My thesis research is moving back into a phase of heavy repetitive steps. Think lots of cell culture, 3D printing and pipetting, and walking back and forth between labs. To keep myself engaged, I’ve been jumping back into my favorite podcasts! Listening to a podcasts while I work is a perfect way to continue learning about things I’m passionate about while keeping my focus on my research tasks. Here are seven podcasts you should be listening to in lab!
*one small plug – if you’re in the market for a new academic podcast, keep your eyes on my social accounts at the start of the year *wink*
Podcast Favorite #1 – Personal Finance for PhDs
In Personal Finance for PhDs, Dr. Emily Roberts interviews grad students and ECRs to talk about finances in grad school, money mindsets, and tips for succeeding financially as well as professionally. Each episode has a key theme, and I have loved hearing the experiences of other grad students going through similar, and more importantly different, phases of life. You can find my interview episode with Emily here: How This PhD Student’s Budgeting Practice Enabled a Hawaiian Vacation. Emily also runs the Personal Finance for PhDs brand beyond the podcast, and has tons of resources, from budget tips to tax help, available for grads to use.
Podcast Favorite #2 – The Dr. John Delony Show
Dr. John Delony, a double PhD in counseling and higher education, helps callers walk through some really tough situations. It’s both chilling and awesome, and I’ve loved every episode so far. This podcast speaks to me both as a person with high empathy and as a leadership coach, where I’m consistently focused on deep, active listening and asking the right questions. Delony is part of the Ramsey network, so if you enjoy their other personalities, you’ll really like him.
Podcast Favorite #3 – Dear Grad Student
In Dear Grad Student, Elana meets each week with grad students at different points of their career to talk mental health, surviving in grad school, and building a community. If you’re looking for a “what is grad school really like” podcast, this is a good place to start.
Podcast Favorite #4 – Fake Doctors, Real Friends
J.D. and Turk plus other stars from Scrubs. Seriously there’s no other argument needed here.
Podcast Favorite #5 – Steministas
The Steministas podcast explores different science topics (and sometimes drama), often by suggested by listeners, in a totally accessible way. PhD students Emma and Rachel discuss everything from the drug discovery process and the immune system to Jurassic Park and whether vitamins actually work.
Podcast Favorite #6 – The Fr. Mike Schmitz Catholic Podcast
Fr. Mike Schmitz has become a bit of a Catholic “celebrity”, if that’s an okay word to use. In this podcast, he reflects on Scripture, pop culture, and how they meet together for each of us. I definitely recommend to my Christian friends and anybody else interested in expanding their worldview. As the tie-in to the “grad student” element of this list – he’s the chaplain at the University of Minnesota-Duluth and works largely in student and young adult faith formation, so the content is often geared more towards undergrad and grad students than your average “religion podcast” This is also the most accessible podcast if you’re in a hurry – each episode is 10 minutes or less.
Podcast Favorite #7 – The Dave Ramsey Show
Confession – I’m a big fan of the Ramsey team. I don’t agree with everything they say or create, and deviate politically, but the content is top tier if you’re looking for an “one stop shop” of money management, relationship help, career advancement, and life goal planning. There is a lot of content – three 40-minute episodes every weekday – but it’s easy enough to skip around and find stories that are compelling.
Are any of these on your own podcast favorite list? Let me know in the comments! Happy reading
Sean
=========================================================
Hi! My name is Sean, and I’m the creator of the Authentically Average / Authentic Academic blog. I write about my experiences as a husband, PhD candidate, cook, travel buddy, Catholic, and all-around average human being. If you’re loving this post or are intrigued by my writing and want to read more, follow along with my adventures here!
Blog | Authentic Academic on Twitter | Pinterest | Instagram | YouTube
Love this post and want to see more? Consider helping keep the Authentically Average dream alive by supporting me on Ko-Fi!
[kofi]
