Switching their mics on, Lynbrook podcasters sit down to open discussions about everything from psychology to immunology. Juniors Anvita Sharma, Nitya Singh and Alyssa Wang use their voices to spark conversations about a wide range of topics in psychology through their podcast Sike or Psych, and junior Himani Kunjal explores her passion for immunology with her podcast virology.diaries — both groups making an impact far beyond campus. 

Sharma, Singh, and Wang released the first episode of their psychology podcast Sike or Psych in November 2023, although they have been planning the launch of their podcast for much longer. They wanted to imbue their close friendship into a shared professional venture. All three of them share an interest in psychology and enjoy conversation with each other, so Sike or Psych felt like the perfect project for them. Soon, they bought microphones and headphones, created a space to film and started producing episodes.

“We wanted to talk about medical and psychological topics that would appeal to high schoolers,” Sharma said. “We wanted to make it easy to listen to because listening to lectures, for example, is extremely boring.” 

Kunjal has had a passion for immunology ever since she was a child. Wanting to continue exploring her long-term passion through a unique format, she had the idea to create a podcast, inspired by other high school podcasters. In January, Kunjal filmed her first episode “Immunology 101”  where she discussed the human immune system and other medical basics to give her listeners a better understanding of future episodes. She then successfully published this episode on Spotify two weeks later. 

“I felt motivated knowing that other high schoolers were making similar content,” Kunjal said.

The process of publishing an episode is extensive yet similar for both podcasts. First, they brainstorm points that will be discussed during the episode and write a script. While these ideas are not specific, they spark conversation and develop a direction for the podcasters to expand on. Finally, they sit down and film the episode for around two hours. Upon reviewing the footage and editing the podcast, they choose clips based on the insightfulness of the conversation and how it fits with the overall episode’s theme. After a week of editing and promoting the episode on social media, they post it on Spotify — a free creative platform with additional artistic features including embedded video. 

However, this creative process isn’t always smooth. Podcasters encounter numerous challenges including building an audience, posting consistently, and other technical skills such as finding a suitable filming location. Sharma, Singh and Wang came across their biggest challenges when it came to sticking to their production schedule. Maintaining a regular publishing schedule was difficult, especially when balancing podcasting with other academic commitments. However, they fought hard to stick to their schedule because consistency helps build listener trust and a loyal audience base.

They were able to overcome this challenge by batch recording. Instead of recording episodes one by one, they recorded multiple episodes in one sitting, which can save time and ensure a steady stream of content for their audience. Additionally, they fixed a specific time once a week to record. 

“Being a student, it takes a toll on you because there is so much work,” Sharma said. 

Kunjal agrees that her biggest challenge with her podcast was also managing time — one that she overcame by choosing to be more efficient with time and prioritizing her podcast over other hobbies. As new podcasters want to gain listeners and stand out in the crowded podcasting landscape, on top of writing a script and recording, Kunjal puts a lot of time into doing background research for her content. 

 Junior Tanisha Ashar helps Kunjal by creating graphics and posting them on Instagram to promote each episode of the podcast. While they still haven’t acquired their desired audience level, they are proud of their development and feel more confident to face challenges.  

As these juniors continue on their podcasting journeys, they hope to inspire others with the informative entertainment they are creating. Singh, Sharma and Wang hope to reach a wider audience that they can interact with and to include guest speakers on their podcast. Kunjal’s goals for her immunology podcast include discussing some of her own future findings in the pursuit of her immunology career.

“Not only does the podcast force me to learn more but educating others verbally also enforces the new knowledge,” Kunjal said. 

This story was originally published on The Epic on April 1, 2024.