Don’t have 80 bucks handy to take you and your date to the dance this year? Maybe you feel like being “different” than the rest of the crowd and want to show them that you won’t conform to society’s idea of what high school should be like. Or maybe you just don’t really feel like going to a room filled with a huge crowd of girls screaming about their dresses and boys attempting to keep smiles on their faces as they try their hardest to block out the noise. Whatever the case, you’re not attending the romanticized event known as prom. However, you still want to have fun on that night, just without the whole upper class there to smother all of your senses. Coming up with fun ideas can be hard, but thankfully I’m here to help aid in the brainstorming process.

Go stand-up paddle boarding for a few hours and then catch a late-night showing of Iron Man 3.
Stand-up paddle boarding is not nearly as hard as you might anticipate. Only an intermediate sense of balance is required and steering is simple. Also, you feel like a native in the jungles of Amazon, which is a major plus. The second part, a viewing of the newest Iron Man movie, is pretty self-explanatory. I mean, c’mon. Gwyneth Paltrow is smokin’ and Robert Downey Jr. is absolutely adorable, especially when he dances to Eiffel 65 (just watch it). In my opinion, this was the best out of all the movies in this series.

Gather some ingredients from the store, invite a couple friends and have a homemade meal together.
Nothing says delicious like a hearty meal made fresh from scratch, and nothing says enjoyable like a warm dinner with your favorite people. The best part is, you get to decide what you want to eat. There’s no worrying about whether the restaurant is going to have any food you like; you make all of the decisions.

Have a sleepover.
The title says it all. Get some of your closest friends together, rent a few movies from your local Redbox and then head home for a night full of laughing, watching, stuffing your face with popcorn and definitely not sleeping.

Buy an instrument from a pawnshop or thrift store and try to learn to play at least one song before the next day.
You may be wondering why this is a good idea, when in fact, you should be asking, “why isn’t this a good idea?” I mean, while everyone else is out spending the night in a crowded room with loud music, you’ll be in the comfort of your own room doing something productive like learning a lifelong skill that will most definitely benefit you in the future. I can guarantee that during a job interview, if you whip out that recorder you found at Goodwill for 30 cents and play a mad rendition of Hot Cross Buns, you’ll land a position as GM within the first three seconds of the melody. You can thank me later.

Spend a relaxing evening by yourself.
Taking some time to give you the attention that you need and deserve is time well spent. Throughout the hustle and bustle of everyday life, we tend to forget that we matter as well. You can treat yourself to a warm bubble bath and an old paperback you used to love reading over and over when you were younger. Then, a nice cup of hot tea while listening to music and doodling or writing would fit nicely. Or maybe you’re less of a sentimental person. An evening of watching How I Met Your Mother reruns and then a plate of chocolate chip cookies should suit you well. Or perhaps sitting outside with nature surrounding you is more in your ballpark. If it makes you feel your best, go ahead and do it.

Well, life is full of choices and I just added five more to that already long list. Hopefully this will enlighten you in ways to spend a prom-less prom night. And by no means do you have to do any of these things. These are just little tastes of the multitude of methods an evening can be lived. Just keep in mind that even though you may not have a date, you can still enjoy the night with close friends, family or even alone.