Each semester around dead week and finals, stress begins to mount on students. Sometimes they turn to unhealthy practices to deal with this stress, feeling that it might help with their studies.

Ray Rodriguez, health promotion coordinator at the ISU Wellness Center, described this behavior as a type of desperation.

“Many students feel that it’s a now-or never-situation,” Rodriguez said. “They think they must put in the time they may not have invested already.”

Rodriguez said this behavior is more common at the Wellness Center during this two-week period than any other time of year.

“We get slightly higher reports of students doing these things around this time,” Rodriguez said. “There’s a sense of panic. They feel on edge, and are hoping to get better grades.”

Unhealthy Practices

Mike Bullis, freshman in computer engineering, explained how his coffee intake has increased over the past week or so due to upcoming finals.

“I usually drink around 10 cups on any given week,” Bullis said. “The amount has definitely increased over the past week. I’ve probably drank around 20 cups, so about twice the amount.”

Bullis went on to describe one of the negative effects of caffeine: sleep deprivation.

“Like an energy drink, when it wears off you just want to go to sleep, or you have to drink more,” Bullis said. He said last semester during dead week he was unable to sleep one night.

Rodriguez was able to explain this effect.

“You’re going to have to pay it back at some point, its just borrowed time you’re getting,” Rodriguez said. “Eventually you’re going to crash, but when it’s time to get the rest you need, you may not be able to.”

Bullis said that although the coffee earned him some extra time, it didn’t necessarily increase the quality of his work.

“Sometimes I get more work done with the coffee. It really just depends on my frame of mind,” he said.

Rodriguez said coffee was not a good supplement to a student’s studying.

“If you’re sleepy and take caffeine, you’re not necessarily going to be awake. You’re going to be jumpy, twitchy and jittery and all that can really interfere with your study time,” he said.

Lisa, a freshman in the College of Design who requested to leave out her last name for anonymity, uses another alternative method to increase her studying potential.

She abuses the prescription drug Adderall, a pharmaceutical pyschostimulant composed of amphetamine salts, which is often prescribed to people with Attention Deficit Disorder.

When asked whether she was prescribed to the medication, Lisa laughed at the question.

“I’m not prescribed, but I don’t really need to be,” Lisa said. “It’s pretty easy to get a hold of. It’s handed out like candy in prescription form.”

Lisa explained why she takes the controlled substance.

“It allows me to focus better; I don’t get distracted and just have an easier time getting work done.”

She cited a number of negative side effects she felt from using the drug. “I can’t really sleep afterwards, I get kind of jittery, I smoke a lot more, I’m always really thirsty and I can get pretty irritable,” she said.

Lisa, who admitted to using the substance before any major test, said she hasn’t been using more than usual so far over dead week.

“The work I’ve had to do hasn’t really demanded it, but over the next few days I plan on taking more to cram for my finals.”

Rodriguez said a number of dangers coincide with taking part in habitual abuse of a substance like Lisa described.

“The longer you use a stimulant or any substance to stay in a particular stage, the more detrimental the long term affects will be,” he said.

Marc Shulman, staff physician at Thielen Student Health Center, went into detail the risks that students take when taking stimulants such as Adderall.

“Students don’t understand the side effects of these prescriptions,” Shulman said. “Serious side effects include heart problems and even death. We try to make sure that the people taking them really need them. That’s why they’re controlled by the government.”

In addition, Shulman warned students to be aware that mixing Adderall and alcohol can be a fatal concoction.

“Students will get done studying, still be awake due to the effects of the drug, and want to go out and drink. At that point, you’re mixing a stimulant and a depressant which leads to an even higher risk.”

Although Adderall is a prescription drug, if someone isn’t prescribed to it and gets caught with the pills, he or she can be charged with possession of a controlled substance.

“There is also a criminal aspect to this. You don’t want to get caught with someone else’s bottle of Adderall in your pocket,” Shulman said. 

Healthy Alternatives

Rodriguez described some important healthy practices students can do to increase their testing efficiency. One of the most key was getting ample sleep in the time leading up to the tests.

“Students that sleep seven and a half to eights hours are going to be better mentally prepared than those that cram and only get three to four hours,” Rodriguez said. “The students that pull all-nighters just aren’t going to have any reserves left.”

He also explained that nutrition is an important factor when it comes to test taking.

“When you’re mentally active, it’s important to have a well-balanced diet and to be sure you’re getting three square meals a day.”

Rodriguez noted it is also important to eliminate some of the normal weekend practices students may engage in.

“You should limit alcohol usage or eliminate it completely,” Rodriguez said. “Because it is a drug, it is going to have negative effects on you.”

He said it can also be important to get out of a bedroom to study. Instead go to a quiet place somewhere else, where there will be fewer distractions readily available.

Rodriguez pointed out that the last thing you want to do is let stress overwhelm you.

“You have to limit the stresses in your life. This isn’t the week that you want to come out and tell your roommate that you don’t like him,” Rodriguez joked. “If you’re feeling stressed this semester, practice better preparation next semester and you won’t have these problems.”