Well North Penn, junior prom is next week. A third of the school is probably sick and tired of force-d jokes while the other three-thirds is wondering why I can’t do math. How does j-prom affect me, seniors and sophomores ask?

It doesn’t.

But I’ll see you all back at the Korner next week!

In all seriousness, the upcoming junior prom does serve as a reality check for any seniors looking for a time frame for senior prom, and for any ambitious sophomores to hit up their senior connections. March means it’s prom season, among other things, and the last I’ve heard the Facebook page for dress matches was created in January. Now that’s devotion, seniors, I’m impressed. God forbid we spend our night to remember deciding who wore it better, so thanks for being so incredibly prepared. It’s also handy for keeping up with the latest trends, like whether tiffany blue is the new black, if white and gold really are what they seem, if nine cutouts have the same effect as arriving au natural, and if strapless is worth the hassle – though I don’t need a Facebook page to tell you the answer for that one.

Though let’s back up from the dresses for a moment to a ritual that is rapidly becoming more popular as the years progress and, for some girls, even decides if the dress will decorate their closets or their shoulders. I’m talking about promposals, and before the guys quickly click to a sports article or the girls scroll eagerly looking for prom pictures, this is not that kind of article. Seeing as how I’ve earned an underground reputation for being the Ned of North Penn High School Survival Guides (but much better looking), the sole purpose of the Korner is to help a fella (or fellas) out.

To answer perhaps the biggest question associated with promposal jitters, as of now, there’s roughly two months until prom. I know that date seems so far away, but a lot can happen within that span of time. For example, a giant meteor could fall and wipe out civilization on May 13th just like it did the dinosaurs, making all of your concerns about prom seem rather silly for the couple of seconds you have them before you die. Or, everything could go smoothly, and you’ll have secured yourself a prom date. But when is the appropriate time to ask, wonders every senior ever? Never fear, because I’m about to clear this all up. Or make it that much more confusing…

1. A significant ask for a significant other: Technically you can ask the bf or gf whenever you want, as long as the proper effort has gone into your plan. If the two of you are dating, you ought to have at least some inkling of whether public or private is the best way to go, because sometimes even the more private promposals are more thoughtful than one requiring an audience. If there’s a special event happening in your significant other’s life that would double as an excellent stage for a promposal, take advantage of it. Who cares if it’s January? You’re just ahead of the curve now, with way more time to color coordinate.

2. The best kind of ask for the best kind of friend: Okay, so the two of you aren’t dating, but you’re best friends, which is more or less the same thing but with a better sense of humor. At this point you’ve probably agreed to go to prom together, so the only surprise is when one friend will ask the other. You shouldn’t feel the need to jump the gun because you’re already working with a definite yes. Instead concentrate your time on being creative, and your bestie will be sure to appreciate the effort. I wouldn’t be surprised if these types of promposals started popping up by next week or so, even if that means less time to dangle precious information in front of your friend’s face. Suspense is way more fun anyway.

3. Not-so-strange asks from strangers: Maybe that girl or boy in your English class has a lot of potential, or at the very least, you’d like to get to know them outside of Brit Lit. I applaud any of you who think this may be you in the next couple of weeks. This is a risky move, but the reward is pretty great if it works out; that’s why it’s best to make your move as prom tickets go on sale. At this stage in the game, you’ll want your friends to do some recon work: take note of boyfriends, girlfriends, or crazy best friends. If the coast is clear and you’re feeling confident, let nothing hold you back. But if you really want that yes, ask in front of an audience. Pressure is powerful thing, but be warned – sometimes contents explode. You might get your yes for a brief moment in the public eye, until it’s rescinded in private. Apparently that’s a thing now. But don’t let that discourage you! You’ve still got time.

4. Desperate times call for desperate dates: You’ve given up working with time – it’s working against you now. Everyone else in your picture group as a date, and though you would really rather would like to avoid asking your cousin, that’s looking like an unfortunate possibility. It’s probably the end of April, within two weeks of prom, but your friends can work fast. Your date may start out as your mom’s best friend’s daughter’s second cousin’s goldfish owner, but by the end of the night you’ll have the opportunity to form a new relationship with the help of a poorly choreographed dance number and spontaneous group numbers. Unless High School Musical lied to us all…

I won’t lie and say I don’t know everything about promposals, North Penn, because I actually do (not really). Sometimes it’s important to put yourself out there, and there is no better time than the end of senior year. Most of these kids you won’t ever see outside of class reunions, but if they remember you as the person who tried to make prom the last great high school dance, then you can’t be blamed for anything. Even if you don’t get the answer you’re hoping for, the fact of the matter is you tried. Who’s to say the good old college try can’t start with a high school promposal? So be vigilant, North Penn, and stay tuned.