by Rebecca Vargas

Created on: December 31, 2008

Your high school years can be the best or worst years of your life depending on who your friends are and what crowd you flow with. Although this may sound harsh and superficial, it's the plain truth. Many noble souls who have a hard time connecting with others or refuse to be part of a popularity contest, find themselves struggling socially in high school; and once a big event like the prom rolls around, there is incredible pressure to find a date. Your parents may assume that you have a ton of friends and may be asking you about who you're taking to the prom, or you may not want to be the one who missed out. You could go alone but if you'd rather not, here are five tips on finding a prom date:

TURN TO A FRIEND

If you're not dating anybody and don't know anyone well enough to ask them to the prom, ask a friend to go with you. This is an ideal scenario because you'll be relaxed around your friend and since you're not seeing each other romantically, you'll be free to mingle. Going to the prom together doesn't have to mean you're in love; it's just one way to enjoy the prom. If you frame the invitation to the prom in the same way you would frame an invitation to a concert, you can ensure that there aren't any misunderstandings and that the person knows that there is no romantic agenda.

TURN TO FRIENDS OF FRIENDS

If your only friend already has a date, ask them if they know anyone who would like to go to the prom or ask one of their friends or relatives if they would like to go with you. If you find someone, you'll need to make sure that they're absolutely serious because you'll most likely be investing in a dress or a tux and you don't want to spend money and time only to get stood up. You should find a way to maintain communication with the person and as the prom nears, you should make sure they have their dress or tux by asking them about it or by helping them pick one out.

SUGGEST A GROUP THING

If most of your friends don't have prom dates, suggest that you all go as a group. This can come in handy if you decide to split a limo or dinner because the more of you there are, the cheaper it will be per person, leaving more money for other things.

TURN TO FAMILY

If you really can't stand the thought of going to the prom alone and you don't have any friends, you can always turn to family. Chances are your brother, sister or cousin owes you one and nobody has to know how your date is related to you. At least this way you know for sure that you'll have a prom date and if your sibling is not a stick in the mud, you can still have a lot of fun.

TAKE AN INANIMATE OBJECT

If all else fails and you don't mind injecting some humor into the prom, you can take an inanimate object as your date. Some ideas include a prom clad blow up doll, a balloon with a painted face tied to your arm, a mop or broom wearing a wig, a mechanical pet, a robot, etc; use your imagination!

While there is no shame in going alone, the prom is best enjoyed with friends. You'll remember your prom for the rest of your life and
you'll probably end up immortalized in your friend's photo albums. Whether you go alone, with friends, or with an inanimate object, make sure you have a great time because that's the whole point.

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