[super.senpai]

saw an episode of Silicon valley about a child prodigy programmer who needed ritalin to perform at a stellar level. recently ritalin was mentioned again, amongst college students, at my local barber shop. Just curious… obviously if the individual has prescriptions for it then no harm or foul. however, curious to know how many people (who don’t need the prescription) taking the exams are taking ritalin for that competitive edge.

BEC: 72,72, 77
AUD: 47, 63

[mla1169]

Nick not much would surprise me. Seriously.

FAR- 77
AUD -49, 71, 84
REG -56,75!
BEC -75

Massachusetts CPA (non reporting) since 3/12.

[Anonymous]

It is also absurdly easy to lie for such medication. If you're able to recognize a need for such amphetamines, you definitely possess the ability and intelligence to feed particular doctors the answers they want to hear in order to beat the system and obtain such medication.

But yea, long-term use can severely alter one's eating and sleep patterns, moods and dependency.

[mla1169]

I think the reason why I am surprised isn't that people lie to get Adderall or Ritalin but that doctors fall for it. If you have kids you'll get this and if you don't have kids yet one day you will. You practically need to pass an act of congress these days to get an antibiotic. Doctors are very concerned about the abuse of antibiotics and that abuse leading to antibiotic resistant bacterias. I get it. Had to bring my kid to the doctor four times within 2 weeks to FINALLY get them to concede my kid had a sinus infection because they wouldn't take me as a mom at my word.

Bring same kid and say she's fidgety I could get an amphetamine on visit #1. Makes no sense that we as a society are more diligent about penicillin than Ritalin!

FAR- 77
AUD -49, 71, 84
REG -56,75!
BEC -75

Massachusetts CPA (non reporting) since 3/12.

[Anonymous]

I'd hate to have that asterisk next to my CPA title (when I finally get it) if I took pills in order to give me an “edge” during testing.

[Anonymous]

@mla, I believe it's because it's a developing issue…

For the record, my brother is actually prescribed an amphetamine and my parents' insurance covered visits to the doctor and psychiatrist. It was was an extremely costly experience from what I've heard. For a kid looking to cram for final exams, it'll cost him $20-$30 to study at more effective and efficient rates for the week. For some (scratch that, most), the reward FAR outweighs the risk of being caught.

@dunkinn, I assure you…the people abusing the drugs do so recklessly. They have no care for the subconscious asterisk next to their title.

[M.O.D.]

I would like to see some evidence that students at top colleges abuse this drug and do well.

My son just graduated Berkeley with a degrees in Math and Physics, never took drugs, and is almost a 4.0 GPA.

I graduated Berkeley in the 80s having used some recreational drugs and did not do nearly as well.

And from my experience with a previous housemate who was autistic/ADD, it is not the brightest who are prescribed this medication. Generally it is because they have some learning/attention disorder. So to think that the brightest students in the world are on a learning disability medication is somewhat counter-intuitive. Of course I am neither a psychologist nor a psychiatrist.

But look at the bigger picture. If this is some kind of high-performance drug, why stop at college, why not continue “abusing” it at the Big 4 or at CPA firms throughout the country, when under pressure to perform, etc.

I think it is because they realize it is not a long-term solution, and you are much more likely to crash and burn than to receive any benefits.

BA Mathematics, UC Berkeley
Certificates in CPA and EA preparation, College of San Mateo
CMA I 420, II 470
FAR 91, AUD Feb 2015 (Gleim self-study)

[mla1169]

Mod just want to point out that intelligence and ADD are not mutually exclusive. (And plenty of bright people get/take amphetamine just because they're staying up all night because they've taken on too great a workload).

In the interest of education here's my cliff notes. Top of my class in high school, had no desire to go to college because the pressure I felt to be “perfect” led me to swallow 120 sudafed tablets. Wise boyfriend figured out and brought me to have stomach pumped. Insert cliche supermom/soccer mom story for the next 16 years. Go back to school, maintain 3.8 while working full time, baking for every bake sale, kids eat NOTHING processed, even make my own laundry detergent and kitty litter (sick, right?) anti depressants, anti psychotics you name a mind altering drug I've been prescribed it!

One night hubby finds me out cold on the kitchen floor. Exhaustion. See I had the Wiley book on the floor in front of me as I was listening to Wiley audio AND tapping in a hardwood floor (which by the way looks FABULOUS). Drags me to a shrink again who asks why I wasn't studying OR putting down a floor. Hubby laughs that I'm not capable of doing one thing at a time.

Ta-da! No more anti depressants or anti psychotics- this girl simply can't do one thing at a time without some chemical help. I wasn't a procrastinator who got everything done under the gun I was simply doing everything at once instead of one project at a time. I excelled before but I paid a heavy price. As I said my diagnosis was by my primary and 2 specialists so it's as legit as a diagnosis can get. But trust me when I say “bright” was always one of the top 5 adjectives used to describe me.

FAR- 77
AUD -49, 71, 84
REG -56,75!
BEC -75

Massachusetts CPA (non reporting) since 3/12.

[Anonymous]

@MOD, these amphetamines increase focus and mental processing speeds as well as staving off fatigue. Of course the brilliant, super competitive use it.

Some would argue that kids at a disadvantage (such as my brother) take these medications to be more normal whereas normal and smart kids take these medications to further improve impressive results

https://www.metro.us/newyork/news/local/2012/10/11/nyu-college-student-among-21-arrested-for-selling-adderall-ambien-percocet-xanax-on-craigslist/

And of course, think of how many cases go undocumented. Busting studious individuals for abuse of prescription drugs isn't atop the DEA's or local police's to-do list.

[super.senpai]

First off, many doctors could care less about your health ( thats why you research before you go to a medical practitioner). Ultimately, you, as a patient, are just another number. A statistic to help support the efficacy of that particular medication. sad but true, the more you prescribe the more money you make for big pharm and doctor “feel goods”. Oxycodone, Percs are on a different level than ritalin and adderall. so yea, it may be hard to get opioids but in regards to ritalin and such…just google the right symptoms and “tah-dah”. second, I started this post to really question those who are taking these test performance enhancement drugs without prescriptions, lets call them TPED, because candidates are trying to enter into a field that requires a specific level of ethics/honesty- perhaps Fraud comes to mind, seemingly okay because it was rationalized due to the possible opportunities as an incentive. but its all good….until you get caught. Yea def refrain from mentioning anything about illegal purchases of control substances because the NSA (big brother) is watching, the question is do they care. its like youre Shia Leboeuf, from the movie eagle eye – 2014 is 1984. hey Andersen is making a comeback or perhaps im misreading the headlines. hold my hand and lets kumbaya

BEC: 72,72, 77
AUD: 47, 63

[Author]

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