It’s the first week of March. The snow is beginning to melt, rain boots are clogging the hallways and the prom planning has already begun.  Panicky prom posts flood Facebook groups in desperate attempts to call “dibs” on dream dresses that might never even be purchased. As a girl who has been looking forward to prom for the past three years, I thought I’d be ready for this March madness. Instead, I’ve been sitting here slowly losing sanity and wishing I could just wear a paper bag. Actually though, I’m seriously considering it.

Am I the only one who thinks all of this premature prom planning is a bit too much? Prom is set for May 24, approximately 77 days from today. Prom season won’t be a thing until Teen Vogue comes in the mail telling me I need to start shopping. Personally, I don’t think anyone should be hitting the panic button until two weeks before the event.

“I wish I could somehow block the word ‘prom’ and all posts about it on all social media sites for the next few months,” senior Alethea Busch said.

I’m worried that all of the dress drama will ruin the experience for some people.  From the evidence I’ve gathered, it already has. Don’t get me wrong, it’s great to find a dress you like, but make sure it’s the dress before you post.  When you post fifteen possible dresses and threaten people from buying all of them, nobody wins. At the end of the day, it’s just a dress, and chances are you’ll only wear it once or twice.  There are around 280 girls in the senior class, having the same dress as one of them won’t be the end of the world. Your dress won’t define your prom night; you will look beautiful no matter what.

In the meantime, because we have a lot of it, let’s focus on posting positive feedback and encouragement rather than scary “dibs” threats. Prom should be a fun experience, rather than something you stress about. It’s about much more than a dress, I hope, and I think at some point down the road all of us girls will need to remember that.