It's funny how some old sayings prove to be true - absence really does make the heart grow fonder, and these days I'm finding myself missing my quaint little adopted city in the north. So it seemed like a good time to finally get around to writing a blog post I've been meaning to do for a while: a small selection of my favourite YouTubers and creators, who all just happen to attend Durham University.

Bea Jonite

Bea (pronounced /bee/) is one of my absolute favourite YouTubers of all time, higher education location nonwithstanding. In my opinion her video editing skills are the best bar none - check out her Moscow Diaries video for a prime example. Bea is from Latvia and just graduated from Collingwood College where she studied Combined Honours in Economics, Business and Politics. She does a lot of fashion and lifestyle videos, but also travel vlogs, university-related videos, food videos storytimes and unboxings, so there's a huge variety to delve into on her channel. One of the most interesting videos she's made has been on her experience in jail where she spent five days for driving under the influence - it's a really fascinating, intelligent and well-thought out documentation of a pretty life-changing experience that I'm sure isn't exactly what she'd prefer to be known for, but it's one of the first videos of hers I ever watched so I suppose you could say it's what drew me into her channel. She also has a blog called Chanelegance, and of course a stunning Insta feed.

Imogen de Souza

I've followed Imogen's blog Une Maison de la Mode - which I found through Polyvore - since long before I ever even applied to university, let alone arrived in Durham. She studies Modern Languages (German and French) at Hild Bede College and posts outfit photos and the occasional holiday snaps, with charming little updates on her life in each post. I should probably mention that I was a bit of a weirdo and randomly sent her a friend request a couple of years ago - which she accepted - so now I see her posting there whenever she publishes a new blog post which is nice. It's also cool to see some shots of Durham, usually in the background, in some of her shoots.

Next I'd like to mention a couple of 'smaller' YouTubers who I came across recently who make videos specifically about attending Durham University, alongside other things. 

This channel is run by a lovely girl called Mari-Liis, who goes by M. She's from Estonia (but sounds like she's from the Home Counties which is both bizarre and wonderful) and is studying English Literature at Trevelyan College. She makes university-related videos and vlogs and also has a music channel.

Next up is Samantha who studies Combined Honours (French, History, Philosophy and Psychology) at Collingwood College and does mini vlogs, hauls and advice videos. She also has a charmingly transatlantic accent and an appreciation for stationery (which I share).

iamJKL

If you want to really get an insight into life at Durham and specifically studying Modern Languages, check out Jimmy's channel. He's studying Spanish and Russian at Castle (aka University College) and is currently on his year abroad. He makes informational videos about various aspects of university including freshers, what to bring, grading systems, room tours, colleges and so on.

I'm sure there are plenty of other talented creators who attend Durham University, but these are all the one's I'm aware of for the moment!