Buy a ticket, get a date, find an outfit, buy flowers, plan for pictures, and much more. All of these steps are needed to just prepare for dance and that does not include actually going to the dance.

Many Norwin High School students find stress when preparing and going to a high school formal dance. Dances should be a fun night to remember, but there is a lot of pressure that goes along with it such as getting a date, paying for tickets, getting an outfit, and overall drama before and after the dance.

“The entire process of school dances can be stressful, specifically when it comes to finding a dress and getting ready,” senior Kyleigh Schaeffer said. “Many people have to find a dress, get it altered, and on top of that book hair and nail appointments, all just for one night, which can be a lot.” 

When asked in a Norwin High School journalism poll, 24.5% of students felt that the most stressful part of high school dances is finding a date. 

Many students said that the stress of having a date comes from social standards and how others would think about you if you did not have a date. The thought of getting judged worries a lot of teens.

“For SnoBall I was kind of worried but I ended up deciding not to go because of that pressure to find a date,” said sophomore Riley Miller.

According to Girls Life magazine, “Contrary to what teen movies may show you, you won’t be alone if you don’t come with a date. Going to that homecoming or spring formal with all your friends (yes, even the ones with an S.O.) can 100% be as fun—if not more fun—as going with a special someone.”

In the past at Norwin you used to have to have a date if you were going to a dance. Now some student’s decide to not worry about finding dates and just go with a group of friends. It’s very common for friends to do this for Homecoming because it’s not as formal as SnoBall and Prom. Others go with friends due to  Norwin’s policy on not allowing outside guests to Homecoming.

Other than finding a date, there are a lot of other elements that go into preparing for a dance such as getting ready and taking pictures.

“I think there are certain parts that are stressful  like taking pictures, figuring out who you’re going with, and getting ready for the dance,” Miller said. “Once I get to the dance most of it really isn’t that stressful for me.”

Another stress for students is the cost of all the dances. Just the cost of the ticket can be pricey but if you include the cost of a dress/suit, flowers, hair, makeup, nails, shoes, and more it can add up very quickly.

According to AMARRA blog , “Prom costs can add up quickly. Costs of attending prom are not the same for every girl as it varies per region. You can spend $150 to $2,000 or more attending prom. However, on average a prom girl will spend about $900 – $1000 on their prom night with all the costs mentioned above.”

Some students feel that there should be changes to SnoBall so that when choosing seating you are guaranteed to be sitting at a table with your friends because the format is on paper so you can already see who’s sitting where.

“I like for Prom how you can write down and turn in who all you want at your table, but for snoball you choose a table online and that’s stressful because anyone can just randomly choose to sit at your table,” senior Maddie Samber said.

Despite the fact that most students feel some sort of pressure or stress about dances, others believe that it’s not that big of a deal and isn’t something to worry about.

“I don’t feel pressure because its a school dance it’s not like its some big life changing event,” senior Brittney Gesler said. “Once you graduate you’ll most likely never see these people again.”

On the other hand, a lot of students feel that dances are something important they are going to look back on when thinking about their high school days.

“I feel pressure for them because they are a big part of high school culture and that you sort of have to attend them,” sophomore Thomas Casey said.

High school dances are something you will only be able to experience for four years of your life. After that, there is not much that compares to an event like that. So the question remains:  Is the temporary stress worth it to be able to look back into your memories and hopefully have a good and memorable night?