AUSTIN, Texas -- The end of the semester is putting a spotlight on how college students are turning to a quick fix to cope with heavy workloads, and in order to stay focused some are using ADHD medications when they haven't been diagnosed.

It’s like clockwork on college campuses. Students cram libraries to cram for exams. But, at the final hour before finals, some get desperate. 

“They will go looking for medications that they think are going to help them in the moment,” said Dr. Kim Kjome, an in-patient psychiatrist at Seton Shoal Creek Hospital in Austin. 

Some students turn to medications like Adderall, which is an amphetamine. Doctors said students often get the drugs from their friends, buy it on the streets or steal it from peers. The drug does help those diagnosed with ADHD to concentrate and be more attentive.

This is not the case for those who not prescribed Adderall. 

"Theres no magic pill that’s going to make somebody absorb more knowledge or do better," Kjome said. "Oftentimes, they use it in order to stay awake to study all night."

Adderall is a stimulant and it can be addictive. 

“If somebody takes large amount of Adderall it can be a risk in it of itself," Kjome said. "It can make people feel very agitated it can make people have mood swings.” 

According to the University of Texas at Austin, side effects include:

  • Irregular heartbeat
  • Increased blood pressure
  • Restlessness
  • Anxiety
  • Nervousness
  • Paranoia
  • Headache
  • Dizziness
  • Insomnia
  • Mouth dryness
  • Suppressed appetite
  • Diarrhea or constipation
  • Impotence or changes in sex drive

Every semester the American College Health Association surveys college students across the country about their health and habits. In the spring of 2017, more than 7 percent of more than 60,000 students say they’ve used stimulant drugs they were not prescribed to within the last 12 months. 

"That is something that is very dangerous, because you're not being watched by a prescribing physician, you’re dosing it yourself," Kjome said.

Even in the face of rising pressures to succeed, the fear of health problems motivates a majority of students to study naturally.

"If somebody feels so compelled to do that, it just shows how much people value their GPA and how much they’ll put grades above their mental health or physical health," said Patience Ojionuka, a UT sophomore studying psychology.

Doctors said people who do better academically take better care of themselves.

"Study as well as you can, get good rest at night, to eat well, to drink plenty of fluids, and to check in with family and do things that you enjoy during this time," Dr. Kjome said. "Your grades are going to be better, you're going to suffer less, than if you try to cram."