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This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Brown chapter and does not reflect the views of Her Campus.
Let’s talk podcasts. Juggling deadlines, career advancement, health, and social plans keeps every college student busier than imaginable. As I’m sure many students can attest to, it’s like the moment I step back on campus, it becomes 10 times harder to find time for my own interests, whether it’s reading, creative hobbies, or even just getting outside for a full day. In fact, I was recently reflecting on the last time I finished a book solely out of my own interest, and came to the conclusion that I can’t even remember. As much as I want to find the cure-all good read to put an end to this struggle, sometimes it’s just hard to set aside the kind of focus and time that it takes to read a book in school.
Thus, in an effort to find a lower commitment way to learn and stay curious outside of academics, I finally followed my mom’s advice and stumbled across podcasts. I began listening about a month ago, pretty reluctantly, on a train ride into Boston for an appointment. The first episode I listened to ended up being so captivating that I pulled out my laptop to take notes, and though that tends to be the exception rather than the norm, podcasts as a whole are something that’ve actually stuck with me. I think what makes them so well-suited to college students is how easy they are to integrate into everyday life, whether you’re throwing a longer one on while you do laundry or choosing a quick one for an afternoon run.
Either way, I’ve come to find podcasts to be the next best thing to reading when I can’t find the time, and they might just be worth a try. Below you’ll find my tried-and-and-true list of essential podcasts for the busy college girl, ranked shortest to longest:
1. Life Kit – NPR
Duration: 15-30 minutes
Why to Listen: This podcast offers advice and expert insights on a well-rounded range of topics, such as sleep, money, personal growth, and more. Just as the name would suggest, listening to this podcast genuinely feels like accessing a toolkit of lessons you might not even know you needed. I find most of the topics covered to be interesting and relevant to college students, and the short duration of the episodes make them easy to incorporate into even the busiest of days.
Episodes to Check Out:
- “Debunking sleep myths”
- “Budgeting for college students”
- “How to crave movement more than screen time”
- “Tiny pep talks for everyday problems”
- “Quitting isn’t always bad: how to know when it’s time to walk away”
2. Choiceology with Katy Milkman
Duration: 30-40 Minutes
Why to Listen: Hosted by a behavioral scientist, this original podcast from Charles Schwab covers many common biases humans face in decision-making, and how to improve your judgment after learning how they work. Having episodes rooted in the stories and work of different guests keeps the podcast dynamic and entertaining, and even though the concepts are ones you might’ve encountered before, hearing them explained and explored by different voices keeps them relevant. I still leave these episodes with a lot of thought-provoking knowledge, and find the length to be pretty digestible in comparison to many other podcasts.
Episodes to Check Out:
- “Fail Better: With Guests Joseph Herscher & Lauren Eskreis-Winkler”
- “Less is More: With Guests Ryan McFarland & Gabrielle Adams”
- “Silver Linings: With Guests Annie Duke, Kassia St. Clair & Adam Grant”
- “I Don’t Want to Know: With Guests Amelia Boone & Emily Ho”
- “The Mystery of Chance: With Guests Andy Marocco & Tom Gilovich”
3. Hidden Brain – NPR
Duration: 30-60 Minutes
Why to Listen: Often joined by psychologists, sociologists, scientists, and the like, this podcast focuses on uncovering the unconscious tendencies that drive our behavior. You really can’t go wrong with any episode on this podcast, and it’s pretty captivating to hear experts discuss the questions and struggles that are innate to the human experience. This one’s probably my favorite when I’m in the mood for reflection, and I always leave feeling smarter and more understood.
Episodes to Check Out:
- “Passion vs. Paycheck”
- “Escaping Perfectionism”
- “Doing it the Hard Way”
- “Wellness 2.0: The Art of the Unknown”
- “US 2.0: Win Hearts, Then Minds”
4. Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard
Duration: 1-2.5 hours
Why to Listen: Despite the episodes being pretty long, this is a podcast I never get bored of. As the host explains, the episodes interview anonymous and well-known guests alike on their struggles and life stories. With themes of vulnerability, difficulty, and growth, I find it really interesting to see people humanized so deeply over the course of each episode, even as someone who doesn’t usually care much for learning about celebrities. Additionally, the humorous and conversational tone of this podcast is hard to resist.
Episodes to Check Out:
- “Dominic Fike”
- “Brad Pitt”
- “Alex Cooper”
- “Jack Black”
- “Heidi Klum”
5. Huberman Lab
Duration: 2-3 hours for full length episodes, 30 minutes for the ‘Essentials’ episodes
Why to Listen: Hosted by an award-winning professor of neurobiology and ophthalmology at the Stanford School of Medicine, this podcast dives deep into topics of perception, behavior, and health. The episodes bring helpful insights and tools you can use to rewire your cognitive processes, understand how your body and mind interact, and “maximize” your health. If you enjoy a more scientific feel and don’t mind longer episodes, I highly recommend this podcast.
Episodes to Check Out:
- “Essentials: Time Perception, Memory & Focus”
- “How to Rewire your Brain & Learn Faster”
- “How Nature & Other Physical Environments Impact Your focus”
- “Boost Your Energy & Immune System with Cortisol & Adrenaline”
- “The Science & Art of Comedy & Creativity”
As a note, the world of podcasts is expansive, and you can truly find something for any style, length, topic, or tone you might prefer. I chose to list these specific podcasts because it’s pretty hard to go wrong within each one–almost every episode title caught my attention, and I found them to be the most captivating, relevant, and easily digestible segments for a college student.
So let this be your sign: if books are something you’ve been missing in your busy schedule, try out a podcast next time you’re cleaning your room or going for a run. Sometimes, just listening to people talk about things you relate to or find interesting can leave you feeling smarter and more fulfilled than you’d expect.
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English (US) ·