Prom is the basic rite of passage of any young girl in high school. It's the one night we are allowed to put on the fancy dress with the fancy shoes and get to pretend that we are perfect pink princesses. I, myself, had been so excited to attend prom.

I grew up watching High School Musical, now I never expected my friends to break out into song while picking out dresses, but I did expect the magic that we've all seen in the movies. With prom just ending, I find myself wanting to share my experience; a debunking of five things we think about prom.

1. Everything is so expensive

We expect the dress to cause a precious penny but is four hundred really necessary? How about the tux costing almost two hundred to rent? Then don't forget girls, there's the hair, the makeup, the glamorous shoes, the fake tan, and the nails. Slap in a corsage and a boutonniere, and you have yourself one big money pit. Even prom tickets are expensive.

2. The themes either make no sense or are cliche

I mean, my prom's theme was golden gold, who came up with that ( and there was no gold in the decorations )? Proms usually have a theme, and they are usually fairytale themed or masquerade themed. There are several others- how can we forget Starry Night- but I think it's time for new themes. Even with students picking them, we need something else.

3. It's just an excuse for kids to get drunk, party, and hook-up

Well when you put a prom right next to a hotel, what do you think is going to happen? I know parents, teachers, and probably even the DJ don't think that things have changed from when they were teenagers, but kids don't spike the punch bowl anymore; they grind on their dates with a bunch of other people grinding around them, practically fornicating on the dance floor. But the teachers can't stop it! Don't get me wrong, kids still drink, but the teachers have gotten crafty and bought canned drinks and bottled water for the students to buy.

4. The music is literally the same thing with different words and a different beat

Now I'm not saying Broccoli isn't a good sing, but when all you play is rap that glorifies sex, drugs, alcohol, and cars, teenagers will start to grind. What's even worse is that they dare to look offended when the teens shoutout the curse words when the song bleeps it out. If you are going to play rap, be expecting the kids to shout the whole song out.

Also, would it kill the DJ to play something other than rap? I mean, I know that's all this generation really listens to, but not all of us do. Prom is where we'd expect to hear music to dance to, the ones where kids have dance battles, and that one nerdy kid who does this awesome robot dance; not kids in a clump grinding ( it's always grinding ).

5. If you hate taking photos or getting noticed, you will hate getting ready

Prom is most often described as the biggest dance in high school, and as soon as the second semester starts, it's the buzz in the halls. I know many of us love to be in the limelight, but not all of us. There's some who don't want to be recognized which makes the part of going to prom painful. It's painful because it's pictures, pictures, and even more pictures. It is not exciting in the least bit for those who like to stay behind the scenes.

I'm not saying prom isn't fun, because it can be. I'm just saying it's not the fairytale event that movies and books have us thinking. This is more for those who haven't experienced prom and will be though. My prom just passed, and yes it was fun, but it also sucked. These are just a few things that I thought you might want to know. Anyways, as a past prom goer, be aware.