they are
becoming addicted.
8aleigh% +aige# /taff ,riter# Adderall> 'he ?/mart@ +ill for College /tudents# Ada!t .aga-ine%
6515#
'o sole stressful college student !ro"lems% it is common to hear them turn towards Adderall for
hel!# /ociety !ressure students to succeed !utting a load of res!onsi"ilities on their !late#
/tudents who are diagnosed with Attention Deficit2Hy!eractiity Disorder hae "een selling the
drug to classmates and friends for !rofit# Although the drug may hel! with studying% it can
"ecome ery de!endent with daily tas&s which would "e harmful to those who are not !rescri"ed
for it#
Adderall is ta&en "y students inside and outside of the classroom to increase !erformance
results# 'he cycle continues on !lenty of cam!uses as if it could "e a legal su"stance# /ide effects
are heaily weighed for those who do not need the !ill# Harming one0s "ody is not the only
effectie way to succeed in school# 'he &ey to success in college is time management which
students fail to reali-e# /tudents refer to Adderall as hel!ing them when it actually can "e hurting
them altogether#
Ada!t .aga-ine were straight to the !oint with the to!ic# 'he idea they wanted to get
across was short and easy to understand# 'he wording was sim!le to get across to readers% "ut the
source lac&s in details# Aisting side effects is not enough information to connience readers that
this situation is a "ig issue# 'his article leaes you with an idea in your head instead of sending
fourth &nowledge that will stic& for a long time !eriod#
Marbach, Julia. Staff Writer. Studies show Adderall aids focus, but has hidden costs. December
5, 2012.
Julia Marbach gathered a couple of stories from students who have experienced taking Adderall
more than once and how it impacted their physical and mental abilities. All of them admitted to
mood changes and lost of sleep. They were all able to be more focused and obtain a good grade
on their exams. Negatively, side effects took a toll in there performances and two of them had to
stop taking the drug, one with ADHD and one without the disorder.
Like most studies, stimulants do not work the same for everyone. Each person had a
different experience which does not make it okay for someone else to try the drug thinking it will
work perfectly fine for them. Those who took it were taught a valuable lesson before they
became dependent on the drug. Adderall usage have physical effects, but they found out there are
also legal and behavioral consequences too.
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The realization of going through negative experiences is what other colleges students new
to the drug needs to hear before they decide to use it. The text is expressive material sharing their
personal stories which can be viewed as a perfect way to persuade others with their feedback.
+o!e% 7ustin# Associated +ress# Colleges wa&e u! to notion that "etter slee! means "etter grades#
,ashington 'imes% 6516#
Healthy slee!ing ha"its could "e the !ossi"le miracle drug that college students need to o"tain
the grades they want# LeeAnn Hamilton, the assistant director of health promotion and
preventive services at the University of Arizona, commented,The average student is functioning
with a clinical sleep disorder. On college campuses sleep looks like a small problem, but if
students were educated about getting more sleep then there would be fewer problems such as
Adderall abuse. Results have shown sleep efforts to pay off from the Academy in Massachusetts
in 2007. The results revealed less visits to the health center, more students eating breakfast, an
increase in GPA and they had a positive out look for what sleep can do for you.
There are no need for students to take drugs to be successful with there work. Sleep is
very important to a human body and without it a person is already harming themselves. The key
fact is realizing that college students dont think that sleep plays a role into achieving what you
want to accomplish. Mr. Pope provided more than enough information to persuade his readers to
encourage the influence of sleep. Without it, students most likely will increase the use of
Adderall and Ritalin to keep them awake and focused to pull all-nighters.
The source was useful to get across one main idea. It was not as effective when
explaining how Adderall plays into getting more sleep. He talked about sleep and the importance
of it more than anything. This article could be best used to educate schools and put sleep
education into the curriculum.
Task: Immodest Proposal
Is it fair for students in college to use drugs to help them focus on a test rather than studying like
most students?
* the topic/subject you want to use

* why you wish to use this topic/subject,

* including why you find it interesting enough to use a focus for your research

Dejah Hayes
Andrew Brown
3/16/14
* tell me what you (think) you already know of this subject/topic

* why do you expect youll find research sources on your subject/topic

* why should your idea be worthy of approving

* explain what you hope to gain from researching this topic/subject

what is your back-up plan and why it is suitable as such
The subject I want to use for this particular project is the abuse of Adderall taken by
upperclassmen college students to help with there studies. This is has become popular on college
campuses across the United States. I find this topic interesting since I am a freshman college
student who has never taken this substance for study use. For research I would like to find out if
it is fair to other students who do not use this drug to focus on their work or test. I think I already
know why students take this substance. In college as you get inducted into your major the work
load builds up and gets much harder than you expect. It puts stress on students and most can not
handle staying focus on a subject which needs hours to study for. I expect to find plenty of
articles on my topic because this situation has been televised before. My idea is logical and can
be simply proven by other college students as well as teachers who notice a change in grades. I
hope to gain more knowledge of peoples actions from taking this substance. I also want to
understand if this is fair to student who dont use drugs to obtain good grades. My back-up plan
would be to figure out why Adderall is not on the same drug level as marijuana. It is suitable
because it still pertains to my topic in some aspect.