What is the Point of Prom?

We all go through the experience of high school, which is widely regarded as the most important in a person’s formative years in terms of education and experiences. And one of the most common experiences that high schoolers get to go through is prom, which is usually one of the culminating events in the teenage years of any person. But did you ever really wonder what the point of prom is?

It is often forgotten that the real point of having prom is for teenage students to learn how to socialize. And, for many different families, prom is the event where the students can get to experience many first-time events in life, which is quite important if you want to welcome a teenager to adulthood.

At this stage in history, we often forget that prom really does have a good purpose that tends to be overlooked because of all of the different things that we associate with a prom. But we are here to remind you that there is a point to having a high school prom and that it should be a good idea for you to never miss your prom if you want to have a memory that is both unforgettable and formative as you enter your adult years.

Why is prom a big deal?

For those who have experienced going through high school and are simply reminiscing about what happened back then, you would certainly know that a lot of your friends and classmates were treating prom as something of a big deal. In your case, you might have also actually made a big deal out of prom as well especially if you took the time and effort to prepare for it and to look at your best while planning the entire night out with your friends or with your date.

Meanwhile, for those who are yet to experience prom, you might have noticed with your upperclassmen or with your friends and classmates that you are looking forward to prom as one of the biggest nights you can ever experience in high school. In short, you and probably everyone else in your school are making a big deal out of prom.

In short, prom is such a big deal for most of the students who will be attending their first high school prom. That’s because of how there will be many different experiences that will all stem from prom night. And, on the part of the school, there really is a point as to why they make prom such a big deal as well.

For one, prom is supposed to be an event that is hosted by the school to give an avenue for all of the high school students attending to socialize or learn how to socialize. While socializing is something that most students learn throughout their high school years, the only real way for them to have an avenue to practice their social skills (especially for those who are still lacking in this department) is by mingling with all of their other fellow classmates during prom night.

Meanwhile, as to the student and to his/her family, prom is a night of many firsts. This is the first time that the student gets to dress up well and learn how to fix his/herself up for a big social event. For the men, they learn how to properly wear a suit or a tux and how to put on a tie or a bowtie. Meanwhile, for the ladies, this is the best avenue for them to look at their best by wearing that amazing dress they have been dying to wear and by putting on the best makeup possible.

The families of the students, of course, get to take part in this experience as well. Prom is where they begin to realize that their kids are no longer kids and that they are a step closer to the world of adulthood. The parents learn to let go of their children during this one night while taking pictures together with their dates and their friends before the actual night of the prom to commemorate one of the experiences that the teenagers will only get to go through once.

In some cases, the teenagers themselves also plan a lot of things that they would be doing during prom night such as going to an afterparty or enjoying a good time with their friends and their dates during the actual prom event. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime event that will allow the students to truly feel and experience what it is like to be at the tail-end of their high school journey as they are now inching closer and closer to being adults.

What really happens at prom?

So, if you really must know what happens in prom to truly understand what makes it such a big deal for a lot of students and families as well, we’ll give you a quick rundown of what usually happens during that day:

• After dressing up and preparing for the event individually at home, the teenagers usually gather in one place together with their friends and dates in one place. It’s usually the biggest house in their circle of friends or the usual house they meet up at.
• For those who are not going to be gathering in one place, the gentlemen usually pick their dates up in their house.
• Regardless of whether the teenagers will be gathering in one place or not, the parents would usually take time to snap photos of their kids and their respective dates before they get to say goodbye to them and allow them to be free and to have fun for that one special night.
• If the prom night doesn’t include dinner, most students take their dates out for dinner someplace else. For those who are not going to prom with dates, usually have intimate dinners with family and friends.
• But if the prom does come with dinner, the students go directly to the venue either as a group by hiring a limo together with their friends or in simpler ways such as bringing their own cars, riding with a friend, or getting driven there by their parents or their date’s parents.
• While picture-taking is usually a must at the venue after the students have arrived there, the different events that take place during the actual prom vary depending on the school and on the committee assigned to organize the prom. In most cases, there will be a program that the event tends to follow. However, there will also be cases where prom tends to become a free-for-all where the students get to do what they want by dancing and enjoying the night with their dates and friends.
• If the school follows tradition, the prom king and the prom queen are announced near the end of the event. More dancing usually ensues after the announcement of the prom’s royal couple.
• Anything that will happen after the actual prom event depends on the plans of the students. Some would take the party to another venue for an afterparty while some would rather spend a more intimate moment with their dates. There will be others who might want to just hang out with their friends. It really depends on what the students want to do.

Is it worth it to go to prom or should you skip it?

Truth be told, while we would want to describe prom with all of the superlatives we could find in the dictionary, it isn’t a universally enjoyed event because there will be some students who might not even be looking forward to it. And while the goal of the school is to make prom enjoyable for all of the students, some just don’t find dancing and partying all night while socializing with their fellow students all that enjoyable.

Some students don’t actually see the point of going to prom especially when they do not enjoy socializing as much as their other fellow students do. Meanwhile, prom can be a forgettable experience for those who actually wanted to go there with a date but somehow failed to ask someone out for prom. 

In that sense, is it still worth going to prom?

Well, you’d have to look at prom in another light if you are not someone who enjoys socializing or if you somehow failed to get a date for prom. Your prom night isn’t always about socializing or having fun or enjoying the night with your date. In fact, you can enjoy it in any way you can by going to prom with your closest friends regardless of whether or not you do have dates. 

In some cases, it could also be about your parents seeing you getting out of your metaphorical cocoon to try something that is way outside of your comfort zone as you embark on a journey towards adulthood. And by attempting to get out of your comfort zone by trying new things such as socializing, dancing, or doing anything you wanted to try in the past but were not confident enough to do so, you can broaden your horizons. That makes prom more than worth your time especially if you consider that it would be just one night out of the many nights you can have for yourself.

However, if you still do feel like it’s pointless for you to go to prom for reasons that may be unique to you, don’t feel bad about it. It is perfectly fine for you to not go to prom because it isn’t a rite of passage or an experience that every high school student is mandated to go through. You can skip your prom night and enjoy that free night in any other way you see fit either by yourself or with a few people.