Tonight’s the Night! A Few Tips on Making This the Best Prom Ever

Well, I’ve written about it all week, and prom is finally here! For the past few days, it’s been just about the only thing on my mind: I bought new jewelry, I need a comb, and I sent my mother out for insoles just a few minutes ago! I know my girlfriends are just as excited as I am, so they’re glad to talk about it, but my male friends have probably gotten sick of hearing about how I’m rocking a faux updo, what I’m wearing, etc.

Since the big night is coming up, I thought I might mention a few ways to make it really special. I feel so sorry for people I hear telling me stories about how they hated their prom, or didn’t have a good time. I went in to get my hair done just the other day, and the girl who does it said that she let silly drama get in her way of having a good time.

To me, prom is a time not so much for remembering high school, but for celebrating it. You’re not going to sit around and reminisce – you’re going to be up dancing, having a great time! So my biggest piece of advice to you is not to let anything ruin that opportunity. You only get one senior prom. You may go again with someone younger, or have already gone with someone older, but there’s only one chance for you to celebrate your high school career with everyone else at the same time. So don’t let petty things ruin the event. Can’t agree on where to go eat? Don’t worry about it. Find something inventive to do. One of the girls in my class is going to pick up her own food, along with her date and their friends, and they’re having a dinner party at her family’s house. Classy! They all wanted something different, so that was a good way to compromise.

You don’t have to have a full-out dinner party; just find something to do that you all can agree on. Don’t split up! Having a big group of people is far more fun than just two of you eating together. When I went to prom as a sophomore, we went out to eat with twenty or so people, and though I didn’t know half of them, it was fantastic! Diversity at the dinner table is always a lot of fun.

When you get to prom, don’t you dare sit anything out! The Cha Cha Slide? Do it. Slow dancing? Do it. Dancing like a fool? Do it. I will be blunt at this point and say that it’s almost no fun whatsoever “grinding” on someone. I hate seeing pretty girls in their best dresses doing that. They looked so classy five minutes ago, but once they start the grinding, they just look ridiculous. Trust me, it’s not flattering! Instead, bust out moves like “The Sprinkler,” “The Shopping Cart,” or anything else you can think of. Fist pump. Go wild. It’s way more fun than rubbing yourself on another person. Don’t try to impress anybody else with the way you dance; chances are, when you do what you love to do, other people will join in!

Most of all, have fun. Don’t let silly things ruin the night for you. After all, you only get one shot at prom! So for this one night, put aside all your prejudices, all your shyness, all of that stuff. Just put it away. You can be the super-nerd or high-maintenance girl or Walmart employee tomorrow; tonight, you’re celebrating. Just be sure to do that in a safe, fun way! I sincerely hope you all have the most wonderful prom night in the entire world; I hope it’s the stuff that good novels are written about, that inspire songs like “We Are Young.” Good luck, have fun, and happy prom!