There are many things that define the student experience. Getting up before 7am isn’t typically one of them.
However, Selina Ozay, a 20-year-old psychology undergraduate at the University of Exeter, isn’t a typical student. As well as preparing for her finals, Ozay runs her own YouTube channel, on which she has built a following of more than 8,000 subscribers by vlogging about uni life, study tips and fashion.
It’s a juggling act that requires early starts. But while this might be off-putting for many university students, it fits with Ozay’s personality. Admitting that she didn’t put heaps of effort into her GCSE exams – “I didn’t think they were that important” – she explains she got her act together during her A-levels, and has organised every aspect of her life since.
“I’m a massive fan of lists and schedules, and I literally plan everything hour to hour,” she says. “I don’t always stick to it, but it comforts me to have a plan for the day.”
With a workload as ambitious as hers, making the most of every moment is essential. For Ozay, learning to manage both a growing YouTube career and an engaged student life (she’s also general secretary of the University of Exeter’s Vegetarian and Vegan Society) has paid off, with her social-media presence leading to friendships and even campus-celebrity status.
“Things are a bit more personal online,” she says. Despite claims that social media is killing off real, personal connections, she’s found that being online allows her to “launch into talking about deeper issues straight away”, skipping the shallow pleasantries of face-to-face chit-chat and building meaningful relationships from the jump.
“On my YouTube channel I’m really open about being stressed or anything going on in my personal life,” she continues, “so people know me in a different way.” Because of this, connectivity has become Ozay’s lifeblood. An unimaginable amount of content is uploaded to YouTube every day so, to stay ahead of the latest trends, she has to keep a close eye on what her fellow vloggers are putting out there.
Her YouTube channel covers everything from how to make friends to dealing with the stress of studying, and she presents an honest and relatable picture of university life. In response, fellow students frequently stop her on campus to tell her what an inspiration she is. “It still shocks me,” she says of her online celebrity.
What makes Ozay special is the fact that she doesn’t necessarily see some things that others would call work as work. Describing her morning routine (which, on a good day, begins at 5:30am), she insists she doesn’t do any work prior to starting her lectures, before revealing that she will check emails and deal with her Vegetarian Society responsibilities during this time. In addition, Ozay completes a daily morning workout, which she says is very helpful for managing her stress levels. “I do yoga, so it’s very much about being mindful and focusing on breathing, and it does help me calm down.”
The rest of her day is split between YouTube and uni. “It does take up a lot of time. It’s the editing that takes up the most. I just spent three hours editing a vlog in the library. That’s three hours I could spend revising.”
There’s not a hint of complaint in Ozay’s tone as she waxes lyrical about her busy life. It’s her passion for helping people that drives her, whether it’s posting study vlogs to YouTube or preparing for a future as a therapist, her current post-university ambition. “I’ve always felt it came naturally to me,” she says of her desire to support others. “I’m a very empathetic person. I cry very easily and I feel what other people are feeling very easily.”
A lot is said about the always-on generation, but Ozay proves that it’s the person that makes the (social media) presence, not the other way around. By channelling her driven and caring personality into her online communities, she has created a digital space where friendships can form and support can be found. Who’d want to disconnect from that?
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