In-between classes, I like watching TV while having lunch: any comedy that makes me laugh, or short documentary that teaches me something. I prefer 30-minute episodes as they allow me to allocate my time efficiently – if I watched one, it meant I spent half an hour cooking/eating lunch, if I watched two, it meant I spent one hour relaxing, and when the third episode started playing, I knew time was up: I had to continue with my day!
However, I recently met a commuter student who recommended that I try out podcasts. After the pandemic, they found it hard to start commuting again but podcasts helped them overcome motion sickness, distracting them from the long commute time, while exploring topics they were interested in. I am a visual learner so the idea of listening to someone talk non-stop didn’t appeal to me at first; in fact, the idea of a podcast seemed monotonous and boring.
I had some friends that were part of a UBC student-led podcast group, that inspired me by stating how much we can learn from conversations with our professors and alumni and how all that content is recorded, edited and shared as a podcast for the UBC community. So, I decided to give it a try and learn more about how to incorporate podcasts into my routine.
Time Management and Wellness Strategy
Like watching TV shows at lunch, podcasts enabled me to continue allocating my time efficiently. I am aware of how long an episode is and hence, I plan my to-do schedule carefully. I can even plan my queue in advance to make sure I do not go beyond my allocated time. When my queue is over, I know that I finished listening to my selected episodes and hence, X amount of minutes has passed.
Podcasts allow me to be time efficient. Like TV Shows, I know how long an episode is and can plan my queue in advance. I found that listening to podcasts while eating allows me to give more attention to my surroundings. First, I can cook without the need to look at a screen and fully focus on what I am doing. This has, of course, increased how safe I am in the kitchen and allows me to cook even faster as my eyes do not wander anymore from the screen to pans!
In regard to my eating habits, I did not have the visual stimulus and hence, my brain can process better what I was having for lunch. Furthermore, after some research on the topic, I read that watching TV while eating actually tends to make the individual over-eat and not absorb the nutrients efficiently.
Hence, the podcast allowed me to have a less intense session to fully enjoy my lunch while learning about new things.
Consuming Podcasts: Platform Comparison
The first step to start your Podcast journey is to decide which platform to use. There is no wrong or right answer, but I do recommend exploring their main differences. Personally, I find it overwhelming to use more than one but feel free to explore them and make your own conclusions.
Below I compare three main podcast platforms, as they are all aligned to different student’s needs and personal preferences.
Apple Podcast
Main assets: Bonus content, compatible with Apple devices
Weaknesses: Not recommended for Android users
Google Podcast
Main assets: Personalized recommendation, Compatible with other Google Products
Weaknesses: Not recommended for non-google users, no laptops/desktop downloads
Spotify Podcast
Main assets: Free of Cost (but has ads), Offline Listening
Weaknesses: To access additional service/features, you need to buy a membership
Regardless of what app you use to listen to podcasts, the important thing is that you are exploring your interests and being able to truly enjoy the content you prefer. I firmly believe that if you do not like podcasts, it is because you have not found your style yet. For instance, I used to watch a great deal of comedy sitcoms, and hence, my favorite podcasts are the amusing ones, with laughable content that incorporate jokes and add a smile to my face.
Podcast in Our Community: Made by UBC
Looking for something new to listen to? Alumni UBC offers you hours of podcasts; the best is yet to come! Including but not limited to From Here Forward, alumni UBC Podcast Archives, My Financial Life, Your Next Career Step and Joy in the Summer.
It brings in guest speakers and experts to discuss a series of migration-related topics and their impacts on global and local scales. The Global Migration Podcast is a new initiative created by Douglas Ober. Discover all episodes from seasons 1, 2, and 3.
In the Meiji at 150 Podcast, host Tristan Grunow (UBC) interviews specialists of Japanese history, literature, art, and culture. Topics covered will range from the position of the Meiji Restoration and Meiji Period in each scholar’s research, to how they view the significance of the Restoration in Japanese and global history, and finally to how they teach the Meiji Period in their classrooms. Follow us to hear about the recent research of prominent scholars of Japan along with their pedagogical approaches to one of Japan’s most transformative periods.
Inspired by a lack of resources focused on career planning, UBC Medicine students created the MEDamorphosis Podcast as a part of their coursework. Over two-dozen episodes later, a revolving roster of UBC Medicine students are recording and producing bi-weekly episodes. The show features interviews with various physicians across Canada with an aim of helping medical students navigate their career and choose a specialty.
The newest addition to the IONA catalogue, IONA Asks is a podcast that seeks to connect students of economics at all levels. Released weekly, there are four divisions: (1) A discussion with current VSE faculty about the life of an economist working in academia; (2) An educational podcast meant to provide concise explanations of complex economic phenomena; (3) Insightful discussions with alumni about careers after economics; and (4) Informative explorations of key developments in the news related to economics.
Trading Talk is a podcast from the UBC Trading Group. Each episode interviews our peers as they navigate the world of finance.
References
Borelli, L. (2022, September 22). The 5 best podcast apps of 2022. ZDNET. Retrieved October 21, 2022, from https://www.zdnet.com/article/best-podcast-app/
Emerald, Z. (2022, March 24). Is watching TV while eating harming for teens and students? – logical daily. Logical Daily TV News, Entertainment News. Retrieved October 21, 2022, from https://logicaldaily.com/is-watching-tv-while-eating-harming-for-students/