The dictionary states that prom means, “a formal dance, especially one held by a high school or college class at the end of an academic year.” For most high school students, however, prom is much more than a single sentence definition.

To many junior girls at Wayland, prom is a rite of passage, their first formal event in which they can be a princess. From extravagant dresses to extravagant hair styles, a girl wants to be flawless.

But, go backwards from the final effect, past the first hair appointment, the nails appointment, and the limo reservation, and then you’ll witness the blood, sweat, and tears that made prom night “perfect.”

Like any highly anticipated black tie event, prom is multidimensional. For most, the first step to prom is finding a date, which is also the most stressful step.

For a girl: the competition is on. Girls start stressing about prom when the first guy asks a girl to be his date. That moment opens the portal to a billion other “behind-closed-door moments.” These moments usually begin with gossip among friends about who is going to prom with whom, which evolves into the following dialogue:

Girl 1: Well, I know I won’t get asked.

Girl 2: No, you will definitely get asked. It’s me who won’t, like seriously, who am I going to go with?!

Girl 3: How about [insert name of guy-friend/attractive guy-who-you-longingly-gaze-at-during-that-free-and-yes-maybe-he-glances-back-to-check-the-time-or-maybe-he-knows-you-are-soulmates]? I know he won’t ask me, I’m a social leper.

All these girls would rather get asked by anyone than be left dateless. The only thing worse than being asked to prom by someone you don’t want to go with is not being asked at all. When the asking seems to reach a peak, girls who don’t yet have dates begin to freak out: “How long should I wait to be asked before finding my own date, and who should I ask?!”

Finally, guys from other towns are invited, and all the couples are established. Then, other problems emerge: finding a limo, a dress, and a place for prom weekend.

Finding the right prom dress is like buying a goldfish: there is only one you have an intangible connection with. Once you have chosen the dress (and it has chosen you), it is essential to put the picture of your dress in the facebook group in order to “claim it. This means that no one else will be able to buy that dress without your consent, since you bought it first.

The facebook dress group is usually created by the girls on the prom committee. The group is designed to eliminate drama over dresses and try to stamp out repeats. Soon the hunt for the perfect dress becomes a competition to preserve your right to wear the dress of your dreams, or else be left in the dust.

But forget the dress! For most girls, the limo brings the greatest drama. Limo planning is something like a game of musical chairs using recliners and stools. Stools would represent a limo that has a few of your friends, but a recliner is a limo that you would feel comfortable in. True, you want to have fun people in your limo, but all I know is that you better be sitting when the music stops, or else your mom is driving.

The buildup to that one perfect night involves months of planning, fighting, and compromising. Maybe, instead of being stressed and out of control during these months, we could lay back and enjoy the ride.

Be carefree, because in the end, it doesn’t matter who is in your limo or what dress you are wearing. Prom was designed simply to be a school dance, and no matter how much stress is thrown your way, the point is to have fun.