New TU podcast sets up first-year students for success - The University of Tulsa
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New TU podcast sets up first-year students for success

The University of Tulsa is releasing a new podcast, TU Starter Pack, on Jan. 13, 2020.

Starter Pack will be the second podcast from The University of Tulsa podcasting, following the launch of TUniverse in fall 2019.

Unlike TUniverse, which aims to share TU-based research to all parts of the galaxy, Starter Pack has a different audience: current and prospective TU students.

Currently, the podcast has two focuses: health issues and insider tips. 

For the health-related issues, the podcast will focus on mental and physical wellbeing. Episodes will feature experts and personalities from the Collins Fitness Center, Alexander Health Center, Counseling & Psychological Services Center and other on-campus entities.

The student success tips will come from standout TU students along with advice from different groups around campus, like the Center for Student Academic Success.

Senior Rizka Aprilia, who will be featured on the podcast, said these episodes will aid the transition into college life for many students. 

“When I was a freshman, I didn’t know my way around TU,” she recalled. “It’s not until I met and talked to other students that I finally found my way throughout campus. Knowing that this podcast will have students talk about their experience around campus will be very helpful, especially to first-year students. Hearing wisdom from someone else who was once in the same shoes as you is a great tool for surviving college.”

The podcast will alternate the student health and student success episodes, with a new episode releasing every Monday. The episodes are short and full of information; none of them will have a longer runtime than the length of time it takes for a stroll across campus.

Starter Pack is designed to answer all sorts of questions students may have: How can I get personal fitness training? How do I pay my tuition bill? What are the best ways to get to know my professors?

Michael McClendon, a contributor to Starter Pack and director of Counseling & Psychological Services Center, believes the new show could be useful for a number of reasons. 

“I think that podcasts are the perfect medium for students to access information when and where they need it,” McClendon said. “Not all of the structures in life align with the busy schedules of students, but anyone with internet access has podcasts at hand throughout the day. And with a podcast regularly stocked full of useful information about how to successfully navigate the gauntlet of university life, TU students can get some helpful insight whenever they need it. Of course, none of the information will be a silver bullet that will fix everything at 2 a.m. on a Tuesday, but it could help streamline the search or pursuit of the resources that will help change the course come the break of day.”

Be sure to tune in to Starter Pack by adding it on your favorite podcast app using our RSS feed or downloading it directly here. The podcast is available on these major podcast apps.

iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/tu-starter-pack/id1494738219?mt=2&app=podcast

Google Podcasts: https://www.google.com/podcasts?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly90dXN0YXJ0ZXJwYWNrLmxpYnN5bi5jb20vcnNz

Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/the-university-of-tulsa/tu-starter-pack

TuneIn: http://tun.in/pjHvu