Best Educational Podcasts for Students in 2024
U2 Tuition’s Guide to the Best Educational Podcasts for Students:
This guide will give you suggestions for some of the best educational podcasts for students that they can use to expand their knowledge of their subject and engage with their subject beyond the syllabus. Podcasts for students can also be a great option to vary your revision and make it more exciting. All these podcasts are easily accessible and downloadable so you can listen to them on your commute, while doing chores or even just on a break between classes. This flexibility allows you to approach learning at your own pace and on your own schedule. In this guide, we recommend the overall best educational podcast for students, covering a range of subjects, as well as specialist advice for the best podcasts for law students and best podcasts for engineering students.
Overall Best Educational Podcast for Students:
BBC’s In Our Time podcast should be a regular feature on all higher education students’ down-time agendas. Crossing multiple subjects, the educational podcast series serves as a perfect introduction to university level discussion, opening young minds to a number of key thinkers and theories they won’t have come across at school. Oxford English student, Sarah, offers her view on why you should tune in:
In this podcast, the presenter Melvyn Bragg leads discussions on a variety of subjects with experts in each field he covers. Each episode focuses on a different area of knowledge, from Ancient Greek mythology and the origins of Mathematics to the discovery of the atom. There are also episodes which focus exclusively on a notable individual, such as the novelist George Eliot or the scientist Isaac Newton.
The podcast forms an accessible but challenging introduction to areas which you might not cover in detail at school. It is especially helpful for those of you preparing to apply to university; you can easily expand your knowledge of your chosen subject by listening to the relevant episodes in this podcast series. Make sure to take notes as you listen.
Revision is a necessary part of any student's academic journey. It's the process of reviewing and practising the material covered in class in preparation for exams. However, revision can be a daunting task, especially when it comes to subjects that are complex or difficult to understand. This is where 'In Our Time' can be helpful.
The podcast provides an in-depth analysis of various topics, presented in a conversational style that's easy to understand. The experts invited to the show are knowledgeable in their fields, making their insights valuable for anyone looking to gain a deeper understanding of the subject matter. Moreover, the podcast provides a historical perspective, which is crucial for revising topics that have evolved over time.
For instance, if you're studying philosophy and want to revise a specific topic, you can look up the relevant episode of 'In Our Time.' The experts on the show provide an overview of the subject, including its historical background, key concepts, and relevant theories. This information can be helpful in consolidating your knowledge and understanding of the topic, especially if you're struggling with a particular aspect. The podcast will also introduce you to the way in which academics conduct discussions; pay attention to the ways the speakers present and develop their points and use their techniques in your own university interviews.
Wondering which episode to start with? We’ve made a subject-specific guide to some of the highlights of the series:
Best History Podcast Episodes
The In Our Time archives form an encyclopaedic introduction to the key events in British and World History. Episodes range from assessment of historical turning points such as The Trial of Charles I and Tsar Alexander II’s Assassination to political movements such as Republicanism. For overviews of the major overarching forces in recent British history, start with The British Empire and Atrocity in the 20th Century.
Best Science Podcast Episodes:
For physicists, highlights include The Physics of Time and The Physics of Reality. For discussion of specific topics, Kinetic Theory and Heat are great places to start. Chemists will enjoy podcasts on key figures in the field, such as Ernest Rutherford and John Dalton, and specific discussions of elements such as Carbon and Oxygen. Biologists can explore central issues in the field from The Origins of Life to Evolution and Genetic Mutation.
Maths Podcast Episodes
Mathematicians can focus on specific elements such as Game Theory and Calculus. For an introduction to the fascinating history of the subject, there are episodes on Renaissance Maths and Maths in the Early Islamic World. For an approach to Maths from a more unusual angle, listen to the episode on Maths and Music.
English Podcast Episodes
An area of English Literature which you might not yet have been exposed to is the very earliest works in English. There are several episodes which form introductions to the key medieval texts in the canon: start with Beowulf and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. If it’s Shakespeare you’re after, there are episodes on some of his individual plays, including The Tempest and King Lear. These are crucial listening if you’re hoping to discuss a specific Shakespeare play in an Oxbridge interview. There are episodes covering each period of literary history, right up to twentieth century classics such as Virginia Woolf’s Mrs Dalloway and George Orwell’s Animal Farm.
Classics Podcast Episodes
If you’re looking to study Latin or Classical Greek at university, it’s crucial to explore writers beyond the small range which you study at A Level. Look to podcasts on individual authors such as Catullus and Ovid, or episodes on key texts such as Aeschylus’s Oresteia or Virgil’s Aeneid. For an introduction to the most important literary form in the classical period, turn to The Epic, and for historical background, start with The School of Athens or Rome and European Civilisation.
Best Podcasts for Engineering Students:
Engineering IRL: a podcast applying engineering problem-solving concepts to real/everyday life problems
To the Moon and Beyond: a really interesting podcast for engineering students interested in aerospace engineering!
99% Invisible: this is a great podcast for Engineering students with an interest in design, especially relevant for students interested in Cambridge or Imperial’s Design Engineering course.
Oxford Engineering Lectures: This archive of lectures from the Oxford department of engineering offers a great listen for engineering students looking to expand their knowledge of their subject.
Best Podcasts for Law Students:
Oxford Law Faculty Podcasts: The Oxford law faculty has a great archive of the best podcasts for law students, covering a range of key cases and approaches that gives an in-depth introduction to new topics.
BBC: The Law Show: a really useful overview of weekly news stories relating to Law and important legal decisions, this is one of the best podcasts for law students to keep up to date with legal changes in the UK.
The Hearing: hosted by some of the greatest legal minds, this podcast introduces law students to engaging and interesting new aspects of Law.
Keen to Enhance Your Co-curricular Learning Further?
You’ll find more great podcast recs on our co-curricular division, Minds Underground’s, podcast page! You may also be interested in some of the treasure trove of co-curricular activities we have on offer, whether that be our personal-statement-boosting summer schools, essay competitions or independent research projects.
Get in touch to discuss any of these opportunities more.
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