The AMHS Semi-formal is coming up soon, February 11th to be exact, and so now is the time to start thinking about your plans. As a senior, this year will be my last semi-formal at Magnet, and I will say that I’ve learned a lesson or two. Here is my advice to you, and if you think of anything that I missed, be sure to comment!

Before Semi-day:

Get your outfit:

• For the girls, go get a cute little dress. Make sure you feel confident and comfortable, and don’t stress too much about finding the “perfect” one. How much fun you have is independent of your dress. Also, it’s always a viable option to borrow from friends or swap. Overall, I’d have to say this feels more stressful than it needs to be. If you need inspiration, then check out Katherine Nguyen’s article here: https://amhsnewspaper.com/62613/showcase/what-to-wear-for-semi/
• Shoes: I personally always forget about shoes until the last minute. Most girls wear heels, and you can make a statement with bright colors or a unique design. Make sure that you can comfortably walk and stand in them before wear them.
• For the guys, I think y’all have it covered without my advice.

Make a plan: 

• Decide in advance what y’all want to do before the semi, so that way you have enough time to make sure everything runs smoothly. 
• Make any dinner reservations you need in advance, especially if you have a larger party. 
• Decide the details. This includes whose house you’re going to, and who will drive you from place to place. It’s important to try and divide these responsibilities equally and make sure nobody ends up as the “mom,” because that can put a lot of stress on them, and you want to make sure all your friends have fun!

Dates: 

• Get a date, or don’t! While dates aren’t a big deal for semi, a lot of people still go with someone. Honestly, I think that it just depends on how important this is to you, but either way you go is completely normal. It can be super fun to go with a group of friends! On the other hand, if you do have your eye on someone, this could be an opportunity to get to know them better!

Day-Of: 

Meet up with your friends:

• Get ready together. This is more for the girls, but definitely still open for guys as well. Getting ready with your friends is so much more fun than getting ready alone, especially with some fun music and snacks.
• Take lots of pictures! I regret not taking any pictures in freshman year because now I don’t have anything to look back on and laugh at. Trust me, there’s no such thing as too many pictures because even if you think they’re bad, you will still wish you had them in the future. 
• I also wanted to note the importance of a cute background in your pictures. If you can’t meet up with your friends to get ready together, or you don’t want to take pictures at your friend’s house, then you could meet up at a central, cute location before. Places like Waterfront Park, Pierce Park Public Pool Pavilion, or Whitepoint Gardens could all be good options based on where your friends live!

Eat Dinner:

• I already mentioned this, but make a reservation with enough time in advance! And even with that, remember to roll with the punches. In freshman year, we had a reservation at Outback Steakhouse and something was messed up and they didn’t have a table for us! We ended up going to Chipotle, which was still fun, but just keep in mind that things might not work out and that’s okay. Don’t stress. 
• If you’re going to a friend’s house before, then consider eating at their house before to save time! I’m not talking about a home-cooked meal, but you could get takeout, subs, or pizza, for ideas. This is nice because then you don’t have to worry as much about time at the restaurant, and driving from multiple places.  

Arriving at semi:

• Don’t worry about arriving too late or too early, it’s no big deal either way. 
• Visit the photo-booth! 
• Have fun

My last, overarching advice for semi is to just relax and have fun! It can be easy to get caught up in making sure that everything is perfect, so just roll with the punches. Some things are just out of your control, and that’s alright, you can’t help it. Just spend time with your friends and enjoy!