A new semester often comes with the familiar promise that this time, things will be different. Marks will be better, you will be more organised, and you will spend fewer nights frantically trying to catch up. Then work starts piling up, test week looms, and anything that might potentially make studying easier starts to look appealing. This is where “study drugs” enter the conversation.
For some, taking ADHD medications becomes this shortcut. They may get the medications from a contact who has a prescription, while others might attempt ways around a script. The idea seems simple: take the medication, concentrate for longer, and perform better. This is the idea, but what about the reality?
There is a common belief that taking medications such as Concerta or Ritalin will automatically make you more focused, more productive, and, therefore, smarter. For someone with ADHD, properly prescribed medication can make a significant difference. It can help manage symptoms that interfere with everyday life, studying, and work. That is very different from taking the medication when you do not have ADHD and expecting it to turn you into a better student.
Research from the University of Cambridge and the University of Melbourne has questioned the idea that these medications automatically improve cognitive performance in regular people. In some cases, participants put in more effort while producing lower-quality work and taking longer to complete tasks.
Being able to stay awake or feeling more focused does not mean that you are learning more effectively. Studying still relies on understanding, retaining, and applying information.
Another common misconception is that responding well to ADHD medication proves that someone has ADHD. There are plenty of reasons why a student might struggle to concentrate. Stress, anxiety, poor sleep, burnout, and the pressure of university can all affect how well someone is able to focus. ADHD is a medical condition that requires a proper assessment. A positive reaction to someone else’s medication is not a diagnosis. However, if you suspect that you may have ADHD, borrowing medication from a friend is not the answer. Getting assessed by a healthcare professional is.
It is easy to forget that prescription medication is still medication. Taking it without medical supervision means that nobody has properly considered whether the medication, dosage, or possible side effects are appropriate for you. There are also risks associated with misuse, including adverse effects and dependence, and then, there is the legal aspect.
In South Africa, methylphenidate is a controlled medicine. The Medicines and Related Substances Act 101 of 1965 regulates the prescribing, possession, sale, and supply of scheduled medicines. Having a prescription means that the medicine has been prescribed to you. It does not give you permission to sell or hand it over to your friends.
That means buying medication from another student, selling your own prescription, or supplying it to someone who does not have a prescription can have legal consequences. Depending on the circumstances, students may also face disciplinary consequences from their university or other legal consequences.
At the University of Pretoria, students can approach the Student Counselling Unit for help with academic and personal difficulties. Student Health Services can provide medical consultations, treatment, and referrals where appropriate. Students can contact the UP Counselling Careline on 0800 747 747 or Student Health Services on 012 420 2500. Students with diagnosed conditions affecting their studies can also approach Access, Disability and Inclusion Services (ADIS) for support and academic accommodations. If the problem is less about a medical condition and more about not knowing how to manage the workload, UP’s Academic Success Coaches can help with things such as time management, study techniques, examination preparation, and managing academic demands, which are available in every faculty.
Asking for help might not feel like the quickest solution when you have three assignments due and test week coming up. It is, however, a much safer one. A pill borrowed from a friend cannot tell you whether you are dealing with ADHD, burnout, exhaustion, or simply too much work at once.
A new semester is an opportunity to start again. That does not necessarily mean finding a way to study harder. Sometimes, it means finding out why studying has become so difficult in the first place.
