With junior prom just around the corner, it’s prime time for some epic, post-worthy promposals.

From punny posters to grand romantic gestures, students can be sure to find pictures of happy couples in their Twitter and Instagram feeds in the coming weeks.

But the pressure to be post-worthy has reached a remarkable high in these past few years and creativity is becoming more of a requirement rather than a choice.

“[I feel] a little bit [obligated to propose in a big way] I’d say,” said junior Craig Hughes. “It’s kind of what everyone does now, so I feel like I have to.”

Some students feel as though the pressure is a result of high expectations.

“[Guys] feel like we need to ask in a big way sometimes, because some girls expect a big [promposal],” said junior Adeeb Haidari. “Or sometimes we just think the girl deserves it.”

While there are students who want the full promposal experience, many wouldn’t mind a simpler tactic.

“Food. Anything with food.” said junior Gianna Mascardo.

And even simpler than appealing to a person’s inner food junkie, some students just want a laugh.

“[I’d prefer a promposal that’s] cute and punny!” said junior Kristie Tang. “Girls like a sense of humor. And it’s better because it’s less awkward and you can just laugh about it.”

Many students didn’t feel as though it was important to be asked in a grand way.

So it was clear that not all of the prom-related pressure was due to the promposal itself.

It has frequently been pointed out that there is a double standard between genders when it comes to the necessity of a prom date.

Many male students agreed that they must have a date in order to attend prom.

“I personally feel like having a date for prom is a good idea because it has pretty much been the common tradition,” agreed junior Zidaan Dutta.

But for some, getting a date might be easier said than done.

“The hardest part [about asking someone to prom] would definitely have to be fear of rejection,” said junior Saif Khan. “The reason that a lot of guys don’t even ask anyone is because they’re scared of hearing a ‘no’.”

Despite the traditions and obligations, there are still some guys who believe that prom is an event to enjoy with a group of friends as well as dates.

“I don’t think it’s required to have a date to go,” said junior Justin Lee. “That’s what  friends are for, right?”

Although male students feel a lot of pressure to have a date to prom, the preconceived notion that girls aren’t obligated to have dates is not entirely true.

Contrary to popular belief, many girls feel the same obligation to have a date as guys do.

“A frequent question people ask around this time is, ‘Who are you going to prom with?’” said junior Samara Sorce. “And it’s not widely accepted to say ‘alone’.

“All my friends will have dates,” Sorce continued, “and prom is a very date oriented dance, unlike homecoming.”

If both girls and guys feel the need to have a date to prom, why don’t more girls ask guys as well?

There were very few female students who could confidently say that they would break the norm and ask someone to prom themselves.

“If I really liked a guy, I would ask him,” said junior Vanessa Lamarre. “We’re in the 21st century. I don’t see why not. Guys don’t have to do everything, they don’t need to be the one to make the first move anymore.”

However, a majority of them wouldn’t ask someone unless it was under special circumstances and some wouldn’t ask at all.

“If you’re dating them, then yeah,” said Tang. “If it’s just some dude, I’d be too scared to ask them.”

But in the middle of all the stress dances can cause, students just want to have fun.

Whether one goes with a date or alone, prom is a night for teens to make good memories with the people that make them happy.