Is Prom More Stressful or Fun?

With this early Spring season, there’s one thing on all the upperclassmen’s minds: planning for prom! Although AP testing is quickly approaching, it seems to be on the back burner and cast aside while prom takes the forefront in all the older Loveland students’ minds. In spite of the fact that prom is supposed to be a fun way to let loose and approach the end of the school year, while making core high school memories, for many students, it is causing an added weight to their shoulders as the stress of planning such a monumental event piles up. So I wonder: is prom a greater source of stress or fun for the upperclassmen of Loveland High School?

To dive deeper into this question, I asked Loveland Seniors what their experience with planning prom has been the past two years, and there was a wide variety of responses and opinions on the topic. Maddie Reynolds (12) explained that in her opinion, prom is mostly “...stressful. It is very stressful to make plans, but it is also fun in the end; however, I definitely think the stress overrides the fun.” This insight illuminates the downside of prom and its taxing attention to detail during an already stressful year for the seniors who are planning for their futures beyond high school. On the other hand, Claire Ellis (12) stated that she definitely thinks prom is more fun than stressful by explaining, “I’m never stressed because it is my senior year and I am just trying to get the best memories with my favorite people,” essentially illustrating that because it is her senior year, she is being more carefree in her planning and focusing more on the fun aspects of prom rather than poring over every minute detail. 

With the junior class starting to plan their first prom, there is a wide array of questions arising within the class: Where do I buy a ticket? Where do I get a corsage and boutonniere? Where should I take pictures? Do I need a date? With these questions come an abundance of different answers that can be tailored to each student, depending on who the juniors ask. Keeping the gravity of questions like that in mind, Macey Allen (11) has found planning prom (and answering those types of questions) to be especially overwhelming. Allen even states that “(prom) is a lot to think about and plan for one night, which stresses me out, especially because it is the testing time of year.” With this viewpoint, a special light is shed on students who may be feeling an immense amount of pressure because of the testing season with AP classes, End Of Course Tests, and the ACT; this explains a key detail into why planning for prom can seem so stressful, especially for Juniors. However, Abi Zervos (11) explained that to her prom is “more fun because it is a night to look forward to and as long as the stress is managed, it is fun…plus you only get two for most people.”

Overall, lots of different views about prom can come into play, but at the end of the day, prom is a very special opportunity for the upperclassmen of Loveland High School to make memories that last.