As college students, our lives are run by filled, color-coded schedules with several different obligations. This leads to many small chunks of time spent in limbo simply waiting for the next class/work shift/club meeting to start. These parts of our days are always a total bore spent browsing through the same apps and recycling through the same feeds.
Why don’t you give your eyes a break and make use of your ears?
Let’s face it, our ears are always filled with headphones. So why not upgrade from music to a more mature form of audio? I’m talking about podcasts.
Podcasts are all the rage these days. It seems like everyone and their mother is starting a podcast. What my mother would talk about on a podcast I’m not sure, but that’s beside the point. There are so many out there, because everyone is willing to listen. Podcasts can keep you informed on the latest news, make you literally laugh out loud, and even make you cry. There are hundreds of different topics and surely one for everyone.
Here are some of my favorites:
Pod Save America
If you are liberal and interested in politics, this is perfect for you. This podcast is hosted by four former aides to President Obama and features interviews with politicians, activists, comedians, and more. These episodes are filled with casual and hilarious conversation about the latest current events. Rated 5 stars on the podcast app.
S-Town
This is the perfect starter podcast for anyone new to this emerging audio outlet. It is intriguing and strange, humorous and profound. It is also only seven episodes long. It follows Brian Reed as he begins an usual friendship with a man from Alabama who hates his town and is convinced there’s been a murder cover-up. Forget all expectations, because every prediction you have about the ending of this show will fall flat. Rated 4.5 stars on the podcast app.
Terrible, Thanks for Asking
This podcast is hosted by author Nora McInerny in which she strives to talk about the honest, sad, awful, and uncomfortable parts of life. She seeks truthful responses from her guests to the question, “How are you?” that doesn’t end in “Fine.” It’s funny, raw, and real. And if you come to love Nora as much as I do, please check out her memoir, It’s Okay to Laugh: (Crying Is Cool Too). You won’t regret it. Rated 5 stars.
This American Life
This podcast has over 600 episodes, because it’s that good. It is a collection of random topics and stories that are both relatable and novel. They focus on the many facets of living an American life: the struggles, triumphs, and strange occurrences. The show does not follow any particular order or subject matter, so feel free to skip around and listen to whatever interests you. Some of my favorite episodes are “Tell Me I’m Fat,” “My Undesirable Talent,” and “No Coincidence, No Story!” Rated 4.5 stars.
Beyond The To-Do List
If you are anything like me, you probably find yourself in motivation droughts, productivity droughts, maybe even inspiration droughts. It can be hard to get yourself out of these spans of time where lying in bed and watching Netflix is the most appealing way to spend your time. This podcast talks all things productivity, motivation, and inspiration. It touches on goals, intentional use of time, creativity and so much more. It provides useful tips on how to make the most of your day and live the happiest life. It makes me feel like adulting is possible. Rated 4.5 stars.
Podcasts are so versatile. They can be a source of entertainment, news coverage, or life-changing advice. There’s a reason they’ve gained so much popularity. So jump up here on the bandwagon – there’s never a dull moment.