Replying to Open Relationships

So far in my freshman year of college, I've met all kinds of people that didn't exist in my life before. One thing that I've noticed that is very prevalent is that there are a lot of couples in open relationships (ie you can hook up with other people as long as your main emotional commitment stays with your partner). I've heard lots of debate about this lately, as some people think that ruins the integrity of the relationship, some couples have one partner who wants this kind of relationship and one partner who is very opposed to it, and others are using it and saying that it works greatly. Obviously jealousy is a big issue, but it also reduces the likelihood of getting bored or not being satisfied with just one partner, and I guess it could prolong the relationship in that sense. I was just wondering if any of you have had any experiences with open relationships and what your thoughts are regarding them.