Homecoming is an American tradition that many high schoolers look forward to, especially if you are typically a social person.
However, not all students get as giddy or excited about the major social event.
Although it’s easy to write homecoming off as just another way for the popular and wealthy students to flaunt their best attire, the event can actually be a great night filled with unforgettable memories and opportunities to do things that you may not be able to do normally.
Homecoming doesn’t have to be expensive either!
There’s a multitude of reasons you should go to your school’s homecoming dance.
Should I Go To Homecoming? (Top 10 Reasons)
1. Opportunity To Dress Up
As you get older, there are fewer opportunities to wear elegant tuxedos and dresses than you may expect.
High school has so many different opportunities to dress to the nines between all the different types of dances.
While dressing fancily can seem intimidating and extremely uncomfortable, the key is to dress in a way that makes you feel confident.
Homecoming can be an opportunity for you to try styles you’d normally never wear.
If you’re uncertain about your fashion choice, bring along friends who dress well to cheer you on.
Everything is made better with good company, and homecoming shopping is no exception.
Your friends can be there to help you through any self-image or anxiety problem that may arise.
They can also help you find something to wear that screams “you” to them, or they can help press you to try something new that you may end up loving.
If you are a girl and dresses make you want to crawl out of your skin, wear a tuxedo.
There are a multitude of women’s suit and tuxedo designers online.
Your tuxedo doesn’t have to be black either.
There are endless numbers of patterns, colors, and shapes for tuxedos for any gender.
If you are a boy who feels more confident in a dress than a suit, then wear it and be proud.
The biggest regret many older people have when it comes to homecoming is wearing what other people expect you to wear rather than wearing what makes you feel strong, confident, and beautiful or handsome.
2. Great Time To Try Something New
Homecoming is an excellent time to try all sorts of new things.
You can use homecoming as a chance to premier your brand-new style.
Homecoming is an excellent excuse to do something new with your hair or makeup.
At the dance, you can get one of your first feelings for large parties.
Homecoming can help you figure yourself out just a bit more.
Many people who have small weddings point towards high school dances and homecoming because they may not have appreciated so many people in one space, all at once.
When you go to homecoming, you may find that you love the party environment.
Many wedding planners started party planning as a member of the homecoming committee.
You may come to find that you like going out dancing with your friends.
Don’t close yourself off to the new opportunity solely based on your uncertainty of whether or not you’ll like it.
The worst-case scenario is that you don’t have a good time and that you learn not to do it again.
3. The Perfect Date
Have you been wanting to ask someone you know out on a date?
Homecoming is the perfect opportunity to break the ice with that special someone.
It can be hard to figure out what you’re going to say when asking someone out, but homecoming is the perfect excuse and can make the perfect date.
However, in order to ensure you’ll have a good time with this person, you should definitely go on at least a few dates prior to homecoming.
The better you get to know someone, the better you’ll be able to predict how such a night will go.
The best dating advice to ever be uttered is to date your best friend or one of your best friends.
Date someone who makes you so giddy to see them that even the idea of seeing them brings a smile to your face and warm, fuzzy feelings to your gut.
To avoid souring the mood of homecoming, don’t make finding a date your main objective and still plan on going with a group, even if you do have a date.
A date doesn’t always have to be romantic either.
Some of the best dates you’ll ever go on are with your best friend, and that never changes, even after high school.
4. Getting The Gang Together
Homecoming is an excellent opportunity to bring as many of your friends together as possible.
With Homecoming, there’s no need to worry about friends’ schedules not lining up or them completely forgetting the date.
When homecoming season comes, it’s all you typically hear about in the halls and lunchroom.
Even your most forgetful friend won’t miss this date.
The best part of homecoming isn’t the dancing or the fancy clothes.
It truly is the memories that will stay with you forever.
You’ll be able to think back to you and your friends dancing horribly to whatever school-safe soundtrack your teachers come up with.
You’ll think of the sweet smiles that split your friends’ faces as you tell them how amazing they look.
You’ll remember screaming your favorite songs on the way there.
You’ll remember wrapping up your night at a friend’s house where half of you are dressed to the nines and the other half have reverted back to sweatpants and oversized hoodies.
The best way to ensure that you have a great time at homecoming is to choose who you hang out with wisely.
Don’t worry about whether your friend group is going to be the best dressed or the best looking for “your image”.
During this special occasion, surround yourself with equally special people who are uplifting and fill your days with laughter and support.
5. Becoming Homecoming Royalty
Everyone daydreams about winning the title of homecoming queen or king.
Too many people are too hard on themselves and underestimate just how likable or beautiful they are.
While it’s true that most homecoming queens and kings are the attractive, wealthy, popular classmates, sometimes the class can work together to do some good.
There are countless stories of students who never thought they would be homecoming queen or king but won it on merits vastly more important than popularity, looks, or wealth.
There are many students who were given the title of homecoming queen based on their strength.
One such example is Jordan Allen.
Allen was born with a tumor that grew on her brain stem.
Her doctors didn’t expect Jordan to live a full life, but at eighteen years old, she earned herself the title of homecoming queen.
The strength she held inspired her fellow classmates and led to almost every single person voting for Jordan.
6. Musical Memories
We all have songs that we love solely because of the memories attached to the songs.
Nobody can promise that the DJ or whatever teacher is pretending to be your disk jockey for the night will play the kind of music you like or normally listen to.
If you go to homecoming, you may find a new appreciation for songs you may not have liked before.
Don’t worry if something about homecoming isn’t exactly the way you would do something.
Homecoming isn’t about you having the best night of your year.
Homecoming is about bringing everyone together to have the best night of everyone’s year.
Schools hold dances to bring the student body together, and music is one of the best ways to accomplish that.
Stevie Wonder once said:
“Music is a world within itself, with a language we all understand, with an equal opportunity for all to sing, dance, and clap their hands.”
If you’re looking for a time in the night to listen to the kind of music you like, jam out while you’re getting ready.
It’s a great way to make the preparation a lot more memorable and fun!
Once you’re ready to head out, you can rock out even harder on the way to your friend’s house, the location that you’re taking pictures at, or even just during the drive to wherever homecoming is being held.
7. One-Of-A-Kind Photos
Not only will you be able to create one-of-a-kind memories at homecoming, but you’ll also get one-of-a-kind photos.
Whoever you live with will most likely spend half an hour taking photos of you beforehand.
This is just a fact that just about all high schoolers have to accept.
For photos, stand at a three-quarter angle from the camera or diagonally.
The more confident you are in yourself while getting photos done, the less awkward they’ll turn out.
Most homecomings have some kind of photo booth or photo backdrop set up for you to use.
Cramming as many of your friends into one photo while trying to make each other laugh and genuinely grin can make for the most cherished photos and memories.
If there isn’t a spot to get your photo taken, there’ll most likely be a photographer walking around, snapping shots.
If you and your friends are getting photos taken together, there are a bunch of free locations you can go to that make amazing backdrops.
Places like hiking trails, parks, and small-town streets are great outdoor options.
You can also try indoor places like public libraries, thrift stores, greenhouses, bookstores, and cafes.
It’s most important to ask for the rules regarding photoshoots before you go anywhere and then respect the rules of the location.
8. Won Over By Food
Some of us are led by our stomachs.
There is absolutely no shame in loving to eat.
Food is a culinary art, and being a fan of food is just being a certain type of art lover.
What each school has on their homecoming menu may vary depending on the theme of the dance and the budget of the school, but there are a few staples that seem to show up on the snack tables at most homecoming dances.
You can always count on adults trying to get students to eat more vegetables, but does anyone actually go for them?
No, because students are going to be too busy shoving all the tastier finger foods in their mouths.
Some of these foods may include cupcakes, sliders, sandwich slivers, or pizza.
Depending on the budget of your school, you may also see things such as an assortment of candies and chocolates.
Most people go out to eat with their friends before homecoming.
While some people may go eat at a fancier restaurant, a fancy dinner may not be in everyone’s budget.
The best places to go get food with your friend beforehand is either your local, sit-down restaurant like Coney Island or Waffle House or fast-food places like Taco Bell or McDonald’s.
Sitting down at your normal fast-food joint with you and your friends all dressed up can make for some hilarious photos and memories.
You should try to eat a little before you go to the homecoming dance, even if you’re not a big eater.
Between all the standing, walking, and dancing you’ll be doing, you’ll get mighty hungry.
If you’re someone who gets nauseous after eating, still try to eat something light like soup, a salad, or even something like mashed potatoes.
9. Spreading That School Spirit
While most students can agree that their school may not be the best, almost everyone can have some fun with the spirit week that comes right before homecoming.
Typically, each day of spirit week has its own theme.
The themes may include school colors, fashion from a certain decade, twinning, superheroes, career choices, opposite day, and many more, depending on how creative your homecoming committee is.
Spirit week can be your opportunity to get creative with yourself and transform yourself into something or someone new for the day.
You may find that a certain style that you tried out during spirit week really suits you.
The best outfits of spirit week are the group coordinated outfits.
Whether it’s completely matching outfits or ones that just go together, students and teachers all love seeing group outfits that are clever and original.
For group outfits, try finding clothes that everyone can fit in that come in the same style but different colors.
You can also base your outfits on popular cartoon, movie, or comic book characters.
Those will always be the ones to make it in the yearbook because spirit week is all about togetherness.
You may never go to one of your school’s sports games, but spirit week and homecoming will make you want to go to the homecoming football games.
Most schools make this game special, typically raising money for one organization or another.
Some schools raise money by selling special t-shirts that give you free access to the homecoming football game.
While you’re at the game, you can eat one of the greasy hot dogs or some nachos while chugging some cheap hot chocolate.
That may not sound appetizing, but the atmosphere of the homecoming football game somehow makes it all come together heavenly.
10. You’re Only Young Once
Don’t let fear stop you from experiencing everything you can in high school.
Once you’re done with each year of school, that’s it.
Time doesn’t go backward, and it never will.
Take every opportunity you can and don’t be afraid of what others may say.
People are always going to be talking, but if they aren’t paying your bills, don’t you pay them any mind.
The experiences you have now will only happen once.
Don’t let them pass you by.
The opportunities you didn’t take advantage of will leave you wondering what would have happened if you had.
Go to homecoming and do it in a way that makes you feel proud and confident.
Worrying about if you’re the best looking or even good enough will only weigh you down.
Let go of those anxieties, as hard as it can be to do so, and try something you may never have the chance to try again.
Homecoming can be the best night of your year if you’re spending it with the right people while wearing what feels right for you.
Go watch your friends party like goons and make fools of yourselves joyfully.
You’re only young once, and you’re only a high schooler once.
Take every opportunity that comes your way, and do it in your own, beautifully unique way.
NEXT: Why Is Saffron So Expensive? (Top 10 Reasons)
Anonymous says
what if I have no friends.
ya mom says
then thats tuff bro