I learned the three following things while listening to podcasts on my way to class.
Near the end of the school year, the disposal of furniture and unwanted belongings on the curbs of college-town neighborhoods is sometimes called “Hippie Christmas.”
Instant Book is a new feature that allows Airbnb users to automatically book rented spaces for which they meet the qualifications without the discretion of the space’s owner, and was designed to combat problems with racial bias.
In a 2015 survey of 800 college professors, about half said they had used trigger warnings to introduce potentially disturbing or controversial material to their students.
Those facts came from “A Way With Words,” “Hidden Brain” and “Code Switch,” respectively. It’s a nascent habit I plan to keep up with as an accent to my usual Spotify consumption.
Though it might seem an odd argument to make, I would encourage anyone who hasn’t yet given podcasts a chance to do so.
There is a wonderful sense of productivity that accompanies the choice to fill your otherwise mindless commute (or other segments of mentally idle time) with new information and ideas.
And while there are certainly some productions that aim to entertain rather than to inform, podcasts’ mobile and multitasking-friendly qualities give them a boost over Netflix as far as time management goes.
I suspect I am probably a little late to the game as far as podcasts go, but nevertheless, I am happy to be here now. The range of programs available guarantees a niche for even the pickiest listener and offers ample exploration for the curious mind.
That kind of environment, which can both satisfy a desire to belong and cultivate a willingness to expand, is conducive to the idea of college as a time in which students experience considerable personal growth.
Feeling satisfied that you have a place to call home and that it will be waiting for you to return from your adventures, is likely to give you the confidence to engage the world more openly than you did before.
Maybe that seems like a lot of power to bestow on a podcast. After all, finding a program that you enjoy listening to won’t automatically help you find a community you care about or lead you to discover the career of your dreams.
But it won’t necessarily prevent you from having those experiences, either. You can connect with others who share your appreciation for a show, and you can learn from its host or guests about professions you may not have considered before.
Ultimately, there is no course of action that necessitates fellowship and livelihood, particularly if a person preemptively decides to negate its potential to provide such things.
Why not decide instead to go looking for them in any place you can? Make the most of your waking hours by actively seeking out company and content that inspire you, and make that mission manageable for yourself by listening to a podcast.
mareklei@umail.iu.edu
@foreverfloral97
