With prom on the the not-so-distant horizon, students frantically begin searching for dates and dresses much too early.

NC’s annual prom, held at Opera Nightclub, remains scheduled on March 14, just two  months from now. But that fails to stop the absurd feeling of tension in the air as students begin preparations. Take a walk down the hallway to find girls throwing themselves at potential prom dates, while guys contemplate cheesy ways to ask their crushes to the dance. Although the pre-prom hype creates valid excitement, the craze begins far too early this year.

Talk to any girl at NC and likely discover that she has already been dress shopping. This remains far too risky, especially for those not in a steady relationship. What if you do not even get asked? What will these pre-planners do with their cheaply-made, overpriced dress? I suppose they could always wipe tears with the abundant polyester and lace.

Then there are those who claim they “don’t need a date.” Honestly, those people are probably just covering up their inner stress, secretly hoping to get asked. Nobody actually wants to attend prom with “a big group of girls” or their cousin. So girls, save the trouble and refrain from buying that dream dress until your plans are sincerely set in stone.

Boys, on the other hand, just do not understand the mental stress prom places on the female population. They somehow fail to recognize the less-than-subtle hints and wait until last minute to decide who they actually want to take. But, the guys deserve some credit, as they must innovatively come up with a creative “promposal.” If that does not sound stressful, have fun being a hopeless romantic/DIY genius all wrapped in one.

Bottom line, the prom panic serves no purpose this early. Many of those wrongly causing themselves anxiety are the same people who will be asked to prom in just a matter of time. So girls, do yourselves a favor by taking a deep breath and remember, it is only January. Boys, get a move on and save the poor girls from a pre-prom panic attack. Then, on March 14, everyone can enjoy the dance with their dream dates and fancy dresses.