TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) - All night study sessions are nothing new.
For years college students have used caffeine, and other drugs to prepare for finals.
"At three o'clock in the morning, you've spent all the money you have in your wallet on Starbucks, and it's just your brain is in five different directions and you're trying to study," said Evan Barber.
That was Evan Barber, an FSU freshman who has pulled a few all-nighters to study for upcoming exams.
Reading, taking notes, and writing papers are just some of what goes into studying for college finals. It may not sound like much, but to every student who's crammed for tests, it's a lot.
"Pretty stressed. Really busy. I have a bunch of papers this week and a bunch of finals next week," said Sabrina Shoaff, a junior at FSU. "Classes expect so much of us that we can only accomplish so much in a certain period of time with people taking 15 credit hours."
Some students turn to coffee and energy drinks, while others choose to start studying earlier and sleep more. Still, there are plenty of students who turn to "study drugs" like Adderall, without a prescription.
"I know people first hand that use Adderall. It's the same thing; it's a crutch," said Barber. "They use it so they can perform better, but without that, they can't perform as well."
Taking Adderall and other "study drugs" is where things can get dangerous.
"People without ADHD, they respond to it very differently," said Dr. Kayleigh Wright, who is a family practice resident. "Although you probably feel like you're studying more effectively because you're more awake, alert, and feeling raring to go, that doesn't translate into academic learning."
And it can be deadly.
According experts, instead of studying long and late hours, they recommend students get plenty of sleep and an earlier jump on hitting the books.
If you believe that you have trouble staying focused, doctors recommend seeing them first before searching out "Study drugs" like Adderall.
