All-nighters, stress-eating, taking up residence in the library, maybe some crying — all of these are symptoms that we students suffer from during finals week. While it's become custom to just accept these as the norm, something has to change. Finals week is this looming monster we see in the distance from the start of the semester. We know it is slowly but surely approaching, but we really aren't ready for it when it gets here. The extent some students go to, though, are getting to a dangerous level and it needs to be addressed.
While pulling all-nighters to study might seem like a typical college experience, it's extremely unhealthy and most likely won't help very much when it comes to taking the test. Sleep deprivation is a much more serious issue than college students realize, and with their typical lifestyle, sleep is extremely important. This, along with a lot of stress-eating of unhealthy foods, can lead to an eventual breakdown which can leave the student feeling sick or worn out. These habits are very unhealthy to practice, especially when going to take major exams.
Another more worrisome habit of college students is the use of focus drugs like Adderall and Ritalin. These are prescription drugs used to treat disorders like ADHD, but they have grown increasingly commonplace with students looking to get more work done than they normally could. The increased level of usage for these drugs have been recorded, showing:
"The National Survey on Drug Use and Health, released in April, stated 7 percent of all full-time college students aged 18-22 use Adderall. This was almost twice the percentage of reported usage among the same age group not attending college full-time."
While 7 percent may seem somewhat low, this only takes into account the students using these as they are prescribed to them. A large amount of college students take these drugs by getting them from other students, just like any other illegal substance.
The issue of stress caused by the pressure of finals needs to be addressed, because the unhealthy limits that college students are pushing are only doing them harm. The pressure of having to do well and still keep up with our regular work, our social life and, in some cases, jobs is just too much to expect from 18 to 22-year-olds. All students need to remember that no good grade is worth jeopardizing their health.
