This past winter break was anything but relaxing for senior creative producing major Bridget McGarry. 

Instead of leisurely enjoying each moment away from school, she spent every waking moment preparing to be a contestant on "The Price is Right," television's longest-running game show that began in 1972. One of McGarry’s strategies for success included watching over 50 rerun episodes in order to understand the uniqueness of each game and analyze the common mistakes that players frequently make. 

But, the real practice consisted of observing the prices of everyday goods in their natural habitat… the grocery store. 

"Before the episode, I went to three different supermarkets and just went down every single aisle, noting exactly what the price ranges were for different items," McGarry said. 

McGarry was among an audience full of college students for a special "Pay Off Your Loans" episode of "The Price is Right." After viewing an Instagram advertisement at the start of winter break to audition for the show, McGarry instantly remembered the countless times she would watch the show as a child with her grandparents — so she applied. 

Not only was she cast as an audience member for a taping in January, but she also walked away with $20,000. 

"I have always loved game shows," McGarry said. "I kept telling myself when I was younger, 'If only I could go on one of these shows, I feel like I'd be so good at it.'"

Leading up to the show, McGarry had to undergo several auditions, one on Zoom and the other in-person on the day of the show. Producers asked her to show her reaction if she won a new car and get to know her favorite games from "The Price is Right." Even though she was cast as an audience member and had to wait over three hours outside the studio in the pouring rain, McGarry still wasn't sure if she would be called up on stage as a contestant — with producers only selecting nine people to participate in the actual price-guessing games. 

After almost an hour and a half into the taping, McGarry said she lost all hope that she would go on stage. But all of a sudden, a giant cue card was displayed in the air with her name and the announcer saying "Bridget McGarry, come on down! You're the next contestant on 'The Price is Right.'" 

"They're like, 'Okay, we're gonna call up our next contestant,' and then they showed the name and I was like, 'What the heck is going on?’ And I started freaking out," McGarry said.

The first portion of the game is Contestants Row, where four to eight contestants guess the retail price of everyday items. Once McGarry found her place on stage, she had to guess the price of JBL speakers, which luckily, she owns. Her victory secured her an opportunity to go on stage alongside host Drew Carey and play a solo game.

McGarry said she has always been fond of games involving strategy, not any revolving around pure luck. So when Carey announced they would be playing "Time is Money," McGarry was thrilled. The game is simple: the player has 10 seconds to place five grocery items into three different price categories. With all her practice leading up to this moment, McGarry successfully matched each item, meaning she would go home with $20,000 in her pocket. 

"I didn't even know how to react (when I won)," McGarry said. "Drew Carey was like, 'That never happens, this is amazing.' It was all within five minutes of me being called up to be a contestant to me winning $20,000. At that point, I think I blacked out. I don't think I've ever had that much adrenaline in my body. I'm still processing it even now, because it still feels fake. I have to remind myself that it actually happened."

A room full of college students all striving to snag the biggest bag of cash could lead to a cutthroat atmosphere, but McGarry said that couldn't have been farther from the truth. Since cell phones were not allowed on set, each student was able to give their full attention and encouragement toward each contestant on stage. McGarry told The Panther she also had meaningful conversations with Carey, who walked around during commercial breaks to get to know the students. 

"Everyone was so supportive — I was really happily surprised with how supportive everyone was to each other and really wanting to help each other out," McGarry said. "It was really sweet to see, especially with college kids (I thought), 'Oh, they're gonna be so competitive.' But it was a really great environment." 

Despite graduation and adulthood looming around the corner, McGarry said she is appreciative of "The Price is Right" for creating themed episodes that aid college students in a pivotal and financially stressful time in their lives. 

"Thankfully, I am not as worried about it as I was before with paying off student loans and everything," McGarry said. "So now I have this as a little bit of a cushion, which I am grateful for. The money has given me the opportunity to have choices, which is amazing." 

As for the future, McGarry said that this is not the last time she will be on a game show, with a goal to audition for "Survivor." If there is anyone out there slightly considering applying for a game show of their choosing, McGarry couldn't encourage it more. The years of watching "Wheel of Fortune" or "Deal or No Deal" with your family could finally pay off, metaphorically and literally. 

"I know a lot of people are like, 'Oh that seems like too much work' or 'They're never going to pick me, that just seems impossible.' But it can happen. You never know unless you apply," McGarry said. "I know manifesting things for yourself sounds cliché, but you just have to really believe in yourself. Something about putting things into the universe makes things happen. It's kind of crazy how things work sometimes."

The "Pay Off Your Loans" edition of "The Price is Right" aired today, March 13, on CBS and is available to stream on Paramount+.