Prom is a US tradition that has been followed since the 1930’s. Prom is waited for by upperclassmen all academic year. Is prom the night to make your last high school memories or is it another commercialized scam? Every year schools throw thousands of dollars out with prom to make the only must attend event of the year for only a few kids being able to afford it. In the end, prom isn’t worth it with the endless amount of pressure and stress put on teens.

There are so many movies out there that put prom on display as a magical, romantic night when in reality, it wouldn’t be. Sadly, we don’t live in a movie, so prom would very underwhelming, energetic kids dancing around the venue, others in circles talking out of boredom. Only 24% of Americans had the typical high school prom experience with a date, most didn’t even get asked. Teens are expecting to get the perfect date, perfect dress, and perfect prom, when in reality it’s just going to be another night of your life, nothing extravagant. 

High school students are stressed already, prom puts pressure on them to be the best dressed just by something vain. Prom gives students a more intense urge to judge their appearance even more then they already do. There’s also added pressure on schools to have their prom look and be the best when the kids will group up in the corner when they get there. The pressure of having a date weighs on teens as well, people feel that they would be talked about or stared at if they didn’t have a date. Some statistics show that most teen car accidents related to alcohol happen between April and May. Students will most likely fall into the trend of the “just do it” saying and fall into peer pressure. 

Prom also costs a very high amount of money, especially for teens who need to pay for college. The average cost for someone to attend prom is from $900-$1000, this doesn’t include everything but for an average cost, it’s already pretty high. Prom tickets need to be taken into account as well, usually costing well over $20$ some over $100. The average cost of a “promposal” is around $325, with that and their outfit, shoes, makeup, hair, ticket, and anything else to accessorize, prom can make a deep dent in students bank accounts. Some parents can’t afford to send their son or daughter to prom because of the high prices, some can’t even afford the dress with the cheapest one on Nordstrom being $253. 

Take the $2,000 you were going to spend on prom and go somewhere with your high school friends and you’ll still remember it for the rest of your life.

Prom is the one night of the year that most junior and senior students (mostly girls) look forward to the most. Everyone gets their beautiful dresses or tuxedos and attempts to have the best night of their life. 

Every year prom is always what everyone is always talking about. For the past two months, the hot topic of conversation has been prom. Senior prom has always been what I look forward to for my whole school career. I grew up seeing older kids look so gorgeous at prom with their dates and friends. It made me realize that I have to live that same life when I become a senior. So, here I am going to prom with my best friends. 

The worst part of the whole experience is the spending of money, whether it be mine or my parents, it is very expensive. For girls we have to buy a dress, shoes, get our hair and nails done, have jewelry, maybe get a tan and look like a 10. For boys, they have to buy a suit or tux, have nice shoes, and get their hair done. It is a long process for both boys and girls.

At the time of writing this, the prom is tomorrow, and everyone at school is super stressed, but also very excited. Prom should be the one time of the year that everyone should feel included and special because it is supposed to be a special night. Many people’s prom day starts at 10 in the morning while others will not start getting ready until 1 or so. 

This is my second prom I have been to while attending THS, and they ARE worth it. All the staff are very supportive of students and their outfits no matter how it looks. They help girls with their dresses and guys with their ties. Prom is the night that you can see the genuine love the teachers have for students. 

The key to killing it at prom is to be confident and proud of yourself and your outfit. You do not need a date to make the night. Going with friends is just as fun, if not more. Prom is all about spending time with your friends and fellow students before you graduate and never see some of them again.

So what you should take from this is, take the risk on prom. It does not have to be expensive unless you make it. Have fun, and enjoy high school while you can.