6 Inspiring Commencement Speeches That Will Get You Through Finals

Finals week is always the time when you think, “Why am I doing this to myself?? I swear I’m going to just drop out and live off the land on a beautiful island somewhere.” Well before you go running to your advisor to withdraw from university, take a minute to watch these hilarious, spirit lifting and –most importantly– motivating commencement speeches.

Mindy Kaling at Harvard Law School 2014

“You are all nerds, okay? All of you. Except, here’s the difference. The difference is that you are the nerds who are going to make serious bank. Which is why I’m here today; to marry the best looking amongst you.”

Julie Andrews at The University of Colorado 2013

“Use your knowledge and your heart to stand up for those who can’t stand. Speak for those who can’t speak. Be a beacon of light for those whose lives have become dark. Fight the good fight against global warming. Be a part of all that is good and decent. Be an ambassador of the kind of world you want to live in.”

Steve Jobs at Stanford University 2005

“Your time is limited so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of other’s opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition– they somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary… ‘Stay hungry, stay foolish.’”

Ellen DeGenerous at Tulane University 2009

“To conclude my conclusion, follow you passion, stay true to yourself, never follow someone else’s path–unless you’re in the woods and you’re lost and you see a path then by all means you should follow that.”

Amy Poehler at Harvard University 2011

“You can’t do it alone. As you navigate through life, be open to collaboration. Other people and other people’s ideas are often better than your own. Find a group of people who challenge and inspire you. Spend a lot of time with them, and it will change you life.”

Lisa Kudrow at Vassar 2010

“The 20’s are the time in your life when you’re really getting acquainted to your own adult self and seeing how you respond to self doubt and when there’s so much seemingly at stake. So let me reassure you it’s not supposed to be easy, but it doesn’t have to be torture.”

This post was originally published to the Lala.