Finals are less than two weeks away, and the OU Recreational Services Center is reaching out to students to ensure they handle the stress that accompanies final exams and term papers.
During the weeks leading up to final exams, students begin neglecting their bodies and their minds, said Malinda Williams, OU Recreational Services assistant director.
“Students don’t prioritize or make good use of their time, and as the semester comes to an end, they’re scrambling to make up for that lost time,” Williams said.
Williams said she thinks most students deal with finals in a negative way.
“Procrastination is one of the biggest management issues with students,” she said. “If they’re not taught time management, they just learn to find quick fixes.”
Students commonly try to accommodate tighter schedules by neglecting sleep, eating poorly, taking prescription medicines and consuming energy drinks, Williams said.
The number of students who abuse prescription medicines is steadily increasing, said Tiffany Couch, Norman Addiction Information and Counseling Center spokeswoman.
“We’re seeing more of that,” Couch said. “And I’d have to say, there’s not really a difference between misusing prescription medicines and using hard drugs like cocaine.”
Medicines that contain amphetamine, like Adderall and Ritalin, which are medications for individuals with attention deficit disorder, speed up and stimulate the system, Couch said.
“It will definitely help you stay up late and study,” she said. “Some students might use it to stay up the night before a big test.”
College students may easily acquire prescriptions drugs from a roommate or friend who is already prescribed the drug, Couch said.
“Many students think that because their friends use it and get As on tests, then it must be safe,” she said.
Adderall is not the way to handle stress, but she can see why students end up abusing the drug, she said.
Abusing medicines like Adderall and Ritalin is becoming a trend with young people, Couch said.
“It’s a stimulant and if used properly, it’s not dangerous,” she said. “However, used recreationally or if it’s abused, it can be deadly.”
Summer Thetford, sonography sophomore, said she can relate to students who feel the pressure of preparing for finals.
“During a regular week, my stress level is at about a 10,” Thetford said. “But when during an exam week, it’s about a 30.”
Thetford said her quick fix for dealing with finals is an alternative to abusing prescription drugs.
“Instead of taking medicines like Adderall, I just eat — a lot,” Thetford said. “I eat a lot and I get grumpy, and all I want to do is study and not talk to anyone.”
Thetford said she wishes professors would take students’ stress into consideration as they assign exams and papers at the end of the year. She said students might not feel the pressure to abusively use drugs, alcohol and bad eating habits to cope with the stress.
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Eagles101 2 years, 1 month ago
This is how you address the Adderall issue. Nice work!
One thing though, eating a lot of food to make you 'grumpy', not wanting to talk to anyone and only wanting to study... Is NOT an alternative to prescription stimulants. That chick must have sprinkled some special mushrooms on her food before making that statement.