With the rise of social media, many young people are starting to see it as a serious career option. It’s not unusual to see someone walking around with a camera, talking to themselves while recording. This trend has made its way into universities around the world, giving rise to what people now call “campus influencers.” They usually make videos about college life — things like “a day in the life of a student,” lifestyle vlogs or short clips showing places they visit and experiences they have on campus.
For many of them, it’s not about going viral or being famous. It’s about capturing their college years — the small details, the friendships and the new experiences.
Areeb Shaukat, a sophomore finance major at the University of Southern Mississippi, mostly makes videos on Instagram, and his posts regularly get thousands of views. For him, social media is like a time capsule.
“I just thought it would be cool for other people to see what the life of an international student studying in the U.S. is like,” Shaukat said. “But another even bigger reason was for myself, so that I can kind of preserve my memories.”
For others, it’s more about connection and community. Saqib Mahmood, an international student at USM, began vlogging to help people back home understand what college life in the U.S. is really like.
“Before I came here, I used to watch two or three influencers to get motivation on how life is in the USA. I thought I should also create videos for other people. So, I started doing ‘a day in my life’ videos. One, two, three, and now it’s like 220 something. And I never looked back,” Mahmood said.
Mahmood has now amassed more than 20,000 followers across his social media platforms.
Starting out wasn’t easy for either of them. Shaukat remembered feeling nervous about how people would react, while Mahmood had to deal with friends not wanting to be in his videos at first. Over time, both made vlogging a regular part of their routine.
Even after getting used to it, keeping up with social media can still be challenging.
“Once you lose that momentum of posting content on the internet, it just gets difficult to take that extra one or two hours to shoot and edit the videos,” Shaukat said.
Mahmood also faced motivation challenges but relied on a bigger purpose — creating a positive impact and helping others.
“The biggest motivation is that I’m creating a name for myself, making a positive impact on society. When people message me and say their children watched my video and were really motivated, that’s inspiring for me,” he said.
For both, being a campus influencer isn’t about chasing likes or followers. It’s about documenting life as it happens — the excitement, the culture shock, the everyday moments — and turning it into something lasting.
