Podcasts are great because you can listen to them in between classes, during your lunch break or on your commute to work. While they can’t replace videos or articles, podcasts are a great substitute for those times when you have other things to do, because all you have to do is listen. Plus, they’re free, informative and often times pretty hilarious.
Podcasts are one of the most diverse forms of media out there. Whether you’re a video game nerd, movie buff or love random chatter, there’s an episode for everyone. Now, grab your headphones and get to listening to some of the best podcasts for college students.
WAIT WAIT… DON’T TELL ME!
When you’re in the mood to test your trivia skills, tune in to NPR’s Wait Wait…Don’t Tell Me. This quiz-filled show hosted by playwright and actor Peter Sagal takes weekly current events and turns them into hilarious quizzes. Listeners can learn something new, laugh with celebrity guests like Josh Groban and Neil deGrasse Tyson and try to figure out which crazy news story is real or fake. It’s a fun way to keep up on current events.
FREAKONOMICS
In 2005, Journalist Stephen J. Dubner and Economist Steven Levitt got together and wrote “Freakonomics”, a book that “explores the hidden side of everything.” It went on to sell over five million copies worldwide and their second book, “SuperFreakonomics” sold seven million. Fast-forward to today and the two have created an award-winning weekly podcast about things you may have never thought about. From topics like “Who Needs Handwriting,” “The True Story of the Gender Pay Gap,” “Do Boycotts Work?” and everything in between, there’s always something new to learn with a Freakonomics show.
NERDIST
The Nerdist podcast allows you to embrace your inner nerd every week. Host Chris Hardwick and his friends Jonah Ray and Matt Mira talk about all things nerdy and occasionally a special celebrity guest makes an appearance. You can learn about the first computer J.J. Abrams had as a kid, find out what the “X-Files” were like for David Duchovny or listen to Rob Lowe talk about what it was like to be an actor in the 1980s. When you’re done binge-listening the Nerdist, there are plenty of other podcasts under Nerdist Industries for your listening pleasure.
TED RADIO HOUR
If you’ve ever taken a college class, chances are you’ve been forced to listen to a TED talk and learned that they’re actually pretty interesting. TED Radio Hour is like a TED talk in radio form. Listeners will learn about new ideas, inventions, and creations and it forces you to think about things in new ways. Topics include getting some insight about our relationship with money, contemplating life and death and learning how to find some peace and quiet in our busy, technology-filled lives.
HOW TO DO EVERYTHING
Hosts Mike Danforth & Ian Chillag literally want to tell you how to do everything, with help from professionals. Listeners send in their questions about any topic from how to enjoy the symphony, how to win the wishbone pull or how to stay awake during meetings. Nothing is off limits, and that’s why this show is so interesting and hilarious.
SERIAL
This is the perfect podcast for people who love fascinating stories. Serial is hosted by former newspaper reporter Sarah Koenig. Using investigative journalism she narrates non-fiction stories and splits them up into multiple episodes. Past seasons have included the story of the 1999 murder of Hae Min Lee and the story of Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, an American soldier who was held captive by the Taliban for five years. The podcast has won a Peabody award and is expected to release a season three this spring.
STUFF YOU SHOULD KNOW
With over 100 million downloads on iTunes, Stuff You Should Know is one of the top podcasts to listen to if you’re curious about anything and everything. Hosts Josh Clark and Chuck Bryant are a hilarious duo that’ll teach you how everything works like reverse psychology, landfills, lefties, panic attacks, animal domestication and more. There’s never a dull moment and there’s always something new to learn in every episode.
