How to start your studies off with a BANG on Bonfire Night

Remember, remember the Fifth of November, as Bonfire Night celebrations, with their fierce bonfires and fabulous firework displays, are a great way to remind you of some fantastic revision tips to help with your studies.

Before heading out to firework displays, why not take the time to read our three tips to help you with your revision and start your studies off, as winter draws closer, with a bang!

Bonfire Night is a great chance to get together with friends and celebrate with family, why not get them involved with your studies too! Here's some tips that can help you revise alone or with others.

Switch the sounds of fireworks for podcasts

The sounds of fireworks exploding could be used to remind you there are so many sounds you could listen to that could help your revision. Podcasts are a great way to retain information and explore different areas on a topic. If you are looking to work on a particular subject, you can choose one that sums up key information to help you learn. There are loads of fun and informative podcasts available on our Bitesize GCSE revision podcast collection.

There are also other sounds you could listen to when revising that can help create a calm inspiring environment, such as classical music and instrumental tracks. If revision is making you feel stressed, then psychologist Professor Catherine Loveday told us that music is a great way to express emotion and motivate yourself. Putting on playlist to get you started with your revision can be a good way to lift the mood and regulate yourself and many aspects of your wellbeing. Check out more from Nick Grimshaw and Professor Loveday's discussion here.

Make your flashcards sparkle

Reading a lot of information at once can be quite overwhelming, so it can be more manageable to make flashcards that test your knowledge. Flashcards can also be helpful to identify the areas that you might need to improve. Learning expert Dr Carolina suggests good flashcards should include a couple of key words or a question and answer on opposite sides. You can also include your friends or family members by asking them to test you on the flashcards. If you want to make your flashcards really sparkle like a firework explosion, then you could use colour to highlight key words to make them stand out.

Using a variety of techniques, like flashcards or listening to podcasts while studying, can help keep your timetable varied and scheduled into smaller sessions. Breaking down your time and subjects are both ways to not overwork your brain and schedule learning effectively. There are lots of other ways to retrieve or remember information, you can check out our expert memory hacks here.

Prepare for take off with past papers

When you study, it is good to do some past papers before you sit the real thing. This will help understand the structure of the exam paper and what may be expected for it. It also gives you a chance to make mistakes and see what might need more practice. When you are buried in revision and past papers, it can sometimes be hard to see the end goal, but don't worry, life coach Rasheed Ogunlaru put together an A-Z list of tips to help turn your goals into reality when preparing to sit an exam.

It is important to remind yourself you are your own person and set your own goals, you shouldn’t compare your revision to anyone else’s, it is what works best for you. At the end of the session, give yourself a reward to motivate you further. If you feel overwhelmed, check out our guide on other ways to manage stress while studying, but hopefully, these firework night tips will help ease that worry, and help your revision sparkle!

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.