I received a lot of positive feedback for my post last week, Surviving the Winter: Tips for Commuters, and seeing as how a vast majority of U of T students are in fact commuter students, I figured I might as well follow that post with another one tailored towards my commuter brothers and sisters. On the docket today: podcasts.
Podcasts are great for those commuters who are looking for a mental distraction during their long, endless commutes. While it is true that you can get some of your readings/work done on your commute I find this to be fairly difficult most of the time. It is simply too hard to get comfortable with a book in your hands while standing on an overcrowded subway train, cramped up against the sliding doors being forced to step off at every stop to make room for people to exit/enter the train (and don't even bother trying to accurately use a highlighter). Commuting is also inherently tiring and I would rather use the time for my brain to cool down a bit after a full day of rigorous study at the prestigious U of T than attempt to get a firm grasp of Immanuel Kant's Critique of Pure Reason.
"This American Life" is the most popular podcast in Canada and the US with approximately 700,000 downloads each week. According to its website TAL is a podcast featuring "a theme to each episode, and a variety of stories on that theme. It's mostly true stories of everyday people, though not always. There's lots more to the show, but it's sort of hard to describe."
A podcast is essentially a conversation around a particular topic (it's like the radio or something, but with earphones and better sound quality). Podcasts can be entertaining, educational, and informative and the sheer number of podcasts that are available for download means that you are bound to find one that suits your interest (or you can always try listening to and learning something new!). iTunes has podcasts relating to Business, Comedy, Educational, Games & Hobbies, Government & Organizations, Health, Kids & Family, Music, News & Politics, Religion & Spirituality, Science & Medicine, Society & Culture, Sports & Recreation, Technology, and TV & Film — plenty of material for you to explore! Most mobile devices play podcasts (I listen using an iPod Touch) so be sure to check the podcast application found on your device to explore what is available.
Click here for a comprehensive list of the top podcasts available on a plethora of topics!
To help get you started on your new podcasting adventure, I'm going to offer some recommendations on specific podcasts (for specific people) that I enjoy listening to:
The Podcast for the...
Trust me, podcasts are awesome and will make your commute more enjoyable. Do some exploring, download anything that piques your interest, and enjoy! If you have any favourite podcasts that you'd like to share with me (and the other Life @ U of T readers) feel free to do so in the comments!
- Matteo
IMAGE/QUOTE SOURCE: This American Life
3 comments on “Podcasts; a commuter’s best friend!”
Great article. Podcasts are a great way to pass the time. A great gaming one is IGN Game Scoop!
Also, for any people interested in Psychology, the Psych Files is a great one I just started.
Yes! I love Gamescoop! as well and most of the IGN podcasts really (but if I had to pick ONE for my gaming needs it would have to be Rebel FM. Plus I’m not a huge fan of Gamescoop’s new “3-Day a week” video feature approach).
And thanks for the recommendation! I’ll link it here.
Great article. Podcasts are a great way to pass the time. A great gaming one is IGN Game Scoop!
Also, for any people interested in Psychology, the Psych Files is a great one I just started.
Yes! I love Gamescoop! as well and most of the IGN podcasts really (but if I had to pick ONE for my gaming needs it would have to be Rebel FM. Plus I’m not a huge fan of Gamescoop’s new “3-Day a week” video feature approach).
And thanks for the recommendation! I’ll link it here.
Hey Matteo, podcasts have turned out to be pretty good for commutes. Thanks for the advice.
– fellow commuter (2.5 hrs total back and forth)