Close Menu
The Baylor Lariat
    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram YouTube LinkedIn
    Trending
    • Baylor community unites in flash flood relief efforts
    • Baylor rescinds LGBTQIA+ inclusion research grant after backlash
    • Students react to emergency alert following campus lockdown
    • Baylor shelter-in-place lifted following police pursuit of robbery suspects
    • Baylor graduate charged after killing cats with pellet gun, hanging bodies over utility lines
    • Baylor Football’s Alex Foster dies at 18
    • Board of Regents confirms budget, renovations, new leadership in May meeting
    • How facilities responds to storms, flooding in campus buildings
    • About us
      • Spring 2025 Staff Page
      • Copyright Information
    • Contact
      • Contact Information
      • Letters to the Editor
      • Subscribe to The Morning Buzz
      • Department of Student Media
    • Employment
    • PDF Archives
    • RSS Feeds
    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram YouTube LinkedIn
    The Baylor LariatThe Baylor Lariat
    Subscribe to the Morning Buzz
    Friday, July 11
    • News
      • State and National News
        • State
        • National
      • Politics
        • 2025 Inauguration Page
        • Election Page
      • Homecoming Page
      • Baylor News
      • Waco Updates
      • Campus and Waco Crime
    • Arts & Life
      • Wedding Edition 2025
      • What to Do in Waco
      • Campus Culture
      • Indy and Belle
      • Sing 2025
      • Leisure and Travel
        • Leisure
        • Travel
          • Baylor in Ireland
      • Student Spotlight
      • Local Scene
        • Small Businesses
        • Social Media
      • Arts and Entertainment
        • Art
        • Fashion
        • Food
        • Literature
        • Music
        • Film and Television
    • Opinion
      • Editorials
      • Points of View
      • Lariat Letters
    • Sports
      • March Madness 2025
      • Football
      • Basketball
        • Men’s Basketball
        • Women’s Basketball
      • Soccer
      • Baseball
      • Softball
      • Volleyball
      • Equestrian
      • Cross Country and Track & Field
      • Acrobatics & Tumbling
      • Tennis
      • Golf
      • Pro Sports
      • Sports Takes
      • Club Sports
    • Lariat TV News
    • Multimedia
      • Video Features
      • Podcasts
        • Don’t Feed the Bears
      • Slideshows
    • Advertising
    The Baylor Lariat
    Home»Opinion

    Having a pet in college is worth the effort

    Elisabeth TharpBy Elisabeth TharpFebruary 1, 2018 Opinion No Comments3 Mins Read
    Share
    Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Email

    By Elisabeth Tharp | Broadcast Reporter

    Being able to have a genuine relationship with a animal is one of the greatest gifts in the world. Every animal is unique, just like all humans are unique.

    For some, college can be one of the most stressful periods of time in their lives. Our self-esteem can go from a 10 to a one in the same day. When we start to feel down, we tend to let ourselves go, physically and mentally.

    A pet won’t ever judge you; they will always listen to you and love you constantly. Having a furry, feathery or scaly friend to come home to and be with is proven to be beneficially healthy.

    A study by Andrea Beetz proves pets are good for your health and notes that, “Contact with pets seem to counteract this stress response by lowering stress hormones and heart rate. They also lower anxiety and fear levels (psychological responses to stress) and elevate feelings of calmness.” Having a bond with another human you love and trust is incredible, but sometimes I think having a bond with a pet is better.

    I remember when my parents got me my first dog when I was six-years old. She was a Maltese, and we named her Candy. I was instantly obsessed with her and fell in love.

    She was a huge reason why I was able to sleep at night and wake up in the morning. On my first day of freshman year of college, she passed away just as I was going to school.

    I wasn’t able to sleep or eat well for weeks. Looking for another dog was hard because I didn’t want to replace Candy, but I needed something to fill the whole inside of me – badly.

    On the last day I was about to give up on a search for another dog, I found Lucy. Today, she is two years old and my pride and joy.

    Just looking at her can make all the negative thoughts in my head go away –– it’s amazing.

    Having a pet is a great experience, but it does come with a lot of responsibility and requires the owner to have a high level of maturity.

    Some pet owners can argue that a human child and a pet are moderately the same, in that they both require constant care and attention.

    I like to say that having a pet prepares people for a human child. Especially in college, for those who want to have children later in life, having a pet is a great first experience.

    That is to say, get a pet if you can afford it in terms of cost, time and energy. Having a pet is not always easy, but I promise it is worth it.

    Elisabeth Tharp

    Keep Reading

    Don’t believe myths about autism — reduce stigma by learning facts

    I never thought I’d miss my meal plan

    Violent predator catchers do more harm than good

    Lariat Letter: My pre-medical studies have shaped me into a better man

    It’s time to write more handwritten letters

    The end of the semester is just the beginning

    Add A Comment

    Comments are closed.

    Recent Posts
    • Baylor community unites in flash flood relief efforts July 9, 2025
    • Baylor rescinds LGBTQIA+ inclusion research grant after backlash July 9, 2025
    About

    The award-winning student newspaper of Baylor University since 1900.

    Articles, photos, and other works by staff of The Baylor Lariat are Copyright © Baylor® University. All rights reserved.

    Subscribe to the Morning Buzz

    Get the latest Lariat News by just Clicking Subscribe!

    Follow the Live Coverage
    Tweets by @bulariat

    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram YouTube LinkedIn
    • Featured
    • News
    • Sports
    • Opinion
    • Arts and Life
    © 2025 ThemeSphere. Designed by ThemeSphere.

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.