128 Quotes for Students Who Want To Have the Best Year Ever

As a student, it’s easy to get bombarded and stressed out over assignments, studying, tests, etc.

The secret to having the best year ever begins with having the right mindset.

This mindset is rooted in the values of excellence in education and service.

Education as a value focuses on learning and growing as a leader.

Enjoy these excellent student quotes to help you strengthen your own Everyday Power on your academic path towards success.

Each day, offers the opportunity to gain new insights, expand one’s knowledge, and create innovative solutions.

Education is an exploratory process of imagining, innovating, and developing ideas.

Service provides an opportunity to combine education and action by making an impact in the global community.

Education and service are the foundational tenets of the type of mindset that recognizes the power of each student to leave the world a better place than how you found it.

Looking for a little motivation for the best year ever?

Here are 100 inspirational quotes for students like you:

If you enjoy this article, check out our most popular quote article, a list of short inspirational quotes for daily motivation. 

Browse our entire collection of inspirational quotes for more motivating ideas and concepts.

Encouraging Quotes for Students on Education

Classrooms are the learning laboratory where students can create solutions to some of the most pressing social issues of our time, whether it be promoting environmental justice or ending mass incarceration.

They can draw upon their technical training, critical thinking skills, and analytical skills to engage in creative problem solving.

Students can also gain the tools needed to develop as leaders and change agents.

1. “Once you learn to read, you will be forever free.” – Frederick Douglass

You will also enjoy our article on Motivational quotes for students.

2. “It is never too late to give up our prejudices.” – Henry David Thoreau

3. “Diversity: the art of thinking independently together.”– Malcolm Forbes

4. “Everybody can be great because everybody can serve.” – Martin Luther King, Jr.

5. “Read! read! read! And never stop until you discover the knowledge of the Universe.” – Marcus Garvey

6. “If you have no confidence in self, you are twice defeated in the race of life.” – Marcus Garvey

7. “The function of freedom is to free someone else.”-  Toni Morrison

8. “Nothing will work unless you do.”  – Maya Angelou

9. “The truth is, no one of us can be free until everybody is free.” – Maya Angelou

10. “Leaders are a repairer of the breach. A partner across cultures and oceans.” – LaJune Lange

Motivational Quotes for Students on Diversity and Inclusion

Diversity is needed to bring together the brightest minds to create solutions to business, economic, and social challenges of the 21^st century and beyond.

Diversity creates an atmosphere where students come together and exchange ideas from diverse perspectives- life experience, cultural backgrounds.

This lays the foundation for professional development since all careers require teamwork, effective communication, and collective engagement.

11. “The earth is too small a planet and we too brief visitors for anything to matter more than the struggle for peace.” – Coleman McCarthy

12. “Diversity and Inclusion is a key business imperative for us.” – Antonio Perez

13. “The whole barrier exists because most people never come together and sit down at the table…join together, break bread together, and celebrate their differences and their likenesses.” – Oprah Winfrey

14. “[The] spirit of brotherhood, or solidarity, is precisely what the world needs more of today. Solidarity with our fellow humans, solidarity between nations, and solidarity towards our planet Earth.” – Oscar Arias Sanchez

15. “Education is our passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to the people who prepare for it today.” – Malcolm X

16. “[People] may look different or be dressed differently, or may have a different education or position. But they are all the same. They are all people to be loved. They are all hungry for love.” – Mother Teresa

17. “If we are peaceful, if we are happy, we can blossom like a flower, and everyone in our family, our entire society, will benefit from peace.” – Archbishop Desmond Tutu

18. “Indeed, the challenge of the new millennium is surely to find ways to achieve international – or better, intercommunity – cooperation wherein human diversity is acknowledged and the rights of all are respected.” – The Dalai Lama

19. “We were not born with the unhealthy habits we carry. We had to learn them. So we can unlearn them, and help others do the same.”- Riane Eisler

20. “Love has no meaning if it isn’t shared. Love has to be put in action. You have to love without expectation, to do something for love itself, not for what you may receive. If you expect something in return, then it isn’t love, because true love loves without conditions and expectations.” – Mother Teresa

21. “[in the human family] there are no outsiders. All are insiders. Black and white, rich and poor, gay and straight, Jew and Arab, Palestinian and Israeli, Roman Catholic and Protestant, Serb and Albanian, Hutu and Tutsi, Muslim and Christian, Buddhist and Hindu, Pakistani and Indian- all belong.” – Archbishop Desmond Tutu

22. “Education means emancipation. It means light and liberty. It means the uplifting of the soul of man into the glorious light of truth, the light by which men can only be made free.” -Frederick Douglass

23. “We may have all come on different ships, but we’re in the same boat now.” – Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

If you’re enjoying these quotes, you’ll love our collection of short uplifting quotes that inspire positivity.

Inspirational Quotes for Students on Leadership Development

Leaders are learners. Leaders seek opportunities to broaden their horizons. They learn and grow through their experiences and interactions with others.

24. “A leader is someone who is self-directed and does not allow anyone to place barriers.” – Paulette Brown

25. “We may explain success mainly by one word and that word is WORK! WORK!! WORK!!! WORK!!!!” – Frederick Douglass

26. “A man who wants to lead the orchestra must turn his back on the crowd.” – James Crook

27. “I learned the value of hard work by working hard.” – Margaret Mead
If you’re enjoying these quotes, make sure to check out our collection of Margaret Mead quotes challenging societal stereotypes.

28. “Fear knocked at the door. Faith answered. There was no one there.” – Author Unknown

29. “You’ve got to get up every morning with determination if you’re going to go to bed with satisfaction.” – George Horace Lorimer

30. “While one may encounter many defeats, one must not be defeated.” – Dr. Maya Angelou

31. “You’re braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.” – Christopher Robin

32. “A people without the knowledge of their past history, origin and culture is like a tree without roots.” – Marcus Garvey

33. “Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited to all we know and understand while imagination embraces the entire world, and all there ever will be to know and understand.” – Albert Einstein

34. “Leadership is the ability to see a problem and then seek a solution and ACT – without sitting back and hoping and waiting for someone else to tackle it.” – Evangeline Mitchell

 35. “We must cherish our samenesses because we have many more samenesses than we do differences…and our main sameness is they we are all God’s children.” – Max Heller

36. “He who never leaves his country is full of prejudices.”- Carlo Goldoni

37. “.. and justice is really love in calculation.” – Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

38. “Love creates hope and embraces future possibilities.” – John Hope Bryant

39. “I had learned early in life that if you want something, you had better make some noise.” – Malcolm X

40. “The freedom we are looking for is the freedom to be ourselves, to express ourselves.” – Don Miguel Ruiz

Motivational Quotes for Students

41. “Be ashamed to die until you have won some victory for humanity.” – Horace Mann

42. “Until we are all free, none of us are free.” – Emma Lazarus

43. “Life without liberty is like a body without spirit.” – Khalil Gibran

44. “They tried to bury us. They didn’t know we were seeds.” – Mexican Proverb

45. “Liberty for all; chains for none.” – Frederick Douglass

46. “We cannot be satisfied until justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream.” – Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

47. “Nobody can give you freedom. Nobody can give you equality or justice or anything. If you’re a man, you take it.” – Malcolm X

48. “Men must not only know, they must act.” – W.E.B. Dubois

49. “When we let freedom ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God’s children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of that old Negro spiritual, “Free at last! Free at last! Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!” – Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

If you’re enjoying these quotes, make sure to read our collection of Hamlet quotes from the iconic play.

50. “The artist must elect to fight for freedom or slavery. I have made my choice. I had no alternative.”  – Paul Robeson

51. “In a gentle way, you can shake the world.” – Mahatma Gandhi

52. “Love is manifested through service to others.” – John Hope Bryant

53. “The process of democracy is one of change. Our laws are not frozen into immutable form, they are constantly in the process of revision in response to the needs of a changing society.” – Justice Thurgood Marshall

54. “Everyone wants a voice in human freedom. There’s a fire burning inside of all of us.” – Lech Walesa

55. “Never forget that justice is what love looks like in public.” – Cornel West

56. “If you join a fight for social justice you may win or lose, but just by being part of the struggle, you win, and your life will be better for it.” – Howard Zinn

57. “You lose nothing when fighting for a cause… In my mind the losers are those who don’t have a cause they care about.” – Muhammad Ali

58. “It’s time for those of us who have a voice to speak out for life, for love and for justice […]” – Chaka Khan

59. “When an individual is protesting society’s refusal to acknowledge his dignity as a human being, his very act of protest confers dignity on him.” – Bayard Rustin

60. “The new definition of freedom today is self-determination.” – John Hope Bryant

Motivational Quotes for Students to inspire success

61. “If you don’t like something, change it. If you can’t change it, change your attitude. Don’t complain.” – Maya Angelou

62. “A focus on services begs the question: what do you have to give others?” – John Hope Bryant

63. “If it is true, if it is beautiful, if it is honorable, if it is right, then claim it.” – Rob Bell

64. “You receive from the world what you give to the world.” – Oprah Winfrey

65. “Accept and acknowledge your own brilliance. Stop waiting for others to tell you how great you are! Believe it for yourself and about yourself.”- Iyanla Vanzant

66. “Nothing can dim the light which shines from within.” – Maya Angelou

67. “The reality is, you either stagnate or you grow.” – Justice Alan C. Page

68. “Small acts, when multiplied by millions of people, can transform the world.” – Howard Zinn

69. “Silence is a source of great strength.” – Lao Tzu

70. “Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself.” – Leo Tolstoy

71. “There are two kinds of people, those who do the work and those who take the credit. Try to be in the first group; there is less competition there.” – Indira Gandhi

72. “We owe it to ourselves and to the next generation to conserve the environment so that we can bequeath our children a sustainable world that benefits all.” – Dr. Wangari Maathai

73. “Leaders can change the world if they are willing to take a courageous stand.” – Saran Crayton

74. “If there is something you care about, make a commitment to do something now- starting with today.  And choose to live a meaningful and purpose-driven life where you care about people and issues that are much greater than yourself.” – Evangeline Mitchell

75. “It begins with the natural feeling that one wants to serve, to serve first. Then conscious choice brings one to aspire to lead.” – Robert Greenleaf

76. “Do your little bit of good where you are. It’s those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world.” – Archbishop Desmond Tutu

77. “The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.” – Mohandas Gandhi
If you’re enjoying these quotes, make sure to read our collection of quotes about service about the power of serving others.

78. “Speech has power. Words do not fade. What starts out as a sound, ends in a deed.” – Rabbi Heschel

79. “My life is my message.” – Mohandas Gandhi

80. “I have found that among its other benefits, giving liberates the soul of the giver.” – Maya Angelou

81. “I always wondered why somebody doesn’t do something about that, then I realized “I AM SOMEBODY.”  – Lily Tomlin

Inspirational Quotes for Students

82. “The first responsibility of a leader is to define reality. The last is to say thank you. In between the two, the leader is a servant.” – Max DePree

83. “A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way.” – John Maxwell

84. “Everybody can be great…because anybody can serve. You don’t have to have a college degree to serve. You don’t have to make your subject and verb agree to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love.” – Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
If you’re enjoying these quotes, make sure to read our collection of college quotes that will motivate you to study, learn, and succeed.

85. “I wish you power that equals your intelligence and your strength. I wish you success that equals your talent and determination. And I wish you faith.” – Betty Shabazz

86. “I always wanted to be someone better the next day than I was the day before.” – Sidney Poitier (see more quotes by Sidney Poitier)

87. “What makes greatness is starting something that lives after you.” – Ralph Sockman

88. “I’ve only just a minute,
Only sixty seconds in it.
Forced upon me, can’t refuse it,
Didn’t seek it, didn’t choose it,
But it’s up to me to use it.
I must suffer if I lose it,
Give an account if I abuse it,
Just a tiny little minute,
But eternity is in it.”

– God’s Minute
Dr. Benjamin E. Mays

89. “The purpose of school should not be to prepare students for more school. We should be seeking to have fully engaged students now.” – Donalyn Miller

90. “Instead of making prisoners out of our students, we ought to make students out of our prisoners.” – Paul W. Silver

More quotes for students

91. “When teachers doubt your potential, show them how wrong they truly are.” – Ace Antonio Hall

92. “If you want to excel in life, go for things you know you can easily succeed in, and pursue it passionately.” – Michael Bassey Johnson

93. “Do not stop but find a way to succeed.” – Lailah Gifty Akita

94. “We need superhero teachers to make ordinary students extraordinary human beings.” – Sijin Bt

95. “If you do not give up too soon, you will surely succeed if you stay determined.” – Lailah Gifty Akita

96. “We shall be the greatest students of our own mistakes.” – Akilnathan Logeswaran

97. It doesn’t matter what we cover, it matters what you discover.” – Noam Chomsky

98. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time.” – Thomas Edison

Each of these quotes for students can serve as inspiration during this school year. Start each day by reading any of them. Then pause and reflect on how you can make this year the best ever.

Motivational Quotes for Students to Keep Them Focused

99. “Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life.” – Steve Jobs

100. “It’s not about perfect. It’s about effort.” – Jillian Michaels

101. “The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing.” – Walt Disney

102. “Focus on doing the right things instead of a bunch of things.” – Mike Krieger

103. “The successful warrior is the average man, with laser-like focus.” – Bruce Lee

104. “Discipline is just choosing between what you want now and what you want most.” – Abraham Lincoln

105. “It never gets easier. You just get better.” – Jordan Hoechlin

106. “Successful people are not gifted; they just work hard, then succeed on purpose.” – G.K. Nielson

107. “If you are not willing to risk the usual, you will have to settle for the ordinary.” – Jim Rohn

108. “Perseverance is the hard work you do after you get tired of doing the hard work you already did.” – Newt Gingrich

College Students Quotes about Their Experience

109. “When you go to college, and you talk about your college experience, there’s a lot of revisionist history that goes along with it. You tend to think of yourself as, ‘Oh, I got all of the girls. I was the best athlete on the team. I was a straight-A student.’ And that’s probably not the case.” – Glen Powell

110. “My favorite college experience was probably leaving college.” – Marshawn Lynch

111. “I loved the college experience of studying.” – Bradley Cooper

112. “I love telling ‘first’ stories – first loves, first college experience, first kiss, all of those kinds of things.” – Anna Todd

113. “Having that college experience and a social life that didn’t revolve around Hollywood was absolutely crucial.” – Haley Joel Osment

114. “My college experience was like everyone else’s. I learned a lot. I gained a new perspective on the world and on people that I’m so thankful and appreciative for.” – Kyle Carpenter

115. “Michigan is a very special place and the college experience only comes once.” – Caris LeVert

116. “I think each college experience is different for everyone.” – Jennifer Brady

117. “I didn’t have a traditional college experience. I didn’t have a social aspect to it. I was always involved in working and going to school.” – Aja Brown

118. “I never had the college experience, so I have raised my girls to be more work-oriented and motivated to be financially independent.” – Yolanda Hadid

Quotes For Students To Enlighten Them

119. “You are always a student, never a master. You have to keep moving forward.” — Conrad Hall

120. “One of the very important characteristics of a student is to question. Let the students ask questions.” — Abdul Kalam

121. “Student is not a container you have to fill but a torch you have to light up.” — Albert Einstein

122. “Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time.” — Thomas A. Edison

123. “Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire.” — William Butler Yeats

124. “The best math lesson we can teach college students this year is to subtract a tuition increase and benefit from the dividends of higher education.” — Jodi Rell

125. The roots of education are bitter, but the fruit is sweet.” — Aristotle

126. “It’s the student who makes the teacher, not the other way around.” — Carlos Ruiz Zafon

127. Take the attitude of a student, never be too big to ask questions, never know too much to learn something new.” — Og Mandino

128. A student never forgets an encouraging private word, when it is given with sincere respect and admiration.” — William Lyon Phelps