Hey guys!

I’m back! Round two as a Social Media Ambassador and I’m SOOOO pumped. Here’s a picture of me in so you can have a visual of who is writing this post :)

Maggie, returning to the land of blogs, sits on a farm-style wood fence. She's wearing a pale-pink sweater and leather skirt. The sun shines from over her shoulder.
Maggie, returning as a sophomore Ambassador

This is one of my first blogs back this year and I can surely say I never expected my sophomore year of college to look like this. Honestly, I’m still in shock and really never would have imagined that this would ever happen. Looking back on my freshman year, my main concern was making friends, keeping up my grades, and trying not to spend all my flex money on coffee. I never would have thought that there was something coming that would be so out of my control. It makes my problems about last year seem so small and insignificant compared to what this year has brought. Some of you may have had the end of your senior year taken away from you. Some of you might have been planning on attending college this year but decided against it. Some of you are just trying to decide where you want to go to school next year.

The truth is there are a lot of unknowns and lots of uncertainty. That seems to ring true for most people right now, no matter what stage of life. So, as you adjust to this ever changing normal, just know that it's okay if you feel disoriented, we all do to some degree.

There's two photos in one: Maggie and her two friends in a farm-like area, smiling for the camera. The other photo is a picture of LA at sunset, the smog makes it so the city looks like a hazy fire.

I personally seem to be facing a new hurdle every day. Whether it's an emotional battle, or just getting myself to finish my homework in the mornings before class, I definitely have found it harder to stay motivated while not at school. However, I don’t want to only focus on the struggles that situation brings. Though I was surprised by this situation, God wasn't. That alone gives me hope and encouragement. Though I never pictured my sophomore year to look anything like this, God knew what it was going to look like and He is going to use this bad circumstance to still bring goodness.

Just because this season isn’t what you expected it to look like doesn’t mean that it can’t be fruitful. It doesn’t mean that there's not something to learn, and it doesn’t mean God can’t bless your circumstance no matter where you are. That being said, I hope you can find the encouragement to see the silver lining in a time that may seem rather dark.

That being said, here are some tips that I have been practicing to keep myself sane. First, I like to journal and actually didn’t start doing it till my senior year of high school. Journaling has been a great way to process all my emotions during all this change. I also love being able to look back and read what I wrote months ago. It's a visible way to document your growth and is encouraging to see the change over time. Next, I have decided to cut back my time on social media. If I’m being honest, I definitely spend too much time on it. And, all that time doesn’t make me any happier. Especially now that I am not preoccupied with school all day, it’s easier to get wrapped up in it. Seeing people hang out with friends on social media makes me miss being on campus with my friends. And seeing that all the time doesn't help contribute good with how I am feeling. So instead of resorting to social media, instead I call a friend, call a family member, or spend some time in the Word.

I hope you guys can relate to this post and I hope that in some way it was helpful for you. I am excited to write some more posts for you all over this semester. We are all in this together!

Til next time,

Mags