Prom. A night high schoolers have fantasized about since “High School Musical,” or feared since “Carrie.” Of course, movies do not accurately portray prom. You will not know what to expect until you actually get there. Here are some dos and don’ts so you can have the best possible time at your prom.

Do: Take lots of pictures. Years from now, you will be looking back at the “good ol’ high school days.” You should have fun pictures of you and your friends in the outfits you have been planning for months to look back at. Let your parents take as many pictures as they can with you, and only cringe slightly when they repeat the phrase “say cheese” 1,000 times. You will appreciate it later.

Don’t: Waste your night away on your phone. Make sure you are present and in the moment, enjoying every second of prom that you can. Whether it’s dancing or sitting and talking with friends, engage with the people you are with beyond a cell phone screen.

Do: Have a budget. When buying a dress or tux, shop around and compare prices before buying one. You can get extremely similar styles with a $100 difference. Look beyond the designer dresses and find one you really love for a good price. After all, it is only one night and spending hundreds of dollars on a designer dress, a five-course meal and a limo is too much money for one night.

Don’t: Be afraid to shop online! I have heard a lot of fear and caution regarding online shopping for prom dresses and tuxes because you can’t try them on or really know what they look like on besides the posed and edited picture of a model. Both years, I bought my dresses online for $100 and they fit perfectly and looked exactly like they did online. I did not have to alter them at all. It made the search super simple, as I did not have to go through the process of trying every color and shape of dress on before finding the right one.

Do: Eat before prom. It is always fun to show up to a restaurant decked out in prom gear and throw everyone off. Plus, dancing makes you super hungry so it is good to have some energy in the tank before you get there. I would advise eating somewhere where the menu is not exclusively finger food simply because it would be unfortunate to make a mess all over yourself before you even get to prom. I have been there, and the minutes I spent cleaning churro dipping chocolate off myself in a tiny bathroom stall were some of the most stressful of my life.

Don’t: Stuff yourself and forget that there is an abundance of food provided at prom. Last year, I walked straight past the towers of chocolate covered strawberries without noticing they were there. Days after, I heard people ranting and raving about the excessive amount of chocolate strawberries they ate and I was super disappointed. It is part of what you pay for with your ticket, so you might as well enjoy as much food as you can.

Do: Go with people you want to go with. Prom is a special evening for high school students. You get to dress up and hang out with your peers in a formal setting. Don’t waste it by going with people you won’t have fun with. Prom should be a memorable night you spend with your friends and letting drama or awkwardness ruin

Don’t: Feel pressured to go with a date. It is perfectly socially acceptable to show up with a group of friends and have a good time without a date by your side.

Do: Get out on the dance floor at least once. It doesn’t matter if your best dance move is just you awkwardly shuffling your feet. Just find one

Don’t: Forget that your teachers are watching.

Do: Bring something to comfort your sore feet after the dance, whether it is a comfortable pair of shoes or bandages for blisters. Your feet will thank you later.

Don’t: Buy an expensive pair of shoes. You will kick them off out of pain within the first 10 minutes of the dance and never wear them again. It’s much better on your toes and your wallet to just wear a comfy pair of shoes you can dance in.

Do: Focus on having a great time. Regardless of whether someone has the same exact dress of you or if it rains the entire night, have fun.

Don’t: Stress over prom. No matter what color dress you are wearing, who you are going with, or what you do before or after, it is not worth the stress or drama.

By: Julia Perrotta, Feature Writer