The best way to dry off after taking a shower, in terms of getting dry as quickly as possible, is to use the following two-step, two-towel procedure.

  1. The first step is called Bulk Drying. This is when you wipe most of the water off of your body. After this step, you'll still be a little wet because the drying is imperfect. The technical reason is that as your body get drier, the towel gets wetter until you both reach some sort of moistness equilibrium where you can't get any drier and the towel can't get any wetter.) This uses up the first towel.
  2. The second step is called Fine Tuning. This is when you dry off the remaining moisture and all of the little nooks and crannies that remain. After this, you will be nice and dry and ready to take on the day. I guarantee it.

For Bulk Drying, you should use a big, fluffy towel; whereas for Fine Tuning, a thin towel is best.

Another mistake newbies often make is to dry off in the bathroom. How can anyone expect to get dry in a room that's close to 100% humiditiy? Go into your bedroom or something and you'll get dry a lot quicker.

The absolute best way to dry off, in terms of fun, is to have your boyfriend or girlfriend help you out. If you do this, you can actually get completely dry (momentarily, at least) with a single towel due to enthusiastically vigorous rubbing.

See also: know where your towel is