35 Inspirational Graduation Quotes Everyone Should Hear

The life of a college student is a special time where one gets to acquire all the knowledge of the world we live in. Many of us enter a university as a shy individual afraid of the shortcomings that await us.

Once we open ourselves to a wonderful friendship with our colleagues, that’s when we truly get to sit on the rollercoaster ride and have an adrenaline rush of emotions.

While life is a bundle of joy and sadness, certain magnificent people have caught these precious academic moments and frozen them into powerful phrases that have lasted through time. These quotes have recently been given the tag — Graduation Quotes.

They are aptly named as they give confidence to students and can provide us with the thought process that will forever remain in our minds.

GRADUATION QUOTES AND WHAT THEY TRULY MEAN

What are Graduation Quotes?

We all need that extra push when our aspirations have run out of gas. Graduation quotes are meaningful phrases put together to evoke feelings of inspiration and to awaken our ambitions that are locked deep within our minds. These quotes act as a shield to protect students from the constant negativity that is thrust upon their academic and personal lives.

When the mind is clear, no amount of external force can extinguish our aim. Hence, graduation quotes were specifically compiled to help students chase their dreams and live out their knowledge. Much of the quotes were spoken by historic figures and individuals that hold great influence on the younger generation.

When and Why are Graduation Quotes Utilized?

The sole purpose of graduation quotes to exist is to fill the empty soul of a student’s life with ambition and aspiration. Without a goal, a student can end up ruining their life with depression and other negative solutions. A simple and powerful phrase can change the way they think and act and hence, graduation quotes were utilized to bring back the positivity and be an eternal teacher when needed.

If the student idolizes a certain figure, by taking their words into consideration, the student can reshape their aspiration and motivate themselves to achieve their goals. By introducing prominent and influential people, the student is introduced to new ways of thinking and solving challenges without resorting to suicide and other demotivating acts.

Graduation Quotes have a variety of utilization to demonstrate brilliance

Graduation quotes aren’t necessarily meant for students but can be utilized by individuals of all ages. Knowledge isn’t something that is learned from within the four walls of an institute, it thrives around us and waits to be understood. Through these meaningful quotes, we unlock the doors to understanding the value of knowledge and begin a journey to become valuable members of society.

Graduation quotes are generally utilized in social-media platforms, magazines, museums, etc. to spread the thought process to a large audience. Many students have even utilized a graduation quote in their yearbook album to showcase their unique perspective on life.

During exams, a simple quote can awaken the motivation we need to achieve greater grades and we quickly understand the importance of succeeding in life through knowledge.

To raise your spirits up a notch, here is a video containing 12 inspiring quotes for students to deeply consider.

35 GRADUATION QUOTES TO INSPIRE ACADEMIC SUCCESS WITHIN YOU

1. A world where men ran half our homes and women ran half our institutions would be just a much better world. — Sheryl Sandberg

The quote implies that the world would truly be a wondrous place if gender equality became a reality. It goes on to state that men should take equal responsibility in taking care of their home while women should also have a hand in running the business operations of the company. It signifies the necessity of role reversal.

2. Don’t ever confuse the two, your life and your work. The second is only part of the first. — Anna Quindlen

The phrase signifies that although work is important to our existence, it’s second only to life. Life takes precedence over long working hours and not being able to spend precious time with our families. Money is meaningless if you cannot fully experience the pleasure of life.

3. Your life is your story, and the adventure ahead of you is the journey to fulfill your own purpose and potential. — Kerry Washington

Let no one else dictate the terms of your life, you understand yourself much better than the rest. If you have a passion, follow it to the end of the world if need be. Life is full of adventures and every passion opens the door to various opportunities.

4. Your imagination is your preview of life’s coming attractions. — Albert Einstein

Every time you close your eyes and visualize a happy moment, it brings a smile to your face. As humans, we have the potential to make a mental image into reality by sheer hard work and effort. Never kill your dreams and aim for the stars.

5. Graduation is not the end; it’s the beginning. — Senator Orrin Hatch

While most students think their journey is complete on the last day of graduation, the truth is — the journey has only just begun. Now you begin to enter the real world and utilize the skills learned through your graduation years and put them to test.

6. The fireworks begin today. Each diploma is a lighted match. Each one of you is a fuse. — Edward Koch

By bringing the lighted match closer to the fuse, the countdown for a grand celebration of fireworks begins. The phrase translates to a student receiving his or her diploma and being over the moon in celebration.

7. What sculpture is to a block of marble, education is to the human soul. — Joseph Addison

Education provides the much-needed clarity to an otherwise empty mind. We wouldn’t pass a second glance at a block of marble as we pass it, but if we were to look at a magnificent sculpture, we would certainly spend several minutes admiring the beauty of it.

Similarly, education adds personality and intelligence to an individual’s life and he converts himself from a boring individual to a charming personality.

8. Education is our passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to the people who prepare for it today. — Malcolm X

Without education, we wouldn’t know how to perform advanced calculations or procure the knowledge to solve the challenges of the future.

Hence, every student needs to be trained and educated to equip themselves with the best of skills to ensure their future remains bright and insured.

9. Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. — Steve Jobs

Time is a ticking time bomb for the human body. It’s a resource that expends itself with or without our permission. Hence, compared to money and any other resource on the planet, time is extremely valuable. We need to utilize our time by absorbing knowledge and aim to become outstanding figures in society.

10. It is impossible to live without failing at something unless you live so cautiously that you might as well not have lived at all—in which case, you fail by default. — J.K. Rowling

In life, we have two ways to live — we either go out into the open world and face the challenges while enduring risk or we cower in fear while hiding from the dangers of life and tell ourselves that tomorrow is another day to start.

Life is an adventure and should be lived without fear and with the aim of accomplishing our goals. With the right education and knowledge, we can minimize our risks and experience the joy of life.

11. Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don’t matter and those who matter don’t mind. — Dr. Seuss

If you are someone that is afraid to do what you love because of what society thinks, remember that people who love and protect you will always continue to support you.

It doesn’t matter if society accepts you or not, in the end, what matters is you get to do what your heart wants and the people that matter in your life, continue to love you.

12. Now go, and make interesting mistakes, make amazing mistakes, make glorious and fantastic mistakes. Break rules. Leave the world more interesting for you being here. Make good art. — Neil Gaiman

Mistakes are a part of life, they are a stepping stone to achieving the greater things that life has to offer. If you’re afraid of mistakes, you will never reap success.

However, if you want to taste success, then go ahead and indulge in making mistakes and not thinking too much of it. After all, the evolution of life isn’t perfect, there are plenty of mistakes to be found in nature itself.

13. When you take risks, you learn that there will be times when you succeed and there will be times when you fail, and both are equally important. — Ellen DeGeneres

Count your mistakes as well as your rewards. As an individual, it’s obvious that mistakes aren’t something to be remembered often and should be forgotten as quickly.

But failure is just as important as success, it teaches you to never repeat the same mistake twice and this helps you grow as a person every day.

14. Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined. — Henry David Thoreau

If you have a passion, then put it on paper and create a checklist to achieve it. Every individual should have the freedom to chase their dreams, being fearful can cause a lot of regret down the years. Hence, don’t be afraid to have a little fun and life your life to the fullest.

15. Things turn out best for people who make the best out of the way things turn out. — Art Linkletter

You’ve often been a witness to people complaining about how unfair life was to them and that they have been dealt a bad hand. Life is always going to be unfair unless we make a stand for it.

There is no use complaining over spilled milk, it’s best to dust yourself off and count the blessings in our life and make full use of what we have.

16. Opportunity does not knock, it presents itself when you beat down the door. — Kyle Chandler

There are often optimistic individuals who don’t do much and wait for an opportunity to knock at their door. Unfortunately, the wait could be a very long time for such individuals and by the time opportunity presents itself, it would be too late.

It’s important to create opportunities for ourselves by going out into the real world and make a career out of our lives.

17. If you think you are too small to be effective, you have never been in the dark with a mosquito. — Betty Reese

While a mosquito is a small insect, it can give us a lifetime worth of trouble in a dark room where we are unable to see the pesky scoundrel.

Similarly, our current situation might look small when compared to that of our dreams but by chasing towards it, we can eventually prove our worth in the long run.

18. Take pride in how far you’ve come. Have faith in how far you can go. But don’t forget to enjoy the journey. — Michael Josephson

During our lifetimes, it’s important to step back and marvel at all the events that made us what we are today. The small joys and distresses have been life-changing and it’s important to give yourself a pat on the back for coming this far. It’s also equally important in having faith in yourself to achieve even more success in the future.

19. Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So, throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover. — Mark Twain

Life is like an open sea, people would rather anchor their ship by the dock and marvel at other ships in the distance.

You have a chance to join the others in open waters, you just need to pull up the anchor by driving your ambitions and set sail for a world of adventure that awaits you. Life is about exploration, dreams, and discovering happiness like that of a ship.

20. Intelligence plus character—that is the goal of true education. — Martin Luther King Jr.

Education isn’t just about acquiring knowledge and gaining intellect. A man or woman should seek to improve their character and personality by becoming better individuals in society. Make a mark in your career, help your fellow brethren, or win a sports game, education shows a person how to live.

21. We do not need magic to change the world, we carry all the power we need inside ourselves already: we have the power to imagine better. — JK Rowling

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could magically change our life with the touch of a wand? While many individuals don’t believe in the magic of having a fairy tale ending, the magic happens within each one of us. Our hard work and imagination is all the magic we need to build a better world and work towards a conservative future.

22. What lies behind us, and what lies before us are small matters compared to what lies within us. — Ralph Waldo Emerson

People are usually found recollecting fragments of the past or dream big of the future, the real strength lies in our capability and our willpower to change the present. Once we thrust our minds to accomplish a goal, anything can be achieved.

23. You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself in any direction you choose. You’re on your own. And you know what you know. You are the guy who’ll decide where to go. — Dr. Seuss

We have the power to control our thoughts and movement, there isn’t anything we can’t do unless we restrict ourselves from doing it. Free your mind and let it wander through imagination, find the thing that you want most and then prepare your physical body to achieve it.

24. We may live in an age of instant messaging, instant gratification and Instagram, but there is no way to short-circuit the path to success. — Tory Burch

While the future looks bright with convenient access to all forms of entertainment and career options, there is something that can’t be designed to be inside an app — our success.

There isn’t any secret app that can recreate success, nor can we find a shortcut to achieve success in the future. To achieve it — we need to take small steps and work towards our goals.

25. Instruction ends in the schoolroom, but education ends only with life. — Frederick W. Robertson

Although our days in the university may soon come to an end, the knowledge we acquire through education stays with us for the rest of our lives. Utilizing this knowledge, we need to become responsible citizens and play our part in society.

26. You are educated. Your certification is in your degree. You may think of it as the ticket to the good life. Let me ask you to think of an alternative. Think of it as your ticket to change the world. — Tom Brokaw

While education can get you a great job and set you up for a lavish lifestyle, it isn’t why it truly exists. Education was created with the main goal to change the way the world functions— to decrease crime, to eradicate poverty, and to enjoy a peaceful existence.

27. An investment in knowledge always pays the best interest. — Benjamin Franklin

A small trickle of information every day is like an investment that grows into a fountain of knowledge over a period. Spend time in acquiring new skills as a hobby and these skills will surely help you in your future goals.

28. The only thing you can do in this life is to pursue your passions, celebrate your bloopers and never stop following your fear. — Grace Helbig

Life is a comedy of errors that people learn from and develop into better individuals. Life has a simple goal and that is to free your mind from stress and celebrate both your accomplishments and your failure. It’s what makes you — human.

29. Every person you meet knows something you don’t; learn from them. — H Jackson Brown Jr.

Never underestimate the type of people you meet, everyone has something useful to impart even if they don’t look the part. It’s necessary to maintain an open-minded nature and try and understand the other person’s opinion. Knowledge can be acquired from anywhere, even in a cave — it’s where we humans have evolved from.

30. If you can imagine it, you can achieve it; if you can dream it, you can become it. — William Arthur Ward

No dream is too big that you can’t reach for it, if your imagination can create a mental picture, you can surely make it a reality. If you have a dream of owning a yacht and sailing the Mediterranean seas, then maybe it’s time to begin with some swimming classes and move up one goal at a time.

31. Do not follow where the path may lead. Go, instead, where there is no path and leave a trail. – Ralph Waldo Emerson

While many successful men leave their trails for others to follow in their footsteps, it takes great courage for someone to start their own trail and make a successful path. Be unique in your endeavors, if society laughs at you for starting something new, let them. Soon they will bask in your glory when you’ve successfully accomplished what you set out to do.

32. Creativity is intelligence having fun. — Albert Einstein

Creativity is the ember of our intelligence, without creativity, there is no room for intellect. Similarly, playing around with our imagination can bring forth a great idea that we can use to project our goals. It’s always fun to imagine new and distinct things.

33. You can’t climb the ladder of success with your hands in your pockets. — Arnold Schwarzenegger

Trying to climb a ladder with our hands in our pockets is an extremely frustrating thing to do and can even hurt us. Instead, try using both your hands to hold the ladder steady and climb the ladder of your dreams and success in a confident manner.

34. Nothing can dim the light that shines from within. — Maya Angelou

Society can create a negative effect on our dreams and aspirations. Our aspiration is like a warm light that comes from without our soul, this light remains with us for the rest of our lives. We can either burn mighty like the wings of a phoenix or it can remain confined inside us. The bottom line is no one can extinguish our dreams.

35. Nothing is impossible. The word itself says ‘I’m possible!’ — Audrey Hepburn

And finally, to end the list we have one of the world’s most popular quotes. The statement shows the two different mentalities. On one side a person who is ready to quit who sees “Impossible” while a successful person sees the same word as “I’m possible”.

If you still looking for more quotes, here’s a video highlighting a set of memorable quotes that you can utilize in your day-to-day life.

CONCLUSION

If you know someone with a stomach full of butterflies due to an examination they are about to take, try introducing them to a few quotes and relieving them of their anxiety. Quotes have a way of inducing relaxation when we read them, hence, it’s necessary to get into the habit of reading at least one quote every morning.

Beginning the day with positivity can usually lead to a pleasurable existence. Every graduate looks for fresh opportunities and the challenges that lie ahead in life. Graduation quotes can help an individual’s stressful mind in coping with the struggles of day-to-day life with their inspiring messages.