As a college student, I’m always looking for channels on YouTube to watch. TV channels in dorm rooms can be few and far between. Netflix and Hulu begin to get boring after you’ve watched that same show over and over again. I tend to gravitate towards creators that I can relate to. I like to get good advice, grow as an individual, or a combination of the two. The YouTubers I’m about to share with you are creators that I have watched for years, or at the very least, feel like I have been watching for years. I can relate to all of them in a sense. A majority of them have helped me grow as an individual throughout this tough stage of life. I hope if you are in the 20-somethings that you will take advantage of this list and find your new idols!

Jess and Gabriel Conte

Anyone who really knows me knows how much I love these two! Jess is from Australia and Gabriel (a Vine star) is from Florida. I’m not going to go into detail on how they met (because there’s a video for that!) but their relationship is seriously inspiring. Keeping a relationship strong while being on opposite sides of the planet is tough. It’s made these two so vulnerable on camera and has shown how strong they are. You really get to know the true version of them, which is rare in the social media world.

Their deep relationship with God is something that I have found to help me along in my walk with Christ. They put God at the very center of their relationship, and it is remarkable to watch. Their values are extremely similar to mine and it is refreshing to have someone that I can closely relate to. They keep themselves level-headed, no matter how many subscribers they have or how much money they have. I feel like I have grown with them and become a much more level-headed, humble person. They set the bar so high for what I’m wanting out of my life. I seriously could go on and on about this two. Moral of the story—go watch them.

Casey Holmes-Marlar

Casey is one of those wholesome southern girls that will put it to you straight. “Whiskey in a teacup” is one of the best ways to describe her. Her drive and demeanor have been something I’ve noticed in myself. Everything she tells her viewers in blunt and I appreciate her so much more for it.  I’ve always struggled with staying true to myself, but since I started watching Casey back in 2013, I’ve seen myself grow into a stronger individual.

Casey, who is now a military spouse, has always shown herself in a light that really shows her strength. She highlights her tough times and the best times all while staying humble and making the best of the situations she’s put in. Since I’ve moved away from home, I have experienced a lot that I’m sure other college students have too. I’ve struggled with being away from home and I’ve struggled with my mental health. She has been one of those youtubers that is constantly working to make sure her followers see both sides of her life. Influencers have their bad days too and it has made me feel much less alone because Casey has shown that side of life as well.

Michelle Reed

I’ve watched Michelle since middle school, and since she is only a month older than I am, I’ve gotten to go through every stage of life with her. From proms to first boyfriends to moving off to college around the same time, I have idolized how she moves through these changing times with grace. Since uprooting herself from the Dallas/Fort Worth area to NYC, I’ve only seen her become more vulnerable on camera and showing the deepest, darkest points in her college experience.

Unlucky for us both, we’re both very anxious individuals and have a hard time keeping our minds at bay. My anxiety can get me so worked up and I see myself not sleeping so well for a week at a time, but I know I can always refer back to Michelle. After seeing her cope with a period of extreme anxiety and insomnia, I’ve realized that I’m not experiencing these moments alone. Having someone on your end always feels so much more comforting, and I’m glad that person for me is Michelle. I really admire how level-headed she is and how she is planning constantly for a successful future. She’ll always be an influencer that I appreciate more than words can say.

Lottie Smalley

Lottie has been one of my go-to’s in terms of studying. She is always on the go, like I am, but always dedicates a good chunk of her time to her education. While I’m always learning of what needs to come first when it comes to school, I’ve seen her videos really help me when going to study and plan my week. Lottie has made herself noticed across YouTube when it comes to being a paperless student, like myself.

Being paperless takes a huge amount off your back (literally) while keeping all your notes in one place where they are easily accessible at any time. I’ve gotten a lot out of her videos on being a paperless student, and it’s only allowed me to adapt how I take notes even more. If you want to handwrite your notes still and have a newer iPad, she can help you out! She is the sole reason that I have found myself using Google Calendar rather than a traditional planner more. It’s easier to keep yourself organized, especially when your professors cancel class or switch due dates all together. Everything about being paperless is so much easier, and Lottie can be there to help you!

David Dobrik 

David Dobrik always has the craziest vlogs! They’re always a little over four minutes long and can make for some easy watching before your class starts. One of his most popular videos (and probably the longest) centers around his breakup with Liza Koshy around a year ago. While his vlogs are short, they’re really easy to binge… like really easy. Most of the time, they generally aren’t too serious and can give you a few laughs here and there.

Just like a lot of youtubers, David got his start on Vine. He often collaborated with other creators, and after a huge amount of success on Vine, he started his YouTube channel. He’s racked up over 14 million subscribers, is known worldwide, and well on his way to becoming a household name. His channel consists of mostly pranks and includes other Vine and YouTube stars and there is never a dull moment! He’s truly become his own brand, and if there is a single college student that doesn’t watch him, I’ll be really surprised!

The Dolan Twins

The Dolan Twins consist of Ethan and Grayson Dolan. They’re (almost) 20, so they’re really easy for college students to relate to. After finding fame through Vine (seeing a trend here?), they’ve racked up over 10 million subscribers through their genius, hilarious content. Just watching them bicker, as siblings do, makes their videos so much funnier. Most of their videos center around the fact that they are twins, which obviously is something not everyone experiences. They film a lot of videos with other creators (Emma Chamberlain being one of them) and show pranks that they play on each other.

These two are just irreplaceable in my subscription box. They’ve recently decided to take a break due to the high stress they’ve endured over the last year after their father passed away. Although I feel this was tough for their fans to hear, I truly feel that their fan base may be the most understanding. Although weekly uploads will be a thing of the past, their content stands out among the rest and can truly give you a good laugh!

Shane Dawson

For anyone that’s watched YouTube for a while, you’ve probably come across Shane Dawson once or twice. He’s probably one of the first names to really become a household name from sharing videos on YouTube. Most of his early work was sketch comedy videos, which usually centered around him impersonating celebrities or making light of pop culture before transitioned into “testing/trying” videos. More recently, his content has switched over to conspiracy theories.

His most recent videos have been immensely popular, ranging in topics like him staying in a haunted hotel, conspiracy theories and collaborations with other creators such as Grav3yardGirl, Tana Mongeau, and Jeffree Star. He has recently done a series of videos revolving around Jeffree Star, the Paul brothers, and released a huge video covering conspiracy theories that everyone talked about for weeks! His content is extremely creative and keeps people interested, whether they think they will be or not. His nearly 23 million subscriber fan base would definitely agree!

The Labrant Fam

If you’re a Christian, The Labrant Fam might be for you. You might know them from their wedding video, which is how I found them. Savannah is someone that I look up to because has been very open about her past relationship. Cole is a nearly perfect example of what a young woman should strive for. Just like Jess and Gabriel, they keep God at the very center of their relationship and are teaching their children that as well.

The one thing that I think is so valuable about them is that they discuss serious issues that they’ve gone through (or are currently going through). When they deal with creepy or scary situations, they do their best to document it and make themselves very clear that they do not want their children brought into it. It shows their viewers that while everything they post might make them look perfect, everyone is always battling something. They always make sure their children are put first, and that they allow for their children’s childhood to be as normal as possible. Their channel is always full of extreme fun, hilarious challenges that their whole family participates in! Their viewers really get the best of both worlds.

Brooklyn and Bailey

Brooklyn and Bailey are commonly known for the mass amount of youtubers in their family. Personally, they are my favorite to watch. They are so close in age to me and just recently started their sophomore year at Baylor University in Waco, TX. They know what the college life is all about and gear their content towards that demographic! Their moving vlogs are what really intrigued me because of their creativity. Their rooms are always very thought out and look like they came out of a magazine!

They’re always doing fun challenges with each other or with their siblings and keep their videos really on trend! Just like the Dolan Twins (and really any twin creators on YouTube), they use the fact that they are twins to their advantage! They’re always switching places around their family or even in drive thru lines. Young, college aged girls would absolutely love them and their spunk!

Jaclyn Brooke

I've only just recently started watching Jaclyn, but I'm so glad I subscribed. Being the college student that is always scrounging for relatable youtubers, I stumbled across her dorm haul videos. Those have always been videos that I will binge watch even now! It's so interesting to see what other people are bringing and how they're decorating. Anyway, Jaclyn's attitude throughout that video I absolutely loved, and here I am two years later still subscribed to her.

Jaclyn is also a Christian, which makes her a little easier to relate to, and I still pick up a little advice here and there. Like me, she's always busy but still tries to prioritize things that are important to her--like reading her Bible and spending time with her loved ones. A lot of her videos are "college week in my life" videos and they are so incredibly helpful. I've picked up new habits that have really helped me in my day-to-day life. Her positive attitude always puts me in a better mood and I'm so lucky to have found her on YouTube!

Aspyn and Parker

I’ve only just started religiously watching their vlogs, but they’re oh so cute! When I was growing up, I watched Aspyn on her solo channel up until around the time that she and Parker got married. While it hasn’t been a super long time since I started watching other people, I just got back into their channel after they announced they were pregnant! I’m definitely not dating anyone, or looking to have a child any time soon, but these videos always get me in the feels!

The thing with Aspyn and Parker that makes them so entertaining is the fact that they are so incredibly real with how they handle their content. Obviously they still keep a lot of things private, but they like to show their viewers what they’re going through. Especially since having baby Cove, they’ve asked for so much advice from new moms out there and do their best to still show that they are normal people with normal lives. Not everything can be perfect, and they recognize that!

Danielle Carolan

Here’s another youtuber that’s the same age as me! Danielle just turned 21-years-old and manages her life so well. Just like her, it seems like I always have something going on, and when I don’t, I’m always trying to put something in that dead space. Since watching Danielle from my freshman year of high school to now, I’ve learned so much about time management and de-stressing from her, and she learns so much from her viewers.

While our personalities are extremely different, I’ve always admired the fact that the advice I take from her gets me out of my comfort zone. She’s loud and passionate and so many high school to college aged girls could take something away from her channel. She is so real about what goes on in her life. If she is having a bad week, she’ll talk about it. Especially in her podcast “Gals on the Go” (which she does with Brooke Miccio) she likes to show her viewers that even though it may seem like it, her life is nowhere near as perfect as it seems.

Gretchen Geraghty

I’ve watched Gretchen for about five years now, and she has slowly worked her way up into my favorites. I had watched her on and off for years, just depending on what she was uploading at the time. But until her father passed away this past spring, I had never really seen her get emotional or use her platform in a way to heal. Just like any other influencer, her social media is essentially a highlight real for her life. Because of this highlight reel, you only see the good. You’re lead to believe that their life is perfect.

Up until her father’s death, many could believe it was perfect. Seeing her so raw and emotional on camera was hard for me to see, especially considering her bubbly personality. She’s really taught me a lot in the last six months than she ever has. I’ll forever thank her for it. Being vulnerable, even on her “highlight reel” has been extremely important to her ever since. It’s refreshing to see that I’m not the only one experiencing a really rough time.

Brooke Miccio

If you watch Danielle Carolan, you’ve heard her mention Brooke a time or two. Brooke also went to the University of Georgia with Danielle and just graduated in the spring. Originally being from Long Island, NY, she moved closer to pursue a job in Boston, MA. This is where it gets really interesting! After less than six months at her job, she quit. Sounds crazy, but honestly, it’s worked out in her favor so far.

Brooke has always been someone that puts her mental health on display, and I’m so grateful for it. When she was working her corporate job, you could see her happiness and mental health plummet. Once she saw her subscribers pointing it out, she made a change for herself. Her channel promotes a serious amount of happiness! She also runs “Gals on the Go” with Danielle and offers a ton of advice to their listeners. We’re all expected to step on this platform and become someone we’re not. She’s unapologetically herself, which is hard to come across in the social media world. I’ve gotten so much from watching Brooke in such a short timeframe. If you don’t watch her, you’re seriously missing out. She’s definitely the most underrated youtuber out there!

The East Family

For all of you sports fans out there, this is a MUST. Growing up, I loved watching Shawn Johnson in the Olympics. I have idolized her for years because of her strength and her ability to persevere. Alongside her pro-football player husband Andrew East, they have shown so much strength within the few years they’ve been married. They’re just now marking the two-year mark of the miscarriage of their first child. Throughout many different videos, you can see just how torn up the pair was and how they were coping with everything.

While a lot of their recent videos have revolved around their pregnancy journey, they do have quite a few videos on dating! They did an entire 12 video series on dating and there is plenty you can learn from them. If you’re not interested in videos on dating, they also have a series on creating their dream home (where they’re basically channeling their own Chip and Joanna Gaines). They do a lot of videos revolving around Shawn’s gymnastics career, and most of the videos are hilarious! I love seeing how they interact with each other and how they navigate tough issues. They do everything with such grace, and is something college-aged girls could learn from them.

Maddie Ziegler

Last, but certainly not least, is Maddie Ziegler. You’ll probably remember her as Abby Lee Miller’s favorite/star dancer from Dance Moms. She was alsothe main dancer in Sia’s music videos (such as “Chandelier”)! Mainly, her channel consists of fun lifestyle videos that include recreating Instagram posts and makeup. She always seems to have special guests on her channel. Jess Conte is one of them since the two are such good friends! Her channel also features Everleigh Soutas (part of the Labrant Fam) and Shawn Johnson East!

Her channel is full of good vibes I think everyone can benefit from. I love Maddie’s happy-go-lucky personality and feel so much happier after watching her videos. In the video she created with Jess, she always downplays her abilities, which I feel all of us do from time to time. She really proves that even someone as well-known as her can have insecurities. Influencers are made out to be glowing gods/goddesses that can do no wrong, but she makes sure to keep everyone in check. You seriously won’t regret watching Maddie!

Do you watch any of these YouTubers or have others you’d recommend? Leave a comment below!