Study 'trick or treat': 6 tips to help you revise this Halloween

The weather is getting colder and the leaves on the trees are turning orange and red, which means Halloween is almost here.

31 October is a time when some people dress up in spooky costumes, carve pumpkins, watch scary movies and go trick or treating, but the autumn half term is also a great time to brush up on some of your study skills.

So here at Bitesize Study Support, we thought we'd get into the spooky spirit and look at some boo-tiful study tricks you can use to help with your revision and some thrilling treats to reward yourself with afterwards!

Three study tricks

Let's start with three study 'tricks' that will raise your revision from the grave this Halloween. But don't let the word 'tricks' fool you, these tips really will help with your studies!

1. Plan ahead to stay organised

Just like surviving the night in a haunted house, conquering your GCSE or SQA exams can be a hair-raising experience. So staying organised by planning your time and creating a revision timetable can really help when it comes to keeping on top of your workload in the run up to your exams. You can find some tips about how to make a study timetable that works for you here.

2. Use mnemonics

Our memory expert Dr Loaiza gave us lots of tips to improve memory when studying but one of her best tips was to use mnemonics – specifically acronyms – to remember all kinds of things. For example in physics, the visible light spectrum aka a rainbow, can be remembered by Richard Of York Gave Battle In Vain… Dr Loaiza says that the more bizarre your acronym the better! Can you think of any spooky acronyms?

3. Get back on flash-track

We don't mean to give you a fright, but did you know that you might be using flashcards incorrectly? Learning scientist Dr Carolina told us that, if you’re just reading your flashcards over and over again, you’re not getting the best use out of them. So instead she recommends using the flashcards to test yourself. You should use the keywords or question on the first side to prompt you, then try recalling from memory what’s on the other side. You can write down what you’ve recalled or just do it in your head. Repeat this until you get it spot-on every time!

Three study treats

Now you've done the hard work, it's time to treat yourself with these spine 'chill'ing treats. Let's 'jump-scare' in to them!

1. Have a cosy night in

As the weather is getting colder, there is nothing better than snuggling up under your blanket, so why not treat yourself to some well deserved rest? Not only is getting a good night’s sleep relaxing, sleep can also help you to learn better! This is because the things you learn before heading to bed will be moved into your long-term memory while you sleep, which makes it easier for you to recall the information later on.

2. Try your favourite exercise

You probably know that exercise benefits your physical health, but did you know that exercise can also boost your memory, improve focus and concentration, and increase energy levels? If you're stuck for time, then try building activity into things you already do. If you can walk or cycle to school, great! If not, can you find other ways to get active before school – like skipping, burpees or planks? Any activities that get your heart-rate up are good, so even tidying your room, playing with a pet or dancing will count if you do it with enough energy. Why not put your spooky costume on and get your dancing shoes down to the Halloween school-disco?

3. Tick off some must-dos

Summer is in the rear view mirror, but that doesn't mean that you can't still do some of the activities from our summer bucket list. A quiz night or pizza party could be the perfect autumn activity, or why not go to one of the spooky Halloween events at an amusement park? Or instead of strawberry picking you could pick pumpkins! If you get creative, this list will see you good through any season!

If you need support

You should always tell someone about the things you’re worried about. You can tell a friend, parent, guardian, teacher, or another trusted adult. If you're struggling with your mental health, going to your GP can be a good place to start to find help. Your GP can let you know what support is available to you, suggest different types of treatment and offer regular check-ups to see how you’re doing.

If you’re in need of in-the-moment support you can contact Childline, where you can speak to a counsellor. Their lines are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

There are more links to helpful organisations on the BBC Bitesize Action Line page for young people.