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Career > Her20s

“The College Experience”

Erin Haggerty
The opinions expressed in this article are the writer’s own and do not reflect the views of Her Campus.
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at TAMU chapter.

The phrase “the college experience” is thrown around a lot, especially to incoming freshmen. Its main purpose is to encourage high schoolers to break up with their significant other, in the name of having fun while in college. This phrase also discourages college students from entering a long-term relationship to have a better experience.

As an incoming freshman, I wanted this experience, as being in college offered me more independence (even though I lived in a dorm). My idea was to have fun, make some mistakes, and not look back. In high school, I didn’t really have a lot of relationships, and I mostly kept to myself. I decided that now was the time to be more social and see where I fit in, and who I would get along with. I enjoyed taking chances and having fun, and eventually, I entered a relationship with a person I was seeing at the time. At this point, I felt like I was denying myself the opportunity to see other people, and I was unsure of being in a committed relationship so early into college. I was worried that my time would be stretched between all my responsibilities, which it already was. Even though I had doubts at the time, I continued with the relationship and did my best to stay healthy, happy, and successful.  

            That was about a year ago, and I have a couple of new thoughts on the “college experience”. I can only speak about my relationships and experiences, but I think it’s important for college students to figure out what’s best for them. Staying in or entering a relationship at the beginning of college, without allowing yourself to figure out who you are alone, can be damaging to any future relationships you have. It can also limit your personal growth, as independence plays a big part in self-discovery. I had a good experience with all the people I spent time with, and it allowed me to figure out what I was looking for, and who I truly was. I can now safely say that I am happy with the decisions I made because they led me to be who I am today and have given me a healthy relationship. 

Erin Haggerty is a junior forensic science major and psychology minor at TAMU. She is a returning member of Her Campus for the fall semester. Outside of Her Campus, she works full-time at a local BBQ restaurant, C&J Barbeque as a shift lead, as well as being a full-time student. Her campus is her only published writing experience, as she enjoys writing about her life, College Station, and researching about anything! Outside of school, she enjoys hanging out with friends, playing with her dogs, writing, and cooking. She’s found great passion in cooking and baking, mainly through creating her recipes. Through work, she also gets the opportunity to work tailgates for Aggie Football season, and though it's grueling, she enjoys the spirit!