Tuesday, September 07, 2010
   
Text Size

The Highest Score

PDFPrintE-mail

Written by Jade Jones-Hawk and Jenna Tuttle

Hearts raced, fingers twitched, the clock overhead gently ticked away. It was finals week, and for some people the difference between pass and fail depended solely on a final exam. But relax; first semester finals are over. Thank whichever deity you prefer.
      However, the social issues prompted by finals  are not yet laid to rest. The use of study drugs to prepare for tests and complete assignments persists. According to a 2005 study conducted by the International Narcotics Control Board, 1 out of 10 American teenagers had used the prescription stimulants Adderall and/or Ritalin without a doctor’s prescription. According to a January Tam News survey of 268 students across all four grades, 1.9 out of 10 Tam students used Adderall and/or Ritalin during finals week 2009 in order to study.
     The effects of different substances vary, as do their risks, but study drugs in general have become a large part of finals week at Tamalpais High. Yes, first-semester anxieties are over, but second semester finals in June are just around the corner, and with them comes a fresh wave of stressed students, and the study drugs some depend on.
Adderall and Ritalin are not the only stimulants coursing through Tam students’ veins. In fact, 69 percent of students surveyed admitted to using some sort of substance during finals week to help them study. In addition to Adderall and Ritalin, other prescription drugs such as Concerta and Dexedrine, illegal substances such as cannabis and methamphetamine, and common caffeinated drinks such as coffee, tea, soda and energy drinks, Tam students confessed to using common household drugs like Advil and Zoloft in pursuit of an enhanced study opportunity.
     Prescription stimulants such as Adderall and Ritalin are cheap and readily available to students. “I didn’t have the time to study for all my subjects and do the [current] homework,” said an anonymous Tam junior, a first-time user of Adderall. “[Adderall] was exactly what I needed, honestly. It helped me focus and complete homework and note cards twice as fast as I would have been able to otherwise.”
     When asked about the effects of taking either Adderall or Ritalin, most students surveyed reported Adderall use for stronger focus and concentration in preparation for finals. 
     “I had to catch up on several missing math assignments,” wrote one junior. “Adderall let me power through them. The [Adderall] let me focus on what would otherwise be mindless, boring busywork.”
     Adderall and Ritalin are potentially addictive and dangerous. The adverse effects of Adderall and Ritalin include withdrawal-like symptoms after extended use, and increased blood pressure, blood sugar and heart rate, which constrict blood vessels and open up the pathways of the respiratory system. These pulminary effects can focus attention, and increase alertness and energy, but increased heart rate and blood pressure can lead to more serious conditions, and even death. 
     The intensified ability to concentrate and complete assignments is the prevailing reason Tam students cited for trying Adderall. Tam juniors were the largest group of users, while freshmen were the smallest group of users. Not all students know of the seemingly underground market for study aids. 
     “I am not aware of Tam students using Ritalin [or] Adderall, but that’s probably because I don’t associate with those that do,” said junior Alizeh Iqbal, “[though] its usage wouldn’t be unlikely; they’re used quite a bit at universities, especially elite ones.” According to Tom Ato of Associated Content, nearly 20 percent of current college students use Adderall, the same percentage of usage among surveyed Tam students. 
     Other students, like Tam junior Nicole Good, choose not to use Adderall for personal reasons. “I believe high school’s purpose is to build up study habits, and by using drugs [to study], you just waste your time.” 
     The survey also revealed that 28 percent of Tam students admitted to smoking marijuana during finals week. The reasons for doing so varied from stress-release and motivation, to conteracting effects of other drugs. 
     “[Smoking marijuana] was my reward for studying hard beforehand,” wrote an anonymous Tam junior on the survey. 
     Other students wrote that cannabis made them relaxed, or as one wrote, “sooper dooper baked and chilla.” Others reported using marijuana to counterbalance the over-stimulation of Adderall in order to fall asleep after a night of intensive studying. “[Smoking] makes me doper than dopamine,” wrote another student.
     However, there are still many at Tam who chose not to partake in the use of any substances for the purpose of studying. Thirty-one percent of students abstained from all drugs last December. “I don’t believe in taking drugs to improve myself,” wrote a senior. 
     Many more students only reported consuming caffeine in order to study, including Iqbal, who reported drinking caffeinated coffee and tea during finals week. 
     “The reason I stay up late is in the hopes of achieving higher [scores] on my exams, and harder ‘study drugs’ would probably bear an adverse effect on that goal, which would defeat the purpose,” Iqbal said.
     Other students stick with substances like caffeine for different reasons. “Finals don’t scare me into illegal action,” one senior explained.
Another case entirely is that of freshman Griffin Lundy. He recalled experiences with legally prescribed Adderall during much of middle school. Lundy used Adderall for years but has since cut it out of his life. 
     “[Adderall] didn’t really do anything, it kind of just made me not hungry.” But after an increased dosage from his doctor, he “went a little nuts” and decided to stop using it. “My grades are way better now,” said Lundy. “I feel much better, I focus a lot more.”
     Even many health professionals have noticed the trend towards the use of these substances as study aids. There has been a significant uprising in diagnosis rates of ADHD, which many health professionals link to high availability, and consequently high illegal usage, of Adderall and Ritalin. These medications, when consumed by those without legitimate physiological need, are potentially addictive and otherwise harmful. The National Drug Intelligence Center claims that prescription stimulants like Adderall and Ritalin are some of the most commonly abused drugs in the country. 
     According to the 2006-2007 and 2007-2008 California Healthy Kids Surveys, there is a marked increase in the use of Ritalin and Adderall as high school grade level increases. For those who had used these substances at all, prolonged use was likely. 
     While the majority of Tam students used some sort of drug to study last year, there are many other ways to get the most out of finals week. As one anonymous senior so simply wrote, “F--- your drugs.” Sixty-five percent of those surveyed chose caffeinated alternatives such as energy drinks, soda, coffee and tea. 
     “No one wants to take ‘study drugs,’” said Iqbal. “It’s the plight of the student who crams and studies for hours, hoping to do well. It’s the same thing at prestigious schools like Harvard and Stanford, which have some of the highest usages, because [students] feel as if their obligations exceed the amount of time they have. Taking ‘study drugs’ is not an advantage as much as it’s the consequence of conscientious drudgery.” 
     While winter finals week may be long forgotten, the use of study drugs will continue to be a controversial and growing subject in semesters to come. Causes, risks, and justifications concerning the use of these substances may vary, but it is clear that drugs have infiltrated finals week at Tam High. With demanding tests like the ACT and SAT fast approaching, and second semester finals just around the bend, the pressure for students to turn to more controversial ways to achieve that “perfect score” is more present than ever.

This article originally appeared in the February 2010 issue.

Add comment


Security code
Refresh

Current Issue

cover

Briefly

Spring Fever: A number of Tam students are on school trips to foreign countries including France, England, and Mexico. Bon Voyage!

Driving Safe: Recently, a number of Tam students have been pulled over for speeding above the 25 mile per hour speed limit on Almonte Boulevard.

Winning Voices: On a trip to New York, the Tam Concert Choir recieved an individual rating of Gold/Superior, the highest rating a group can get. In addition, the choir also finished Second place overall in the entire Concert Choir category.

Don't Stress: STAR testing begins the Tuesday after Spring Break. Tam's bulletin offers daily test taking advice.

 

Login Form

Ad