YouTubers to Watch While Studying
Words by Taumia Matega (she/her)
Mai Pham
Mai is an 18-year-old who currently lives in New York but is originally from Canada. Most of her videos are vlogs of her daily life alone in the city. I love watching her do daily errands from cleaning her apartment, gym, or going to eat at restaurants. It is aesthetically pleasing. Mai does talk about her struggles with mental health and works to better herself mentally and physically. She often sets goals for herself and practices “self-love” which I can admire. Mai is authentically herself and is self-aware of her circumstances which can be refreshing. I pop any of her videos on while studying when I may need a little motivation to finish an essay or a reminder that I can be successful one day and make it big.
Lo-fi Girl
I know everyone has probably heard of Lo-fi Girl, but I love their videos. Lo-fi Girl makes music/beats for studying. There are many videos to choose from so you will always have something new to have in the background. The videos are usually one-hour long so you have time to focus on your studying rather than worrying about changing the video. Lo-fi Girl’s videos always make me feel productive and very studious. The music itself is soothing and not distracting at all when studying. Lo-fi Girl music can be found not only on YouTube but Apple Music and Spotify. If you need a go-to for a study session, Lo-fi girl is always a great pick and can be played on other platforms.
Footaslym
Footaslym is a UK Sports Retail group that has created a channel with content creators, notably Nella Rose, Chunks, and Filly. I put their videos on when I need a laugh, especially when assignments are feeling a bit difficult. They have many video playlists to watch from. My favourite playlist of videos is Think Twice where members talk about a topic, discussing their opinions and challenging each other's views. My other favourite is Chef Asylum, the player must create a dish for the other contestant to try while only using ingredients given to them in a time frame. All the members have their own personalities and are able to have great banter with each other. Their laughs are contagious even through a screen, great while studying or when you need to take a break.
The Try Guys
The Try Guys are a group of four guys named Ned, Eugene, Keith, and Zach who will try anything for the audience's entertainment. The group used to be part of BuzzFeed but has become independent. The Try Guys have a range of video topics such as trying to make various things without a recipe or ranking whole menus of food from food-chain restaurants. I like to put their videos on when I need background noise and do not need to pay too much attention to enjoy the video. The Try Guys remind me of the fun uncles at the family BBQs. Their videos are comedic but can be heart-warming because of their likeable personalities. If you need any light-minded content, put on the Try Guys.
Ava Jules
Ava Jules is a 21-year-old content creator who is from Hawaii. She enjoys reading, swimming, and travelling. Ava does a range of videos from book recommendations, vlogs, and closet cleanouts/organising. She is one of my regular YouTubers to watch when studying because her positivity can be uplifting. Her videos are also relaxing which is great whenever I am stressed. I also enjoy watching what daily life looks like in Hawaii. If you end up loving her YouTube channel, she also has a podcast called On My Mind with Ava Jules. She talks about how to find yourself in your twenties, how you should romanticise your life, and even reads confessions. I love to watch her videos for studying and listen to her podcast when I am travelling to university.
Merve
Merve is a student from Scotland who does Study with Me videos. The videos are done in the 50:10 format where they study for 50 minutes and take a ten-minute break. Videos have a range of from three to eight hours of studying. I like to use these videos whenever I am studying alone. The background noise can feel like you are studying with someone else. It’s helpful that the videos are in 50:10 format as I can remember to take breaks and that there is a timer, so I don’t need to look at my phone to keep track of the time. The time of the videos can be broken down as sessions so you can easily allocate them to each session. Merve’s videos are a great tool for productivity.