Erin Antoch | Staff Writer

The only thing that rivals the excitement you had for halloween in grade school is that of the over-hyped halloween experience in college. Depending on what kind of school you go to, halloween can be either a week-long bender of too many costumes (yet somehow not enough clothes) and memories that will either last a lifetime or wont even stick until the next morning.

Unfortunately, if you’re like me, your mindset is it’s a Monday. I have 9am’s, not to mention a midterm on Wednesday and the 100% probability that my freshman-15 would come back to haunt me (no pun intended) if I consumed as much candy as I know I would. So don’t worry about the halloween FOMO because of school— there’s still tons of ways you can celebrate inside your apartment (or dorm room).

1. Netflix and Chill

Don’t underestimate the kind of catharsis that a good halloween flick can provide. Whether you’re into actual terror, like the Halloween movies, or something more nostalgic like Hocus Pocus, Halloweentown, or Twitches, there are tons of movies that you can put on in the background as you finish your exegetical.

2. Candy candy candy

Alright, so you don’t have time to go trick-or-treating. Life Hack: you are technically an adult, and you can buy your own halloween candy. Seriously. You don’t have to go begging for it door-to-door, just stop by Target or Stater Bros and get a big bag for your study-snack, and just treat yo’ self because ’tis the season.

3. Trick -or-Treat
One of the best parts about halloween is being able to freak people out without facing repercussions because they’re not allowed to be mad about it. To capitalize on this, play a prank on the people you live with, as extravagant or simplistic as you want. Personally, I just like to hide and jump out to scare my roomie as many times in one day as I can. It’s a timeless crowd favorite. But you can use your imagination, like sending yourself one of her essays she hasn’t submitted to Sakai yet and then deleting it off of her computer. But maybe that’s too far.

4. Trick-or Treat
Everyone knows halloween is basically just pumpkin-spiced everything with a side of more sugar, so why not bake your own? Remember those cute sugar cookies your mom used to make that came with a bright orange jack-o-lantern on them, and you low-key thought she was a witch because every single one looked the same? Put down your pitchforks, because she actually bought them that way— and you can too! You can also make buy pumpkin pie, muffins, or any other pumpkin food your heart desires. Just make sure to bring your notecards with you to the store, because the party don’t stop, but neither does your GPA.

5. Decorate!

Okay, so you’re a little late to the game on decorations, because halloween is literally today, but you can still get festive! Pumpkin carving is a great study break because it’s relaxing and fun, but also keeps your mind focused. Plus, if you have an oven, you can bake the pumpkin seeds for a snack because we’re all broke anyways and can use all the food we can get. For me, I’m content with just the ambiance that the season provides; specifically the aroma. Add a bit of cinnamon to a saucepan filled with water and place it on a burner, and soon your apartment will smell like exactly what fall should smell like. Just pay attention to the water level, because if it gets too low, the remnants of cinnamon could burn.

I hope you all have a fun, safe and (if need be) studious Halloween! If none of these options really do it for you, throw on a costume and do your homework or call for a costume-themed study session with some of your classmates. Besides, tomorrow is November 1, which is basically Christmas— so if you can’t wear a costume tonight, at least you have ugly holiday sweaters to look forward to!