Every year around this time, Solon High School’s halls are filled with excitement and stress over an event most students only attend once in their highschool careers; Prom. With every school dance comes a panic over dates, tickets and clothes. As someone lucky enough to have gone as a sophomore and junior, I’ve compiled a list of tips and tricks to help make prom go smoothly.

Find a date…. Or dates

Whether you’re a hopeless romantic or a pragmatic realist, prom won’t be any fun if you’re going alone. Whether that means asking out your crush or going with a group of friends is up to you. Prom can be pretty dull without someone to dance or eat with, so promposing to someone you care about ensures you’ll both have a great time. With that being said, put some effort in to asking. Whether it’s casual, like a heartfelt letter, or extravagant, like a public serenade, putting some thought in to it will go a long way.

Shop wisely

Let’s be honest, prom can be pricey, especially if you’re in charge of buying your dates’ ticket. Spending $300 on a dress is the sad norm nowadays, so you have to cut corners when you can. Instead of buying Chipotle after school, maybe save that 10 dollars for a corsage/boutonniere. Go to a consignment or thrift store to find accessories or shoes, try to look in unusual places for a good deal. Maybe test out your hair, nail and makeup skills on your own instead of going to a professional. You can always look good on a budget, you just have to make it work.

Plan, plan, plan

Whatever you’re planning to do for prom, write it down. Make sure you give yourself plenty of time for tailoring, table seating and after after prom plans. With these plans in solid place weeks before prom, you’ll be more content the day of.

Eat, sleep, repeat

You want to look good on your big day, make sure to eat healthy, drink tons of water, and sleep super well a couple days before. This ensures you’ll have no last minute breakouts or bloating from greasy foods and carbonated drinks. Sleeping well will not only relieve stress but get rid of those pesky dark circles. The only bag you’ll  want to bring to prom will be designer, honey.

Let loose

Highschool has caused too much stress for far too long for you to sit at your table the whole night. Take off your heels, grab a friend, and go crazy. Nothing’s worse than someone that’s afraid to embarrass themselves, especially since this is one of the last times you’ll ever see someone from this class again.