Prom. A supposedly magical night that will be forever remembered by everyone who attends. But let’s be real here. Prom is nothing more than an event that leaves students stressing over who to have as a date and what to wear. Don’t get me wrong, it is fun to get all glammed up and dance with friends, but the weeks leading up to the big night are more than simply selecting where you want to have dinner.

Being a junior, this will be my first year attending prom. As I prepared myself for prom season, I thought a little about what my group would be and potential restaurants but that’s about it. When prom season finally approached me, I realized I had to quickly brace myself for the loads of stress that would be placed upon my shoulders. If you’re wondering, “What even is this so-called stress?” Let me tell you.

First, we will start with the dress. Out of hundreds of websites, dozens of stores, and thousands of dresses, you would think that finding a prom dress would be easy. You thought wrong. Everyone has a preference of what they like, and that can be hard to find in a dress. A dress may have one thing you love, but then could also not be the color or in the price range you want. That alone, caused me, and (I’m sure of it) many girls stress.

Secondly, finding a group! Depending on the size you are looking for, finding a group can be hard. You want to make sure that all of your friends are with you and that no one is left out. Sometimes though, leaving people out is necessary to make sure you have the right number for your reservation and so that there isn’t any tension created on the big night.

Lastly, finding a prom date. Not knowing who is going to ask you to go to prom can be scary, but asking someone is scarier. You don’t know what they will say, or if they would have a fun time going with you. You could be scrambling last minute to find a date, because how could you ever face the embarrassment of not having a date?! (ok not having a date is no big deal c’mon people stop thinking it is!)

There are so many other things that add to the stress of prom (finding a restaurant, party bus, tuxedo, etc.), and all I can do is hope that when April 8th rolls around the corner that everything will go smoothly. Let’s hope that this night is truly magical!!