As college students, we often feel a great amount of pressure. The pressure to perform well in academics, make projects, practice problem-solving, prepare for placements or higher studies and to secure internships. We oftentimes take inspiration from the people around us who are doing different things.

One friend has a good CGPA, another friend has a high rank on LeetCode, and another friend is working on a startup. While we try to perform our best in all these things, it is easy to fall behind and doubt ourselves and think about what we are doing. Many students, especially the ones in their first year, fall into the trap of Campus Ambassador programs.

What exactly is a Campus Ambassador program?

Campus Ambassador programs come with many names. These include Campus Mantri, Ninja Ambassador, Young Ambassador, etc. Mostly EdTech Companies run these campaigns. They attract students in the name of internships and give them tasks. The students are asked to fill out a form and give an interview to get selected for the program. In most companies, this is just a formality. Almost all students are selected. The students are shown the benefits of being a campus ambassador with their company.

The companies highlight the perks of being a campus ambassador. These perks include a stipend, a certificate, swags, and an internship experience that they can highlight in their resumes. Students who are well aware of how much competition there is for an entry-level job, enrol in these programs without any second thoughts. Some programs highlight a stipend of ₹5000 to 10,000. In hopes to make some extra pocket money, many students don't hesitate a bit when it comes to enrolling in these programs.

The Reality about these programs

These programs demand that students promote their courses or services. Some students are also asked to create student clubs on their college campus in the company's name, otherwise known as campus chapters. These campus chapters organize events and promote the company's courses or services. In a way, these companies employ students to work for them for almost free.

After making the promises of a stipend, a certificate, swags, and an internship experience, the students receive almost nothing. All these things are given to the top performers of the program. The top performers are the students who promoted their courses and got the maximum number of enrollments. Most of the time, no one gets these benefits.

When it comes to the stipend, the bare minimum is given, which could be ₹500-2000 for the whole duration of the program. Swags are received by the top candidates only. The top candidates are usually the ones who spammed all their Social Media platforms like LinkedIn, WhatsApp and Twitter with the company's promotional messages and got the maximum number of enrollments. For spamming messages, completing assigned tasks, and doing so much more, all they receive is almost nothing.

Sometimes, the top candidates get swags. A certificate is given to all campus ambassadors, which the company says counts as an internship experience. But the truth is, no employer will consider campus ambassador programs as a real internship experience. Campus Ambassador programs that include marketing as the main job role don't contribute to your learning or skill-building in any way.

Should you still be a part of it?

Most campus ambassador programs are a waste of time. Students should focus more on learning and exploring different domains rather than being a part of these programs. While not all campus ambassador programs are a waste of time, some provide real value. If you are part of a campus ambassador program where you have to send messages on WhatsApp or bring several registrations, leave the program. That company is just using you to promote their courses and services.

Campus ambassador programs where you learn something are the only ones you should go for. If you find this article helpful, share it with your friends. If you know of any Campus Ambassador programs that help the students in learning, share the link in the comments below.