The prom season is always a stressful one, a time when girls freak out about the tiniest things because, if we’re being honest, prom is one of the most fun parts of high school.

Before the dance has even come, the fun may seem far away because girls have to worry and stress over fundamental parts of the date. But now that the season is coming to a close, it’s easier to look back and laugh a little at all the heartaches girls put themselves through just for the perfect date, dress and many other details.

For the first and greatest stress of prom, I was naturally figuring the dress, but more and more, as I think about it, I realized it’s not the dress at all — it’s simply being asked!

Unless a girl has a boyfriend or a guaranteed date, she can’t help but wonder, “Who is going to ask me? Will I even get asked? What happens if I don’t? Will I get asked by someone I like?”

These questions start to build up as the prom season comes along and everyone starts talking about their dates. And for that reason, on the list of a girl’s prom stresses, getting asked is definitely No. 1.

Not very far behind is the dress. It’s got to be modern and cute, and it has to fit right. Oh, and if it could be under $100, that would be grand! Luckily for us, more dress shop owners have sales and display their dresses right out front, but even with the sales, the perfect dress can really break the bank.

Along with the dress comes the shoes, just another expense. And those shoes have to be comfortable, but let’s be real with each other, comfortable heels can’t just be found anywhere.

Then, say, you have your dress and shoes, what’s going on with your hair? Up or down? And that can be another big expense if you get it done at a salon or from a hairdresser.

Now, this next stress is probably my least favorite, and if we’re being honest, I don’t represent the majority of the girls, but it’s the day activity. Not only do girls worry about getting ready twice, but depending on what the day date is, it’s another wardrobe worry. Day activities are a stress that is totally avoidable and losing the day date would lower the cost of prom for the boys, too.

And a day date leads to another problem which is getting ready for the actual dance. Getting ready is exciting as well as nerve-wracking, and if the day activity is too long or goes over its time, the time a girl set apart for doing her hair, makeup and pictures gets thrown out of whack.

Ultimately, I think all of these stressful things are self- and money-inflicted. There’s a whole ton of hype put into the small details of prom, and I understand that! Most every girl wants the chance to go to prom, but if girls just remain calm and don’t put so much hype on the dress and date, and focus on having a good time, it would be an even greater experience than it already is.

Krystal Ruiz is a senior at Weber High School. Contact her at kruiz.melody@gmail.com.