Before you get all excited… I am still single & writing this post. Nothing has changed about my relationship status the last 21+ years. However, with it being Valentine’s Day, I wanted to write this post for all the singles out there. There are so many things I wish I could tell my high school self or even my 20 year old self about singleness. I have learned so much in these last few years about singleness that have been monumental for me. I wish I had had someone tell me these things because it would have saved a lot of time & stress. More →
Author: Ask Ainsley
About Ask Ainsley
Posts by Ainsley :
Biggest Regrets From Senior Year of College
Newly graduated Ainsley here! Hello, hope you’re doing well. Something that has stuck with me these past few years is my passion to help people from my experiences. We learn a lot through life and sometimes it’s best to learn from those who have just gone ahead of you, who understand what you’re going through and live within a similar culture and time frame.
For this post, I wanted to focus on making the most of your senior year of college. This is an important stage of life because you are finally the ‘top dog’ at school and everyone else is below you, but your are also figuring out your entire future and it is full of lots of emotions of sadness and excitement. While I had a wonderful senior year, there are some things I wish I did better or had heard from someone else. I hope maybe you can implement or that it’ll change your perspective on some common misconceptions about senior year.
How to Deal with the Transition Between College + Home
From my personal opinion, I feel no one ever talks about how hard the transition between college and home is (and vice versa). I’ve found that not a lot of people write posts about it or share the serious struggle that it is… but it is something that every college student encounters– am I right??? Although COVID has definitely extended this gap + brought a whole new set of challenges pertaining to transitioning, I feel this is a topic that should be discussed more often + I want to help.
I feel this post is timely because of Thanksgiving + Christmas break coming up, as well as it being something that EVERY college student encounters if they live on their college campus. While I’m not perfect at this transition by any means (trust me, it has been a journey), I have learned a few things from my first year of college that I feel may be helpful to make the transition easier. More →
Honest Talk: The Problem With Doing
It’s been a little while since I last posted, but I’m happy to be writing this post. If I’m being honest, I’ve been pretty busy + in a funk. I haven’t had much inspiration to write. I’ve felt that my words have no significance. I’ve been stuck. Typically I’ll have a specific topic for a post + it’ll be full of tips or advice. However, this post is a little different.
This post is not organized + systematic like normal. It doesn’t cover a specific theme or is for a specific audience. If I’m being honest, it’s full of rambling + incomplete thoughts. However, it’s full of truth + what God’s been revealing to me. I hope God can use it + that something will encourage you. I would rather share these thoughts + it be an encouraging mess, rather than keeping it all to myself. Enjoy! More →
What To Do When You’re In A Spiritual Funk
I didn’t post this last week + if I’m being honest, it’s because I’ve been in a funk spiritually, among other things. I have been going through the motions with God. I haven’t felt any passion or excitement or newness. Instead, I have felt confused + useless. I’ve been questioning a lot. Wondering a lot. If you are in the same boat, keep reading!
This morning during church, I realized that although this has been a frustrating last couple of weeks, God has been with me every step. It may feel like I’m alone, but I know God is right here with me in my emptiness. I want to use what I’ve been going through to encourage + help others like you… because I know we all go through seasons of lowness + questioning. Although I am still in a funk, I remain hopeful that God will use it + that better days are to come. You can be hopeful too! More →
9 Healthy Eating Habits For At College
For the past while, I’ve really been into fitness + health, especially learning + paying attention to what I put into my body + how my body responds to it. Going off to college has just been one of those stops in the road that has required me to reevaluate my eating habits + consider what the best choices are for this season in life.
For this post, I’ll be focusing on tips I’ve learned as a college student about food. I’ve done other posts on exercising in college + being motivated to be active, but this post is just focusing on eating. Like I’ve said before, I’m not a doctor or medical professional so please don’t take everything I say full-heartedly. However, I have learned + personally experienced this stuff + it has helped me. Hopefully this post can help you as well! More →
How To Make Friends In College
Whether you’re an introvert or an extrovert, making friends while you’re at college is crucial. You may be scared about making friends or looking for ways to not make it awkward or wondering how to do it. Let me tell you, it’s not as hard or complicated as it seems. I’m here to let you know that there are so many ways to meet people. With college, you can meet people in a variety of places– not just class– which gives you a lot more opportunities + a lot more friends.
As an introvert, I really had to learn to meet people, start conversations + introduce myself… but now I’ve gotten the hang of it for the most part– and you can too! I’m so excited to share with you the things I learned + the things that helped me the most in making friends at school. Some of these ideas may be a bit obvious, but there are many most people wouldn’t normally tell you. More →
8 Tips for Exercising in College
In college…or honestly just in everyday life, exercising can get kinda boring + repetitive. It can be hard to get into a good rhythm + stay motivated. Trust me… I know what it’s like to want to be healthy + exercise in college, but one you get in the swing of things, it can be difficult to actually make it happen. In this post, I’ve come up with some tips that have helped me enjoy exercising in college + will hopefully motivate you to stay active.
When I first got to college, I was hesitant to go to the on-campus gym. I’m not a huge gym person, but I did my best to avoid it because I didn’t want to go alone + I didn’t know what it would be like. It wasn’t until I went with my friends that I actually liked it + got more comfortable. It was a journey + sometimes required me to put myself out there, but now I can say I have a more established exercise routine at college + have learned things along the way. More →
When Friendships Change Because of College…
When moving off to college, my biggest worry was making friends since I had the same friend group all throughout high school. I had to start from scratch and relearn how to make friends since I was all on my own. But a challenge I did not anticipate was how my friendships back at home + with my other friends would change because of college.
Whether you’ve moved off to college with your best friend or all your friends went separate ways, your friendships will look different because of college. That could be in a lot of ways or maybe not many, but you will have to work through it if you want to keep those friendships.
So I’ve put together this post on important things I’ve learned about friendship + how college has changed my relationships, but also strengthened them. I hope you can incorporate these things into your friendships! But if you’re having friendship challenges because of college, just know that you are not alone + that it’s something everyone has to work through. More →
Fun Off Campus College Ideas
While doing things on your school campus can be fun + all — and trust me, there is definitely a place for it– sometimes you just need to get off your school campus + do things nearby. My friends + I always say that our school is like a bubble, since you could stay there forever + never really need anything. However, it can get isolating. Although you are at school to get an education, staying social + getting involved, whether it’s on campus or off campus is really important.
In a recent post of mine, I shared 8 Fun Ideas For A Night In At College… (which you should totally check out if you need some ideas) but I also wanted to pair it with this post, sharing some ideas for things you can do off campus or nearby. There are many options around you so that you don’t have to be isolated. Instead, you can enjoy the city you live in + make the most of your time in college. More →