Pill Pill Poppin'

When I was back in high school, I was really good at reading textbooks and instantly memorizing all the facts. I could read a chapter and still manage to remember everything I had read the next day. But in college, things are a little different.

For one, I can’t concentrate at all and I’m actually starting to think that I have some kind illness or that I just simply suffer from ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder) — like everyone else.

Second of all, whenever I read something, it feels like I’m not reading it at all. I’ll spend hours at the library trying to concentrate and I still can’t remember what a paragraph is about.

Some of my friends, who also suffer from concentration problems, have turned to drugs such as Adderall — a drugs that’s supposed to help you concentrate and keep you awake for hours — or other stimulants for the mind such as Focus Factor to keep them focused, and as a freshman in college, I have actually never been exposed to those kinds of things, until now, and they sort of freak me out.

In high school, some students did suffer from things like ADD or ADHD (attention deficit hyperactive disorder) and were prescribed Adderall to help them with their respective disorders. In college, it seems everyone takes it for the hell of it - not just to concentrate but as an actual drug.

The thing is, there are so many other things students could do to help them with their concentration when it comes to school work or when it comes to cramming for an exam. What ever happened to good old Redbull or simple cups of Joe? Back in High School, that was cooler than popping pills.

Students are not realizing of the effect of what Adderall or other similar drugs can do to them. Not only are they getting their bodies used to constantly have a substance in them to "help" them study or "help" them stay awake, but they can easily use Adderall as a step stone for illegal drugs.

My point is that there are other ways and other things you can do to do well in class and to cram up when it’s final’s season.

1. Study ahead. Read your lecture notes everyday after class. It’ll help keep the material fresh in your head and you won’t have to study as much when the test comes around.

2. Sit up front in all of your classes. Sitting in front of the teacher always prevents you from sleeping and it helps you be more alert during class discussions.

3. If you really feel like you need some sort of stimulant to try to stay up and study for longer hours then hit up your local Starbucks and get yourself a good cup of coffee — caffeine is not great for your system either, but hey, it’s a lot better than becoming the local "pill popper" of your floor.


If you are taking Adderall and don’t have ADD then take a look at this video and tell me if you act anything like these freaks.