5 Essential Podcasts for College Students

Whatever your plans are for this summer, I recommend adding a few podcast channels to your to-do list. Podcasts are, in a word, amazing. There are literally hundreds of thousands of podcast channels available, giving you quick (and often free) access to expert advice, interesting stories, a good laugh, and more.

If you’re taking a break from classes this summer, it’s still important to keep your mind sharp. By listening to a podcast, you to absorb new information, on-the-go, with a less academic approach.

For those of you, like myself, who do have classes this summer, podcasts can either serve as motivation or a welcomed distraction. The channels in this post are great sources of fun, inspiring, and useful information for any college student.

1. TED Radio Hour – With a new episode every week, this podcast showcases TEDTalk speakers from around the world. Each episode is about an hour long with multiple speakers, and centers around a specific theme. Like TEDTalks, these episodes can range from inventive ideas to inspirational life stories.
2. Freakonomics Radio – What started out as one book, has become a series of books, a movie, and now a weekly podcast. The hosts of Freakonomics cover a wide array of topics. However, it’s a prime podcast for college students looking for any money management-related advice.
3. Wait Wait…Don’t Tell Me! – Do you snooze when you watch the news? This show quizzes its listeners on current events. You can participate or just listen, and get the news delivered to you in a funny, nontraditional way.
4. Grammar Girl’s Quick and Dirty Tips – Let’s face it; most of us don’t always use proper grammar in our academic papers. Not knowing how to write correctly will hurt your grades in the long-run. Grammar Girl wants to help you improve your writing, and she does so through short, fun, and friendly tips.
5. Radiolab – This show aims to answer your questions while peaking your curiosity about all things related to science and philosophy. The hosts and invited experts present educational content in an easily understandable way.

Podcasts can be an excellent educational resource, and it won’t feel like you’re attending another lecture. Additionally, they have allowed me to learn about topics that I didn’t have time to take a full class on. You’ll love listening to inventive people share their tips on how they became successful and how they are continuing in their endeavors.