Don't be ashamed or embarrassed if you're a little late to the podcast game. In the past, podcasts have not been all that interesting. At least not to me.

When I was in college, the last thing I wanted to do once I got home from lectures, classes, and labs, was to listen to another person tell me about more things that I did not care about. The word "radio" meant top 100 hits, or long commercials about local tire companies. But damn, has that changed.

Today, in mid 2016, podcasts are simply the best. They are (basically) commercial-free conversations that keep you both entertained and in the know.

It's funny how many of my friends have their own lists of "essential listening," an audio version of "required reading," that I didn't even know about. For a long time, no one wanted to be that person at happy hour quoting a podcast. But now, here we are.

Ahead, I have compiled a podcast starter kit for beginners. The training wheels are still on with this selection, as many of these shows are pretty mainstream and feature well-versed hosts who cover content in a way that isn't too alienating or opinionated.

A quick overview of details you likely already know, but hey — this is for novices. To start, open up your Podcast app (which comes included on iPhones; Android users need to download the app) and click Search. Type in any of the names of the podcasts listed in the following slides. Why not download at least one episode of each and later delete and eliminate them as you find your ideal content?

As a listener, once you find a few or dozens that tickle your fancy, you can subscribe to podcasts. This means that daily, weekly, or biweekly, new episodes will automatically download to your phone via the app.

From here, feel free to customize your own radio playlists with subscriptions far and wide. And a quick life hack for all you subway commuters — make sure you download the episode you want to listen to before you walk down into the tunnels, so that you can listen without internet access.

So, let's get listening.