Attending a formal event in college, whether it is your own, your boyfriend or girlfriend’s, your crush’s, your friend’s or some random person’s who you got set up with, is always a great time.

As the days before the formal pass, the excitement builds. This much-anticipated night out is different from any other party or mixer. There is a more defined sense of exclusivity among the people invited, and you’ll hold high expectations for an incredible night.

Formals and date nights are usually a wonderful time (if you can remember them), but never quite go as planned.

Pre-pregame

Expectation

You will pregame with your friends for a couple of hours, snapping pictures in good lighting and looking classy af.

Reality

You spent two hours doing your hair, changed your outfit 47 times, lost track of time listening to your pre-pregame playlist and made it our the door ten minutes before you had to run to catch the bus.

Bus mob

Expectation

People will be human beings and get on the bus in an orderly line.

Reality

Everyone turns into drunk, wild animals and fight to the death for a coveted spot, shoving each other out of the way so they can cram into the back with their friends and not wait the five minutes for the next bus to come to the Schwartz. People with crutches are not exempt.

Your date

Expectation

You and your date are going to spend the whole night together.

Reality

You and your date will spend about five minutes together in the beginning of the night so you can take one good picture while you still can.

Cuisine

Expectation

You will eat a ton of really good food at the restaurant. This was the whole reason you decided to come to this formal anyway.

Reality

You will be too drunk at this point to figure out how to eat dinner. Especially if it involves chopsticks. Plum Tree, anyone?

If you were set up with your date blindly, you will have no idea who/where he or she is by this point in the night.

Venue

Expectation

A really nice dinner at a fancy restaurant.

Reality

Ithaca’s Chinese Buffet “Party Room.”

New pro-pic?

Expectation

You and your date will take tons of great photos together.

Reality

You will not have any photos with your date at the actual event. If you’re lucky, maybe a selfie from the car ride to Chinese Buffet. Instead, you will find photos of yourself with half of your sorority and a random student you don’t remember taking shots with.

Cocktail hour

Expectation

You will drink tons of really expensive hard alcohol.

Reality

The best shot you take will be of Svedka.

Post-formal priorities

Expectation

You will leave the formal with your date, head home and post some pictures.

Reality

You make a mad dash for the first bus that arrives, realizing you’ve left your date behind. You find him behind the CTP counter, jacket missing, hanging out with Rachid. You buy yourself a slice because you had forgotten how to eat food two hours earlier, your sisters drag you home and you post the photos a month later in an album titled, “Everything I Just Found on My Phone.”

@TheTab