Like many SFU students, Jeremy Li commutes up the mountain. As this daily commute can seem monotonous and mundane, Jeremy began entertaining himself with podcasts to help make the trip more enjoyable. Through his new love for podcasts, Jeremy found the blend of storytelling, education, and sound design especially captivating. He recognizes podcasting as another form of communication within an audio medium. He enjoys that it is short and sweet, and notes that it breaks rules elegantly, allowing individuals a public platform to express themselves respectfully. Interestingly enough, this led to his choice to pursue a Semester in Podcasting at SFU, knowing that if he did not pursue this opportunity he would surely regret it.

As the only Linguistics student in his cohort, Jeremy feels the different perspective in communication and language he discovered during his Semester in Podcasting to be invaluable. This was aided by his instructors but also, the many Communications students he met and befriended. This didn’t come without its share of challenges- Jeremy explains that navigating a dialogue-style pedagogy remotely was difficult. Technological constraints (eg. poor internet connection, constant mute toggling, lack of physical proximity) often hindered momentum in conversation that would naturally rely on cues like body language and other signals. Jeremy put in a valuable effort building a rapport outside of class time with his classmates, allowing him to persevere and mitigate these challenges.

When asked if he would recommend this Semester in Podcasting to other students, Jeremy responded the following:

For those looking for an unconventional experience, I wholeheartedly recommend this podcasting series. My advice would be to bring your true self. If there’s one thing that makes podcasting magical, it’s authenticity. And that authenticity will shine through your work if you allow it. And maybe not being afraid to look (or rather, sound) silly is a good tip, too. It’s more fun than you think.