Five things. Seriously, if you can just remember these five basic rules about social etiquette, you can master just about any social situation.

And let’s face it, the one place you don’t want to screw up in society is your prom. A prom is like the culmination of years of hard work building your social standing in school. You spend hundreds of dollars on a dress, doing your, hair, jewelry, make-up, etc. if you are a female. If you are a male, you spend loads of cash on a tux, flowers, dinner and maybe a limo. So, do you really want to mess up all your hard work (especially after convincing that special guy or gal to go to the prom with you) by being socially inept? I didn’t think so.

These are really things you should have learned in kindergarten when you learned the golden rule - always be kind and put others first that is - but let’s do a re-cap shall we?

#1 - If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all. If a girl asks you if you like her dress and you think she looks like a moose in a tablecloth, you should politely smile and say “you look great.” Even if she doesn’t. Is that lying? Yes. But is this really the place to make someone feel horrible? And do you really want to be the one who ruins someone else’s prom memories by saying something mean (albeit true)? Keep your opinion to yourself if you know it will sound badly if you spoke it out loud. If you can’t lie, give the poor girl a “thumbs up” signal or nod your head “yes” at the very least.

#2 - Dip once. Weather you are grabbing grub at the refreshment table or dancing on the dance floor. Double dipping is gross! If you are dipping with food, it is unsanitary to double dip. If you are dancing and decide to dip your partner, do it once for effect. Double dipping on the dance floor is just showing off and taking up room that other couples could use to dance - don’t be greedy, even if you are the best dancer there. While you are at it, don’t be greedy at the refreshment table either. Everyone paid thier money for the ticket, lots of time an effort went into planning this party and you go hogging all the food. Very tacky!

#3 - Be a social butterfly, just for one night. Cliques are just stupid and a waste of time so staying in one spot and talking only to your group of 4-5 friends all night will be socially wrong and maybe even boring. Mingle around the room and try to at least say hello to each person. I realize that in high school, you have a set group of friends that you hang out with but try getting out of your comfort zone. Making the rounds around the room and telling people they look nice tonight or just nodding in their general direction with good eye contact shows that you notice and appreciate them. People remember these little things. Put the phone away, stop texting, get off the internet and pay attention to the people around you, especially your date. And for goodness sakes, if you have brought someone not from your school (who doesn’t know anyone there) introduce him or her to other people. Find people whom he/she might have things in common with so that if you have to go away (to the bathroom or the refreshment table) they are not standing there all alone waiting for you to come back.

#4 - Keep your clothes on. What in the world did you spend all that time and money on your clothes, hair and make-up if you are just going to take your jacket, shoes or, worse, your undergarments, off because it is “uncomfortable”? You dressed up for a reason, stay dressed.  If you spill something on your dress or jacket, go to the bathroom and clean it up as best you can. Trust me, no one wants to see you half naked, or if they did, it’s tacky to look at you half naked when they have a date on the other side of them.

#5 - Don’t make your date “look” like an idiot, even if he/she is “acting” like one. Here is where I have loads of experience. My prom date couldn’t dance, made fun of everyone’s outfit, dissed on the food/beverages, began to take his tie off 10 minutes after arriving, didn’t want to take photos, gabbed with his friends but not mine and was generally NOT the guy I thought he was or I would have never agreed to go with him. However, instead of calling him out on the carpet, I decided I would try to be as nice to him as I possibly could. I asked him if he would mind if we hung out with our friends (him with his, me with mine) for a half hour and then met in the middle to dance during a slow song (the only kind he could dance to that didn’t break my toes). We did do this and the night didn’t end up as a complete wash out in that I didn’t get embarassed and he kept his dignity.

So, like I said above, the prom maybe “your special night” but it is also everyone else’s. Be mindful that everyone is there to have a good time and that it is not just about YOU. So, use your social skills wisely.