10 Best Motivational Quotes for College Students

Motivation is essential in stewarding a student’s purpose well – not just for himself but also for the sake of others (especially his family). Motivation is crucial in achieving greatness, especially for college students. A strong motive will push you to work towards your dreams continuously. If you can say yourself: “I’ll do my paper for me and my future” and really write it – you’re great! However, not everyone is born with this power. Some of us have a severe lack of trust in ourselves and have a feeling that ‘the time isn’t right’ or ‘it’s too hard for them.’

When a college student does not have the motivation, there’s a higher chance that he will not finish his studies and cannot have achievements in life. He will not have any goals to work hard or strive towards for. Additionally, it can also help a student personally to be the best version of himself and an inspiration to his fellow students.

In this article, you will find the top inspirational and motivational quotes for college students.

The quotes by famous people are listed below according to the following categories:

Setting Priorities in Life

“Most of us spend too much time on what is urgent and not enough time on what is important.” – Stephen R. Covey

Nowadays, we live in an era where time runs “faster”. This fast pace often causes students to deviate from significant tasks. They tend to focus on less important tasks and ignore the important ones. A student who does not set priorities will always be left tired and unmotivated. They will also lose their interest to study hard and reach success at school.

Pushing Through Setbacks

“Your setback is just a setup for your comeback.” – Steve Harvey

When a student knows how to overcome setbacks and failures, especially after an exam in school, they are sure to learn and grow continuously in life. Even if you are not a high school student, you should not let one failure to stop you from trying again. You still have to put yourself out there even when you do not want to.

Moreover, always remember that you should let go of an issue that is beyond your control. You can write it on a piece of paper and burn it down. Next time you feel overwhelmed by school works, you should talk to yourself and say something like, “It’s okay, I’m feeling X, but it will pass. It’s just a minor setback. I’ll be better next time.”

Struggling with setbacks is not the end of the world. You can open up to a person you trust to lessen your sadness.

Cultivating Perseverance

“Success is no accident. It is hard work, perseverance, learning, studying, sacrifice, and most of all, love of what you are doing or learning to do.” – Pele

You know you have steady perseverance when you are determined to complete a task no matter what obstacle may occur. By persevering, you have the discipline to stick into a job until it becomes successful. Students who persevere can also help you prove your capabilities to yourself.

Additionally, teachers also said that students who have a significant amount of perseverance pays more attention to taking tests or exam than those who haven’t.

Avoiding Excuses

“Never make excuses. Your friends don’t need them, and your foes won’t believe them.” – John Wooden

We all make excuses from time to time. However, this habit should not be made frequently, even if you are no longer a student. A student becomes motivated to achieve his dream when he is willing to take some risks and accept failure. People who love you will always support you no matter how hard-to-achieve your goal is. They will be with you throughout your journey. Additionally, they can also give you resources that can help you step up your progress.

Fighting Against Fear

“One of the greatest discoveries a man makes, one of his great surprises, is to find he can do what he was afraid he couldn’t do.” – Henry Ford

Fear is not a bad thing. You must face and deal with different types of fear to accomplish your goals. Facing your doubts and uncertainty will help you proceed towards your excellent performance at school.

You should also understand that everyone has their fear. This fear should not stop you but instead, motivate and encourage you.

If you take time to understand the things you fear, it will help you to gain useful insights on how to prepare yourself to overcome it. When a student is motivated, he is willing to move into the unknown even if it makes him scared. It’s the only way to success.

Based on research, students who are willing to face their fears are more competitive than those who are not. Removing your barriers like anxiety, defensiveness, or fear that you cannot do it should be removed since it causes distrust, lack of confidence, impatience, and need for security. These barriers will hold you back from taking steps, big or small, towards your dreams.

Building Self-Confidence

“Believe you can, and you’re halfway there.” – Theodore Roosevelt

This is one of the helpful motivational quotes for college students. Confidence is believing in yourself. If you want to become a motivated student, you should feel comfortable that you know your worth, and it will bring you to your desired goal. Confident people tend to help more people since they love getting out of their comfort zones. Additionally, you should accept the fact you and others are not perfect. You accept mistakes and at the same time, take responsibility (instead of blaming yourself). Self-confidence can also help you to remain goal-oriented and do the things you love without seeking other’s opinions.

Remember that you cannot please everybody, and your progress is enough. Continue to trust yourself that you can make it at the finish line soon.

Self-confidence will help you motivate yourself and the people around you. You can share your full determination and energy towards those people who also have low confidence.

Inspiring Others

“Always be there for others. Always inspire them with your dreams and hope, vision and mission, attitude, and aptitude.” – Debasish Mridha

This is one of the essential motivational quotes for college students. Motivating and inspiring others is one of the perfect ways to reach your dream. When you have a clear mission, vision, and purpose, you can inspire people around you. Your personality can encourage their elf-development. They will also foster their physical, emotional, and intellectual well-being.

A motivated student should lead by example. Do your best to excel in life and help the people around you to achieve their dreams, too. When you know how to inspire others to do their best in life, you can become a great leader. It may take more time and energy, but the result is sure to be worth it.

Developing Self-Reflection

“Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom.” – Aristotle

Self-reflection is all about looking in the bigger picture. To become a motivated person, you should take time to slow down and think about your life. This way, you will learn to know who you want to be and how you will get there. It builds self-awareness since you will gain a better understanding of your actions, thoughts, emotions, strengths, and weaknesses. Once you understand these things, you will become better at facing tough circumstances and changing situations.

When you make time for self-reflection, you also increase your integrity. It makes you think what the most important thing that should be put at the forefront of your mind.

Based on research, people who make time for self-reflection know how to maximize their productivity while minimizing the time spent. Additionally, it will also help you recognize your actions that work and do not work.

Being Happy

“Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful.” – Albert Schweitzer

This is one of the best motivational quotes for college students. Nowadays, people tend to forget that happiness is essential. They do not consciously realize that their negative feelings in life are consuming them. If you want to become a motivated person, you should not neglect to cultivate it. When you are happy, you become more energetic and compassionate. Based on experts, happiness can also help you reach financial freedom.

Happiness can help us achieve our cherished goals and ambitions in life. When you are happy, you tend to be more creative and willing to take risks. Even if you encounter failure after failure, you still see the brighter picture. When you decided to be happy, you will have a lower chance of being depressed during unfortunate circumstances.

If you have self-happiness, you are contented with your life, and you are pleased with yourself and your choices. You also have a high self-confidence that can lead you to your ambitions in life.

Harnessing Your Interests

“I don’t love studying. I hate studying. I like learning. Learning is beautiful.” – Natalie Portman

When you feel like you are losing interest in studying, you must learn new strategies on how to get it back. Always remember that learning will help you achieve more in life. Have the right mindset to read books, do research, and look into the future. Having an interest in learning will help you to become a motivated person. Encourage yourself that being productive at school will result in high grades.

If you think that you are losing interest in a specific subject, you may join study groups and participate in their activities. This way, you will have fun engaging with other people, and at the same time, get back your interest in the subject.

Continue to learn new skills and get out of your comfort zone. Consider it as a regular habit, and it will help you become a motivated person.