Why I don’t regret skipping my senior prom
Prom is considered the last hurrah of high school for many graduating seniors. Some would even say going to your senior prom is a rite of passage. It’s the last chance to let loose with your closest friends as you prepare to set out on the new paths and adventures that await once high school comes to a close. However, I chose to skip my senior prom, and there’s absolutely nothing I’d change about it.
When I was a junior in high school I attended my first and only prom with my boyfriend at the time. My prom experience came with all of the bells and whistles one could dream of. I had a memorable promposal, spent the evening surrounded by my best friends, and made memories I wouldn’t forget. While I’m thankful I was able to go through the experience once, I had no desire to return to prom the following year.
Senior year is always such a blur, especially when it gets close to graduation. There’s grad night, the senior breakfast, class trip, and of course, prom. It can all be very thrilling with the hustle and bustle of senior year, but somewhere along the way the excitement can begin to fizzle.
Throughout high school, I never thought attending dances were that big of a deal. The thing is, I wouldn’t call myself much of a dancer — I usually try to avoid it at all costs. So when any school functions like winter ball, homecoming, or prom came to mind, I knew dancing was going to be unavoidable. To say it wasn’t my scene wouldn’t be an understatement in the slightest.
Most of my friends who I spent prom with my junior year had all graduated and moved on with their lives. It might seem silly, but going to prom without them just didn’t feel the same. The excitement and charm that prom once offered was no longer there. Some may say it’s crazy, but prom now felt like any other day of the week. So, I traded in the high heels, formal dress, and corsage for a more low-key night as my classmates embarked on the festivities of senior prom. Instead, I spent that evening in some comfy clothes, watching a movie marathon with my then-boyfriend (who had also been my former junior prom date). There may have not been any dancing or prom court, but I couldn’t have been happier.
To me, senior prom is a small blip in the overall high school experience. While prom is one of the things people remember most about high school, I’m perfectly content not having that experience my senior year. Instead, I recall the anticipation of awaiting college acceptances, going to Disneyland’s grad night, and walking across the stage to receive my diploma. Of course going to senior prom could have been fun, but do I feel like I missed out on much? Not at all. My senior year was all I wanted it to be — with or without prom.
Looking back, I’ve never felt any lingering regret skipping senior prom, despite many telling me I would one day. I’ve never second-guessed my decision, and likely never will in the future. Whether or not you choose to go, prom is just one of countless moments that make up that short four year span in your life. While it may not seem that way initially, there will always be so much more you remember once your class reunion finally happens.
