I wouldn't go so far to make the bold statement that taking adderall is cheating. Adderall does not allow you to suddenly gain information that you would not otherwise have, and it doesn't allow anyone who takes it to compress an abnormal amount of information into their memory. My psychiatrist at a reputable Boston hospital has told me that patients who have been diagnosed with ADHD typically exhibit low levels of the neurotransmitter dopamine in the frontal lobes of the brain. Dopamine plays a large part in facilitating the mental processes of memory, attention, motivation, and problem-solving. Stimulant medications, such as adderall, work to increase dopamine levels. An excess of dopamine levels in the brain is significantly linked to schizophrenia and psychotic behavior, which involves disorganized thinking. When a person who has normal levels of dopamine takes a drug that increases dopamine levels, the resulting changes in his or her brain processes may be quite different than someone with low levels. Therefore, I disagree with this idea that taking adderall is cheating for people who haven't been diagnosed with ADHD. If one's performance is facilitated by taking adderall, then this person quite possibly could be lacking normal levels of dopamine. However, if one who has sufficient levels takes it, their ability may not increase in tasks such as studying. I have met many people who have experienced significant hyperactivity after taking adderall, which decreased their ability to concentrate on studying. They all described the effects as similar to those of caffeine -- as if they drank a few cups of coffee. Adderall doesn't necessarily help everyone concentrate better. Since it is difficult to know where your dopamine level stands, (unless you enjoy shelling out large amounts of money for brain tests), it is hard to predict how a medication that increases these levels will affect you.