Coming into college, I honestly thought that podcasts were boring and a waste of time. If there’s one thing that I’ve learned about them it’s that there will be plenty of podcasts that don’t interest you purely because they aren’t talking about what you want to hear. However, here is a list of five podcasts that turned me into a podcast person:
- Intersectionality Matters!
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Intersectionality Matters! is the first podcast that I listened to…ever. During my freshman year of college, I went to see Kimberlé Crenshaw speak about intersectional identities. She mentioned the podcast at the event, and I started listening to it the next day. I had just learned about the concept of intersectionality in class, so this podcast expanded my horizons. It’s super informative and continuously challenges me to think critically. Hosted by Kimberlé Crenshaw herself, Intersectionality Matters! brings an intersectional perspective to real-world situations and issues.
Favorite episodes: 5. Stonewall 50: Whose Movement is it Anyway?; 24. Storytelling While Black and Female: Conjuring Beautiful Experiments in Past & Future; #MeToo and Black Women: From Hip Hop to Hollywood
- Let’s Talk About Myths, Baby!
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As a feminist who’s obsessed with mythology, I absolutely love this podcast. Host Liv tells some of the most enthralling stories of Ancient Greek and Roman mythology in a satirical and contemporary way. Her feminist take on these stories is so insightful and refreshing, and I love that she’s is not afraid to call out anything she feels is problematic in the myths she reads.
Favorite episodes: LXVI: Medea, See How She Flies, Witchy Woman; Mini Myth: Who Let a Woman Found a City?! Dido Beyond the Aeneid; XLII: Poseidon & His Sea of Awful Behavior
- Let’s Be Witches
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If you’re looking to learn more about spirituality and witchcraft, then you’ll probably like this podcast as much as I do! Let’s Be Witches is a super informative podcast that mainly focuses on witchy history and practical magic. Hosts Katy and McKensi are so funny and always have an app or tip to share that’s helped them in their practice and spiritual journeys. One of the highlights is their interpretations of listeners’ dreams at the start of every episode.
Favorite episodes: Hoo Doo? We Do.; Circe; Cue the Music! (Misconceptions of Witches & Witchcraft)
- Why Won’t You Date Me? With Nicole Byers
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If I’m honest, I started listening to the podcast for Nicole Byers, a comedian from the MTV show Girl Code and host of Netflix’s Nailed It!, but I stayed for the hilarious, insightful, and sometimes raunchy conversations she has with everyone on the show. Why Won’t You Date Me? is a podcast where Byers seeks answers about her dating life by talking sex and dating with her guests to ultimately find an honest answer to her question: “Why am I still single?”
Favorite episodes: Fatphobia (w/ Roxanne Gay); Booty Call Horror Story (w/ Jameela Jamil); BONUS: The Struggles of Your Twenties (w/ Rae Sanni)
- Sleepy
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This is probably the most unconventional podcast on this list, but it’s one of my favorites. The host, Otis Gray, narrates classic novels and children’s stories to help you fall asleep. I can tell you from personal experience that it works! I started listening to this podcast around the time that I was having problems sleeping due to stress. I would put this podcast on, and his silky voice would knock me right out. A great alternative to listening to music before bed.
Favorite episodes: 49: 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea; 83: The Secret Garden; 107: The Wizard of Oz
I can’t speak for anyone else, but as a college student with reading-based classes, the last thing I want to do during my downtime is read. Podcasts are great because they’re the perfect mix of education and entertainment for me. They are definitely not a waste of time, and well worth the listen if it’s a topic you’re interested in!
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