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This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Wisconsin chapter.

I love my college town, but recently all I can think about is becoming a true big city gal

In middle school I dreamed of spending my college years parading around the streets of New York City. Traveling by subway, partaking in a new activity each day and never seeing the same face twice was all I wanted. Flash forward to my first few years of high school and a few visits to New York City and the decision was clear, I was not a city gal. 

My vision of my dream college changed from a seemingly limitless city to a smaller college town. I wanted to be in a place where the entirety of the area revolved around the university. Somehow, I stumbled upon the University of Wisconsin–Madison and it has been the absolute perfect fit for me. I cannot imagine myself anywhere else. 

But interestingly enough, I have recently been dreaming up trips to some of the large cities I said I wanted nothing to do with. My middle school dreams of exploring the nooks and crannies of a big city have returned with a vengeance. Luckily, I have an older brother who actually did fall in love with New York City, which means I’m going to try and become a true city gal once again. My adventure will only last about four days, but for those few days I will be channeling my inner big city gal to the fullest. 

After my mini escapades to New York City and Chicago I think I’ll be ready for the next city gal step, traveling abroad. I will take my newfound city gal knowledge to Barcelona, Spain in January. This will be the true test of my city gal-ness, and I cannot wait!

I know I will love pretending to be a city gal for a while, but I can guarantee nothing will feel better than settling back into my college town gal routine later once I’m back in Madison.

Beth Shoop

Wisconsin '25

Hi, my name is Beth! I am from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, but I am currently a senior at UW--Madison studying Journalism, specifically Reporting and Strategic Communication! I hope you enjoy reading about my experiences, interests and newfound knowledge!