It’s a cool Saturday night in May and the high school is overflowing with students in glistening dresses and sleek suits. Chaperones scan the halls and classrooms for any lost stragglers. Music rumbles through the walls and floors as if calling for people to enter the dance floor. Even the chattering of teenagers is muffled by the rhythmic vibrations of each beat. Under the starry bright sky, students enjoy one last hurrah with the friends who have become family while in high school. It’s prom night, a night to remember forever.

Prom isn’t for everyone, though. There is another majority of students who choose to stay home and enjoy their night without the bustle of large flashy crowds of rowdy teens. They prefer serenity and subtle memorable moments with either themselves or a few good friends. Those who choose not to attend prom aren’t understood as well as those who do, prompting some to ask, “Why skip such a treasured high school memory?”

“It’s an American thing…you’re about to go to college and go to prom…” Said junior Isabella Jones, “It’s a big right of passage… And it’s in like, every single American movie.”

The concept here is that prom is a gathering that is almost commercialized and glorified to exaggerate its importance. Prom is made out to appear as a desired and obligated occasion for everyone to attend in order to truly experience everything that makes a teenager a standard high schooler. The hype around constructing a promposal, picking out clothes and makeup, dressing in high fashion, styling hair, and deciding what friends to go with are all overrated stressors that many choose to bypass.

Above all, money is a deciding factor that halters students from attending. Money doesn’t grow on trees, especially for teenagers; the option to use more than $60 over the course of one night or a few weeks is a real dilemma for many teens.

“The only reason I’d really do it… is to put makeup on and get really pretty and post it on Instagram, and I can do that any weekend; I don’t have to pay $500 to put on a dress,” said junior Emily Danielsson.

There’s a lot of emotion, time, and money that play into living up to the dream that is prom night. Prom can also be a social and emotional minefield, and so many kids want to avoid the drama. Others simply can’t find the time to fit in this extracurricular event when they need to concern themselves with upcoming exams, jobs, or family. Many simply don’t get the big deal.

“I’ve never dreamed about going to prom,” said junior Isabella Jones.

And this junior is proudly skipping prom and creating a list of alternatives for those of us who are not attending prom. There’s plenty to do on a Saturday night, more so if you invite your closest friends to come over and have fun. Honor the rite of passage that prom has come to be, but go out in cheaper and more meaningful style. Here’s a small list of fun and memorable alternatives.

Old-Fashioned Sleepover
Find three of your best friends that represent everything you want to remember about high school.
Research great appetizer recipes on Pinterest; get each friend to make one and bring it.
Choose movies to watch with suggested themes.
Stay up all night eating the food and watching the movies while you play movie bingo.

Game Night Extravaganza
Find a group of awesome friends who have made high school the best ever.
Choose games that are fun to play. Create cool competitions with tally charts. You could even recreate Top Chef, Cupcake Wars, or Project Runway. Get creative with the competitions you choose.
Cater the event by encouraging your guests to each bring a favorite snack or covered dish.
Play and have fun for hours and hours.

Convene with Nature and Dream
Choose your bestie to invite.
Head to a favorite, beautiful place like Lake Lanier.
Go just as the sun is setting so that the beauty is intensified and your inspiration ensured.
Be sure to bring food; picnic style would certainly be fun.
Sit back, enjoy the scenery and dream about your futures. Dream like you’ve never dreamed before.

In conclusion, use your prom night however you like. Whatever makes you happy and satisfies you for your night, pursue it and make it the best night you’ve ever experienced, because prom night is really just one night for you to let yourself have limitless amounts of heartfelt fun.