College Graduation Speeches Made Easy

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Writing college graduation speeches can fill the most confident person with dread. Most people rate public speaking as their biggest fear next to death. For parents it may be the fear of letting your children down, for graduates, teachers, principals and guest speakers you are faced with the whole school. However, graduation speeches can be a great experience.

Good preparation on writing and delivering a great speech will give you the rewarding experience you need.

Remember the audience will love heartfelt college graduation speeches where you have really tried to do a good job. I think we all have a secret admiration for someone who has the mental strength to make very public college graduation speeches. Those who you thank will feel rather emotional I think.

Following a simple process can give you really good college graduation speeches which very importantly is Your Speech containing the messages and heartfelt feeling that you want to put into it. Using some else’s college graduation speeches as anything other than a guide and reference point is not the best way, they do set the standard though.

College Graduation Speeches Purpose

You should be pretty clear as to what the purpose of the college graduation speeches is, however just to get your mind set off in the right direction you may want to write the purpose out.

For example you may be anything from the key speaker at the college graduation or the top student. Whatever the purpose you can prepare simply and well with well written college graduation speeches.

Consider if you wish you college graduation speeches to entertain, inspire, inform or confirm what the audience already know. For a Guest speaker inspirational college graduation speeches is highly appropriate.

Write down what you think your college graduation speeches may try and say in a few sentences. This is unlikely to be the final version but it does get your mind thinking a bit further on the speech. Writing college graduation speeches is an action oriented affair, just get going and get a first draft.

Graduation is a great time. College graduation speeches should recognise the academic achievement that forms the graduation, to celebrate the big event and also to look forward to the next steps in life and continuing achievement.

College Graduation Speeches Audience

Write out who is in the audience. It is important to know who is hearing the college graduation speeches. Your grandmother may not appreciate lots of tales of student parties.

I think college graduation speeches should have some personal comment but it must be delivered in an inclusive way that can be understood by all.

Clearly college graduation speeches have teachers, family and fellow students, so the range of people listening is wide.

College Graduation Speeches Themes

Great college graduation speeches normally have a good central theme. The speaker can divert off but will always return to the theme. The theme anchors the speech and gives focus to the content. The theme could simply be the school values.

Some good strong college graduation speeches theme categories are:

• Importance of Goal Setting


• Taking responsibility for yourself and your actions


• Learning from your mistakes


• Overcoming obstacles


• Personal codes of conduct


• The power of perseverance


• Inspirational people or influences


• Keep on improving


• Never forget your roots and the people who have helped you


• The amazing Opportunities the future holds

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Values for College Graduation Speeches

A good anchor for writing college graduation speeches is the values of the educational establishment. For example, it may be “trust, honour and respect”. You will be able to add that to your background information and could organise your college graduation speeches around it. That would certainly bring the college graduation speeches and your messages into a structure understood by the audience.

Example for college graduation speeches, the college showed us that we were trusted to work hard and apply ourselves. We are honoured to be part of such a great institution and we felt respected by the way we were treated as valuable human beings by everyone on the staff.

College Graduation Speeches Positive

In the dark recesses of all our minds is a place where a teacher or fellow pupil did not exactly help your life go smoothly. Perhaps you feel annoyed by some events or a grading -Leave All That Behind for college graduation speeches.

Writing college graduation speeches that will enhance the lives of your audience, and are memorable, mean you need to be positive. Any audience will remember positive well thought out messages but only remember how bad the person was who gave negative college graduation speeches.

College Graduation Speeches Messages

What messages do you want to leave with your audience.

Is there a key positive message for college graduation speeches such as make the best of your self, face every challenge head on, contribute to society, help others to learn, use your talents to the maximum.

Think carefully what you are trying to say, make it appropriate for everyone listening.

Consider how hard it has been for the graduates to achieve graduation. The benefits of persevering are wondrous.

Looking ahead the opportunities are amazing. Don’t stand back, embrace the challenge and take up all life has to offer.

Stories and Events for College Graduation Speeches

Write out the best stories and events you know of. These can make great material when backing your point or even just as an aside to make the audience laugh. Stories on fellow students, teachers and the important people in the audience may be great material for writing college graduation speeches.

Be clear which are the best and most relevant to your message and the audience.

Again, personal stories are just fine but be clear how they fit. The itching powder in the sports shorts of the football team story may be funny but just does not do it when stacked against your message on the future of your college.

Are there any other meaningful things the class did. Maybe there was a real turning point for everyone in the class year.

Topical References for College Graduation Speeches

It may be powerful to use current affairs locally, nationally or internationally to weave into your speech. Example, the real strength of people who have survived difficult events and the inspiration they can be for everyone looking into how they have picked themselves up and faced the future. Or use popular cultural references with top rated TV shows, movies or songs.

Thanks included in College Graduation Speeches

At the very least make sure your college graduation speeches thank everyone. Heartfelt thanks are appreciated so much. Parents, fellow students, teachers and everyone who has supported you will love being thanked.

Advice for College Graduation Speeches

Think who would be best to try the speech out with. Writing college graduation speeches can feel solitary but seeking out advice from different people can make a good speech great. Think not just of close friends but also teachers, principals and parents.

Outline Of College Graduation Speeches

Once you have your theme, message and general ideas in mind it is a great idea to create an outline of your college graduation speeches.

Simply decide on a small number of major points which fit your theme.

Then decide on a number of sub points which backup each major point.

Create an outline of your college graduation speeches in, say, order of importance or perhaps chronological order.

Drafts of College Graduation Speeches

Try and give headings to each of the main areas of your college graduation speeches.

Write the speech out as soon as you can from your notes. Then get to work with another draft once your mind has tuned into it.

Aim to start well. The audience, which will be a benevolent group, will be with you at the beginning. This is your chance for your college graduation speeches capture their attention. Signpost what your speech is about and get them ready to hear you out.

Write a brilliant ending. Leave the audience in no doubt you are ending the speech. Give the audience an emphatic ending reinforcing your key points and wish them all the best for the future.

Write out your graduation speeches in full. It is a great discipline and will lock your mind into getting the right speech.

Some further tips:

• Use flawless English - jargon can confuse and poor grammar can let you down.



• Avoid complex language



• Use as few words as possible. When you edit the speech take out unnecessary words. Think of the start to that high impact speech President Roosevelt made to Congress: Yesterday, December 7 1941, a date which will live in infamy, the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked .....



• Be personal where you can. The audience will connect with you.



• Be sure your humor will work!

Now you need to time the college graduation speeches. Everyone does want to hear you but is anxious, too, to get on with the party. Change the speech as required to meet your time requirement.

Delivery Of College Graduation Speeches

So, now you have written really good college graduation speeches. You have checked it with a few people. Now some simple preparation steps will make your delivery live up to the great college graduation speeches.

• Practice, Practice, Practice college graduation speeches out loud as many times as you can, and time yourself.



• Visit the venue and be comfortable with your position



• If using equipment practice with it



• Remember to speak slowly, we can all get a bit excited and rush it



• During your college graduation speeches keep eye contact with the audience



• Dress properly, looking sharp and feeling sharp can help



• If your college graduation speeches are long break up your notes with highlighter open. I put a big red dot if I am to pause briefly and a big green dot for a change of emphasis



• Write in the top half of the page so as not to take your eyes too far down and away from the audience



• If the audience do not laugh at your humor keep going. Don't repeat the punchline.



• If you use visualising techniques for say a sport, you may want to try that out and visualise successful college graduation speeches with the audience clapping and cheering loudly. Recognise the successful feeling inside! You will feel fantastic when you succeed and success will breed further successes in your life.

College Graduation Speeches Advanced Process

If you really want to use advanced techniques, going through a complete college graduation speeches writing process click here!. The college graduation speeches process is broken down into smaller, easy to complete, steps so that it is manageable and you can feel successful as you go. This suits the way your mind will work as you prepare excellent college graduation speeches. The writing college graduation speeches process helps choose your points, engage the audience, open well, close with a bang, use effective language and some superb writing and delivery tips!

Sample College Graduation Speeches

Commencement College Graduation Speeches By Entrepreneur and College Graduate

Preparation:

Purpose of college graduation speeches: Inspire the Graduates to future achievement based on entrepreneurial success.

Research on College values, Successes of past graduates, Network of college graduates, Special events.

Theme: Inspirational achievements, Entrepreneurship, Opportunities, Networking and You are already successful!

Poem: Dream Big

Quotes: Einstein

A formal opening for college graduation speeches is easiest and safest.

The Speech

Thank You Principal Hendry for those kind words.

I am delighted to be back here at Morrisons college.

I spent some of the best years of my life here, learning, preparing for life, having fun, meeting great people and, as you can all proudly say, GRADUATING! - CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU ALL!!

My career since Morrisons has moved on in so many brilliant ways, mainly as an Entrepreneur. I have taken great pleasure in using the values learned here to also give back to the community of Morrison Graduates.

We are all proud graduates of Morrison College.

Some of you will go on to become entrepreneurs and some employed and all of you have the chance to become great. There is a whole world of amazing opportunity for you to benefit from.

For all of you I wish that you find what is right for you! Once you find it, I pray you give it everything you can. There is little point in not being everything you can be!

Remember the college values of Hard Work and Integrity.

My theme today is to use some of the lessons from entrepreneurship to hopefully help you all go forward with some style and achieve all you can. You are already successful as you are now graduates of this amazing top tier college. Although the topic is entrepreneurship the points are equally applicable to any pursuit you enter. I do hope you take your opportunities and get them t work for you and your family.

I started out from college full of enthusiasm to be an entrepreneur. Sadly I diverted off into 2 failed ventures, neither of which would have failed if I had remembered what I was taught here! My head was down and I felt a bit hopeless.

I forgot to keep going

I forgot to prepare well

I forgot to network with my peers

I forgot to smile too!

So, I eventually contacted my old tutor Mrs Rush and she talked to me at length. We contacted some past Graduates and I got ALL the help I needed to get back on track.

All this goes with another College value - Help Others To Succeed.

I now do the same for anyone who contact me asking for help.

Please feel free to contact me for any help I can give you!

Having picked myself up I worked very hard to establish a success out of one of my failed ventures.

I did need more help along the way, but within 2 years I had paid off ALL my debts. I had the chance to walk away from some of the debts but I believed that integrity was much more important.

I have moved on from that initial success to establish 12 successful business.

Interestingly most of my ventures have been put in place with a lot of help from past Morrisons graduates. You can never work alone and be successful!

Those of you who have worked with Mr Nardini will understand the power of:

Curiosity, Imagination and Creativity.

They give the most powerful results when used to your advantage.

Albert Einstein said that imagination is more important than knowledge.

I learned here that it is wonderful to be curious about everything.

I learned here to use my imagination to seek out life’s possibilities.

I learned here that effective creativity will bring about practical ideas to turn into businesses or enhance greatly existing business.

Thereafter hard work and good preparation completed the research, business plans, funding, structure that will ignite the enterprise.

These lessons can be for anyone. Be curious, imaginative, creative and hard working and you will succeed in the long term.

Do what you love with people you love and you will be a shining star!

Taking the college value of helping others succeed.

I urge you to keep your door open to others at all times. THE BENEFITS TO YOU AND THE OTHERS WILL BE AMAZING!

I still remember the jumping about, elated feeling I had when I helped my first entrepreneur to get his business up and running and that business to become successful.

I still have the simple thank you card from my friend on my desk. It is inspirational to me.

(I did of course remind him that I like Scotch whisky!)

We are all privileged to have been at Morrisons College.

We have been given a fantastic grounding for the rest of our lives.

We can go on now and make successes of our lives on our own terms

If there were ever a time to dare,
To make a difference
To embark on something worth doing
It is now.
Not for any grand cause, necessarily –
But for something that tugs at your hear
Something that is worth your aspiration
Something that is your dream.
You owe it to yourself
To make your days count.
Have fun. Dig deep. Stretch.

Dream big.
Know, though,
That things worth doing
Seldom come easy,
There will be times when you want to
Turn around
Pack it up and call it quits
Those times tell you
That you are pushing yourself
And that you are not afraid to learn by trying.

Persist.
Because with an idea,
Determination and the right tools,
You can do great things.
Let your instincts, your intellect
And let your heart guide you.

Trust.
Believe in the incredible power
Of the human mind
Of doing something that makes a difference
Of working hard
Of laughing and hoping
Of lasting friends
Of all the things that will cross your path

Next year
The start of something new
Brings the hope of something great.
Anything is possible
There is only one you
And you will pass this way but once.
Do it right.

I wish you all the best in life and hope your endeavours bear great fruit.

You can all be shining stars not just today but for the rest of your lives!

Thank You

For these free college graduation speeches take out the parts you like, find your own style, add your own stories, poems and jokes and you have your own great college graduation speeches.

The next of the college graduation speeches is a guest speech about personal power.

Sample College Graduation Speeches

College Graduation Speeches Power

A formal opening for college graduation speeches is easiest and safest.

Purpose of college graduation speeches: Be aware of the power you have.

Principal Henry and teaching staff of Hopetoun College, Mayor Hypia.

CONGRATULATIONS CLASS OF 2008.

I can feel the enormous energy in this room. What a feeling graduation day must be. I bet you all cannot wait for the party.

I always wished I was a graduate of Hopetoun. You have so much I admire, so many gifts and so much power to change things and make life better.

As I started out after High School I used to walk past here on my way to my shelf stacking job. I was just full of admiration for the happy, prosperous looking students. I always hoped to get here one day so now I have fulfilled my dream too. I am very proud and honoured to be here today as you can imagine.

I am sure many of you understand just how powerful you are as individuals and as a team.

You are very well educated. You have sharp minds. You can learn anything.

And yes, you can achieve your dreams.

Telling me 15 years ago that I could achieve my dreams was a bit of a waste of time. By that I mean I would not really have believed it, but strangely deep inside I had a little fire trying to take hold. I knew I was capable of much better. I just did not have the education, positive peer group and personal education you have.

I set off to make more money by selling door to door at night.

That taught me to handle rejection, a wonderful skill.

Importantly I also learned to relax and work with people to find out what they wanted and then try and provide it.

I also learned to be determined to succeed.

From that job I found lots of people really did not want my household cleaning products but they did want their house cleaned and their garden tended.

I built my first business and was sort of happy. I knew I needed to do more, so I built a second business doing home improvement.

I kept going and in time found I was only really happy when I was working at my peak stretch, with family and fitness time too.

Looking back I realised that I always had a huge amount of power to change things in my life and that of others. If I had know that at your age I would have set out to do so much more.

I urge you to think how powerful you are. You can achieve massive amounts in shorter time periods than I did, not least because you know how to do it.

Fine your passion and follow it with everything you have!

Please remember:

You cannot do it alone! Even the most gifted self centred individual operator needs someone to work with.

The peer group you have here will give you enormous support.

But, first find what you are truly passionate about.

You may ask why I am passionate about house cleaning , gardening and home improvements.

Well, what I am Passionate about is giving people total satisfaction and the very art of business building.

I spend all day either talking to customers to find out what they want or learning to run my business better. I could talk about being in business all day!

I may think I got lucky, but I do think too I would have found some business to run at some point.

For each of you, I urge you tomorrow to start finding out what you are passionate about.

Most of you will have a career arranged, go to it! My Gran used to say if she was a dishwasher she would want to be the best in town. She would also want to find ways of doing it better and saving money for her employer. This is an attitude that has stayed with me!

Congratulations again class of 2008.

The best of luck for the future!

For these free college graduation speeches take out the parts you like, find your own style, add your own stories, poems and jokes and you have your own great college graduation speeches.

The next of the college graduation speeches is a student speech about responsibility.

Sample College Graduation Speeches

College Graduation Speeches Responsibility

Purpose of college graduation speeches: Take responsibility.

A formal opening for college graduation speeches is easiest and safest. College graduation speeches are a fairly serious affair.

Principal Flack, Mrs Floak, Mrs Tait and Mr Singh

CONGRATULATIONS CLASS OF 2008.

Thanks to my parents and family. I love you all, without your support this year I would not be here.

Thanks to principal Flack, for helping us all through the year. The extra help and fun we have had has helped a lot.

Thanks to all the teaching staff. You really did pull through for us. Thanks too, to Mr Singh. How can Math turn out to be easy. You enlightened us in a new way of learning, thinking, made it fun and we actually looked forward to your classes. I hope we gave you something back.

Thanks to my fellow students and graduates. How much fun have we had these past few years. To day marks the climax of many years of hard work and also the end of the times we have together. I have loved being with you. The study groups, party nights, mad times, hard work and team games together.

How very, very sad it ends today.

How very, very brilliant it all was.

So for one last time lets have the PARTY of a lifetime!

I will miss you all.

However as one chapter of life ends a new one begins. We look forward to our new lives.

Some of us will be going on to further studies, many are starting their new jobs. I wish you all well no matter what you do.

All of us are going on to new lives!

We now all face up to what our parents call responsibility. So what is this thing called responsibility?

I know it cannot just be my Dad shouting take responsibility for yourself when I leave things lying around or lose something.

I know it cannot just be something that just happens., though plenty of responsibility does just that. I know my parents were not expecting to have a little bundle of joy in their early married years, that was me!

So what is responsibility?

Wikipedia says: A duty, obligation or liability for which someone is responsible or accountable.

That seems to resonate with me.

We will soon have a duty to our employers to perform, to our partners to be loving, loyal and faithful and to our creditors to pay our way.

We will soon have an obligation to be responsible neighbors, citizens, for helping others, and road users.

We will soon be liable for a mortgage, bank loans and taxes.

None of this quite seems to be the freedom I thought I would have when I finally finished at college.

But do not be concerned. We have been steadily growing and improving as we have gone through the college system.

I feel we are all ready for this next stage of responsibility. With freedom comes responsibility and it will be a measure of all of us how we stand forward and meet the challenges of the future.

We have learned at college to take on the huge challenge of exams and getting grades to graduate and gain entry to our careers. This has been an enormous achievement.

I hope that has given us all confidence and shown us that we can handle any challenge that we face.

All your duties, obligations and liabilities will just be things that you handle as you go. You will be able to face them head on and have no fear of failure. That way you will take on mightier challenges and do the most good!

Please keep in touch with me. Most of you know my website details and it will be brilliant to hear how you are all doing through the years.

Good luck to you all!!

For these free college graduation speeches take out the parts you like, find your own style, add your own stories, poems and jokes and you have your own great college graduation speeches.

The next of the college graduation speeches is a speech about goal setting.

Sample College Graduation Speeches

College Graduation Speeches Goal Setting

A formal opening for college graduation speeches is easiest and safest.

Principal Orton, Mayor Hughes, Mrs Flame and Mr Thomson

Congratulation Class of 2008.

You must be very, very proud of yourselves today. I do see a few families with happy tears too!

I do vividly remember my times here and especially my Graduation day. It was a rather special feeling being surrounded by wonderful graduates and I expect you all feel the same!

I wanted at that time for college days never to end. They do end, but the good news is Corton College has set you up to live the life of your dreams.

I am the Finance Director of a major Financial Services company. It is a bit difficult to throw in that apparently dull news just after promising you the life of your dreams! So let me get to that point in a moment.

Firstly let me say, you have just graduated from one of my own and my companies’ favorite colleges. We sponsor and employ more bright young people form Corton than any other college! You guys are our best friends!

You have the best of academic standards.

You have a great work ethic.

You have a strong peer group. You dig in and make things happen.

You have a brilliant pedigree in Math, Sciences, Finance, Management and IT.

I know when I see a CV with Corton on it I will likely put it through for interview.

Secondly, Principal Orton has brought in Life Skills.

You know how to set goals, plan actions, get started and succeed.

You have a great work experience program. It lets employers and you have a test of the fit you have together.

You understand the benefits of contributing to the community.

I truly believe that setting goals, planning and achieving them is a wonderful place to start.

I hope all of you now have a career goal. Maybe, just maybe there is something to learn from combining your wonderful skill set with a career in Financial Services.

I hop so, you are outstanding people.

Begin by setting out your goal. That may be to be an entrepreneur or to be a Senior manager.

For me that was to be a Finance Director. I knew I loved numbers, analysis and being with fairly like minded people. I was also getting married at a young age and knew I could make a pretty decent living. My dream was the big Finance job as I knew I would relish the responsibility.

Set Your Plan. You need to think through courses, work experience and personal skills learning that will need to be completed before you get the dream.

Get started. Nothing beats just getting in there. I know I found it hard to be at work, hard to study at night and hard to raise a family at the same time. After a while I realised that I was actually coping and could withstand way more stress than I first thought. Believe if you work hard you will succeed.

Get feedback. It is important to keep revisiting your plan with feedback from your employer, exam results and a check on your progress within your company. What is off track and needs boosted, what is in place and going well and also what just needs changed. Plans will be altered as you go. Take responsibility for yourself. I did love my first year with accounts signing powers. I felt I was making sure the investors did not have an Enron on their hands.

Get Success. On the way I loved celebrating successful times. My accounting exams success was met with a 10 hour party. Each promotion was celebrated just as well.

Finally I bagged my dream job and the 15 years of effort seemed so worthwhile. I was very, very happy. I live the life of my own dreams everyday.

So far I have not mentioned to most important and vital part - the amazing people who helped me along the way. I can assure you I have helped all of them just as much!

In years to come I hope you have retained a strong Corton peer group. I have called on it many times for help. My wife is second to none and my colleagues are superb. I would be no where without them.

I learned from Corton the power of education for people, continual training and improvement, the benefits of being trusted with responsibility and to stretch them out! Thanks to this knowledge we have excellent staff satisfaction scores.

So I urge you, really urge you, to be clear about your goals and the sacrifices you will have to make.

Remember to do your best for the people around you.

You have the skills, mental strength and education, so go to it.

I realise I have not mentioned financial wealth. Believe me that comes if you do the right things.

So the very best of luck to all of you.

Congratulations!!!

For these free college graduation speeches take out the parts you like, find your own style, add your own stories, poems and jokes and you have your own great college graduation speeches.

The next of the college graduation speeches is a speech about giving back through teaching. College graduation speeches can be a chance to make a really good message.

Sample College Graduation Speeches

A formal opening for college graduation speeches is easiest and safest.

Purpose of college graduation speeches: Give back by teaching others in any way you can.

Principal Hughes, Honored Guests McMillan and Cranforth.

Congratulations Class of 2008!!

I am very honoured to be back at Carnegie College. In fact I was so excited to be asked to deliver a college graduation speech that I have taken every opportunity to come over and practice. This is a great institution and like any other it has great people at its core.

Principal Hughes is a lifelong friends of mine and I know just how dedicated he is to the college, students, staff and also to the profession of teaching.

When we first met I used to think his unswerving certainty that teaching was going to be his lifelong passion was kind of strange. How did he know when we were 6? Well it turned out he was right and I am sure all of you here can testify to his dedication.

I know that Carnegie graduates are well educated, dedicated and ready to take their place in the world as post graduates.

So as we look ahead that brings me to my speech topic.

It may seem strange coming from an Industrialist but my passion too is teaching!

I readily admit that I used to see teaching as something pretty dull and at best not very fulfilling. Boy was I wrong.

As I developed my career I have always remembered what Mike Hughes told me:

• You will always be far better off working with well educated and highly trained people


• Teaching is not just a selfless task, the benefits of seeing people fly are enormous

Teachers:

• Shape minds positively


• Educate


• Train


• Spot potential


• Get through the tough times


• Prepare the student for the next steps


• Prepare people to fly high

Mike tells me the team here love, just love, to see the students fly high!

I started to think about all this and realised that if everyone in my company was tought to the best of our ability the whole company would fly.

We set about sorting the whole education and training area in our company with help from Mike.

We have a starter program which teaches about the company, learning your first job and helping people settle in.

This goes right through the company to advanced techniques in specific jobs and supported further education.

Indeed our joint program with your college has excellent feedback from the students.

I feel a lot happier seeing people progress, be stretched and achieve - it gives the whole company a great feeling.

So, I urge you to become teachers and gain the enormous satisfaction that helping others gives.

You can be a teacher.

By helping disadvantaged kids
Helping your friends learn
Training your sports team
Teaching a hobby
Teaching colleagues
Educating and training your workforce
And indeed in so many other ways.

You have great skills and personal strengths to pass on!

I hope you get the chance to teach to the best of your ability.

Just imagine meeting those happy, successful people in years to come, great to think you had a small part in helping teach them in some way.

I hope life brings you every success and you meet all your challenges head on.

Good luck

For these free college graduation speeches take out the parts you like, find your own style, add your own stories, poems and jokes and you have your own great college graduation speeches.

The next of the college graduation speeches is a student speech about living up to your codes of conduct.

Sample College Graduation Speeches

A formal opening for college graduation speeches is easiest and safest. College graduation speeches are carried out in a formal atmosphere.

Purpose of college graduation speeches: Live up to your codes of conduct.

Principal Ortega, Mayor Hughes, Honored Guests Macdonald and Hypia.

CONGRATULATIONS CLASS OF 2008.

I am very proud and honoured to be here before you today. There is an enormous sense of excitement on graduation day and I am sure you can all feel it today.

I had heard college graduation speeches before at my brothers graduation day, but I never imagined I would be here with you today delivering my own version of college graduation speeches.

Firstly thanks to my family, you have given so much and I appreciate your love and support. I love you too.

Thanks to the Principal and staff at Simpsons college, what can I say? I am sure we have not always been easy to deal with but you pulled through for us. I know how much of yourselves and your time.

Thanks to my close friends and fellow students. You are a magnificent group of talented people. The fun in being here has been in knowing all of you.

As you know the college has a work placement program. My placement happened to be in Maldini architects. I dearly want to be an architect, you have no idea how excited I was to be placed there!!

I loved my time at Maldini and did indeed learn enough to know that it is my passion. I could not sleep at night, I was just so excited to be an architect for a short while!

You have no idea how devastated I was to be called in for a chat with Mrs Maldini after a few days with what looked like it was going to be bad news.

In the end that meeting was to define me as a person.

Mrs Maldini said she loved having me in the office as I was bright and fun, then told me I was leaving that day unless I shaped up. My heart sank!!!

The reasons were true, simple and painful.

I was still too much of a college student, I thought life was just fun!

I wanted to be liked rather than do a job.

I was time wasting, costing money and not doing what I was asked.

Could I recover from this devastating news?

Mrs Maldini Looked at me straight and told me I needed to decide what my own codes of conduct were. I then needed to take responsibility for living up to them.

I had to return the next day with all this written out and ready to act on it, if not NO JOB.

As you can imagine my first instinct was to complain about Mrs Maldini to my friends but I just did not have the time.

When I got home I kept thinking about what my family have held up as their codes of conduct and thought how that might help.

The codes are:

Always give your best. Persevere with a smile on your face. Always help others.

I thought deeply about how I had gone astray.

My best was most definitely not being given. I did my best getting the placement and I needed to work out what my best for Maldini’s was. I looked at the work assignments and sorted out what I would do.

I was not persevering as I was not focussed on the job. The next day I promised myself that would change.

I thought I was helping others by being friendly and fun but that was not true. I needed to change to what was best for Maldini which was to really help by giving high quality work.

I added more detail and nervously presented my plan the next day.

Mrs Maldini smiled and said she just wanted to see the plan in action with completed assignments. I had to work long hours to catch up and make my targets.

I learned fast that I alone was responsible for my actions.

I learned my actions affected other people.

I learned my positive contribution would help others.

So, I did my job and very luckily I will be returning to Maldini full time!!!

I urge you all to consider who you are, what your codes of conduct are and just how responsible you are for living up to them.

You are about to go off and seek fame and fortune. Be ready to do a good job right from the start!

You must look to yourself, your actions can affect the lives of others and indeed their employment prospects.

Write out your codes of conduct. Everyday check if you are living by them.

If you don’t live by your codes you will be found out.

I am sure all of you will have a glittering future ahead of you. Have fun, follow your passion and be yourself at all times.

Good luck and congratulations!!!

The next of the college graduation speeches is a about everything in life is not perfect.

Sample College Graduation Speeches

A formal opening for college graduation speeches is easiest and safest.

Purpose of college graduation speeches: Not everything in life is perfect. A timely topic for college graduation speeches.

Principal Johannes, Mrs Klinsman, Mr Singh, Faculty members, students and families.

Congratulations Class Of 2008

I was in your exact position 20 years ago.

I have to say graduation day was both fantastic and very, very sad. Sad in the sense that I knew I was not going to see many fellow students again.

I hope the past few years have been good to you. I mean that you have achieved great academic success and the changes you made to you as a person have been good. Perhaps you have also looked after your health, and fitness. Perhaps you have formed successful relationships.

I remember preparing my student speech. I was given a lot of advice and material to use by fellow students. It was strangely illuminating.

The notes I made at the time made me see just how different student’s views of life at college were. There seemed to be 2 camps of thought. It posed a life altering question for me.

Quite a few students wanted me to tell the world how bad college was, how poor the teaching had been and how much their life was everyone else’s fault. They seemed very detailed in their observations. One person had excellent notes on how poor the food had been.

The other contributors seemed to have a view that college life did indeed have a few problems but overall it had been great. They seemed to feel they could change things if they needed to and would speak up! However they had a majority positive view.

There were some who saw college life as the ultimate in living but they were few in number.

It struck me then that life is indeed not perfect but it is as good as you see it and make it. Positively seeing life but realistically dealing with real problems has helped me enormously to build my business.

Looking back at your own time in college I hope the things you have learned academically and about life itself will help you as you take the next steps.

As with all of us not every teacher can be on top of their game everyday. But overall I think the teaching here is excellent.

All of us from relationships that fall away, but I hope the great majority of people you have met stay friends with you.

I hope you have achieved the things you wanted to. If there are some gaps then I feel confident that a student from this college will find a way to rectify any issues.

I hope your college memories are great ones.

For those of you who think this is way too positive a perspective on life let me ask you if you plan to let things get in your way all your life?

Perhaps you plan to get derailed by every issue that comes your way. How will you stand up to serious issues?

I truly urge you to think positively and have a brilliant life.

Coming to today. Let me congratulate you once again. I hope your party is a good one!

Let me use a quote:

“It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are” Author e.e. cummings

Soon enough you will have a job or further education, a house, a car, payments, a family and perhaps a new town to live in.

From your college years you should know that life is not perfect in every detail. You also know how to dig in and succeed.

Again, I urge you to take a positive, realistic view on life.

You will be a better, more fun, partner to be with.

You will be a better colleague who delivers real value to their employer.

God intended you to have a great life, so show him what you can do.

Your positive outlook will bring success which will lead to more success.

Why do I say all this. Well I was no ready to take my place in the world until I was leaving college. My big break came when I worked out that I wanted to a be stronger and more positive. It has worked in unbelievably great ways for me and my family.

I hope you get your big break too.

The next of the college graduation speeches is a about relationships.

Sample College Graduation Speeches

A formal opening for college graduation speeches is easiest and safest.

Purpose of college graduation speeches: Relationships can define everything. A timely topic for college graduation speeches.

Principal Fratton, Faculty members, Fellow Students and Families.

Congratulations Class Of 2008.

I am honoured to speak at this special day about the students perspective.

There are so many perspectives on our college, a great place to work, a model for other colleges to follow and a beautiful setting.

From a students perspective our college is just that, OUR College. It feels like it belongs to us.

It is a home, a social place, a sports academy, a friendly place and a place to play.

All of us chose to come here knowing how hard it would be. The teachers can be tough, direct, and honest. That does shake you to begin with, you quickly realise you are not at high school any longer. But we knew this college would be the making of us. We would have great lives to look forward too if we proved ourselves at college.

We have lived beside some of the world’s messiest people. If you could see some of the romms you would issue a health warning.

All of us have worked very hard. It is difficult to believe I managed to get to so many parties.

Some of us have given our all for a college sports team.

Some o us had jobs waiting tables, cleaning and cooking to help with expenses.

All college graduates can point to years of toil, academic ups and downs, messy room mates, study and the pressure of term papers - we have been no different.

So why, despite the tough times, do we feel enormous pride in being graduates from Hamilton College. Why did we really dig in and make this our lives, immersed in everything to do with Hamilton.

For me the reason has been all about the people and relationships..

First my mentor helped me every step of the way. She was in her final year and showed me how to survive, how to study and helped me to resolve some pretty poor early grades.

Secondly the teachers were tough, but as I learned to approach them directly they seemed to shift to tough, fair and human! I will always be grateful.

Thirdly the friendships I have with my class, close friends and team have been forged in tough times. It is unbreakable. I find myself in that glorious place where I have formed relationships for life. I thank all of them for being there for me.

To Mum and Dad. I love you. Your quietly effective contribution has been outstanding.

So lets celebrate today.

I look forward to the best party ever. Hamilton will rock tonight.

I also want to talk about where we go from here.

College has given us the opportunity to enter outstanding careers, we must do all we can to make it come true.

Friends will geographically go separate ways. However like previous classes we will find a way to keep in touch.

I have already fixed the first annual meeting. New York one year from today is the date. You all have th details.

Why New York?

Well lastly Evelyn who I met in my first class, who refused to have a date for 6 months and has since shared everything with me has finally agreed to get married. New York is Evelyn’s home town and you are invited to a wedding party next year.

I hope to see you there!

The next of the college graduation speeches is about a balanced life.

Sample College Graduation Speeches

A formal opening for college graduation speeches is easiest and safest.

Purpose of college graduation speeches: Balance your life between past, present and future. This is the last time students attend the college and the last chance for college graduation speeches to remind everyone to keep in touch.

Principal Fulton, Mrs Robertson, Mr Singh, Honored Guests, Students and Families.

Congratulations Class of 2008.

I am honoured to be speaking to you today on your special day.

Many years ago I was sitting where you are today. I admit I was somewhat anxious for the speaker to hurry up as the party was waiting! We were ready to go, the future was waiting!

I have to say I did not understand what it meant to be from Prestonfield College, bor did I understand how to balance the past, present and future.

You have all come a long way since you started here some years ago. Many of you had left home to be here and were just about to start a new adventure in your life.

Each of you would draw on all the resources you had to get through college and come to this successful day. You had your school education, past experiences and most importantly the love and support of your family and friends. In my case I was from a small town and had 300 people wishing me well as they still do today.

You will have worked very, very hard, taken the rough with the smooth, strived to achieve your goals and persevered these past few years. You sure have succeeded.

I guess all of you will have loved the company of your new college friends. Being away from home pushes you together and gives a life long bond. The college teaching staff are very approachable and I expect you will have been skilfully taught, mentored and they will have been here for you in troubled times.

It has clearly worked for you as you graduate today.

However taking a different look at what it all means, I would say nothing works well unless you effectively balance the past, present and future.

You will have need love and support from family, old and new friends. The person you are has been formed over the years by all your experiences, that is clearly working well for you. The college staff believe you are a wonderful group of people.

I would say, never forget where you have come from. Your past has made you!

Live in the present, that is where the action is.

Plan for the future as that is where you will spend the rest of your life.

I suppose I am saying you should do your best to balance your life.

Coming back to today, I hope your celebrations go with a bang. It is your last day here and deserves a brilliant party.

Looking ahead you will soon have a new job, new colleagues, new homes, new cars and a whole different life.

I hope that new life is well balanced and is full of fun and excitement.

You should never forget all the people and events that have shaped you so far. That includes home, school and college. These have made you who you are. I have drawn many times over the years on people, contacts and the support of everyone that I know only too well how much your past means.

As time shifts you have still to balance past, present and future.

If you leave the past behind without giving it a thought you would be a hollow person indeed.

I urge you to draw on the resources of the college over your life. Those who have joined the post graduate group have kept in touch, contributed to the college and helped each other in careers and business.

So, good luck to all of you in future. May your life be well balanced. I hope to see you all over the years back here at Prestonfield.

The next of the college graduation speeches is about being happy.

Sample College Graduation Speeches

A formal opening for college graduation speeches is easiest and safest.

Purpose of college graduation speeches: Work very hard, but also take being happy seriously. This is a great chance to use college graduation speeches to remind everyone to take being happy seriously.

Principal Klasnic, Mrs Adebayor, Honored Guests, Students and Families.

Congratulations Class of 2008.

After all your hard work, perseverance, bouncing back from failure, dedication, and no small measure of parties - you made it, well done.

I am sure you are very proud and very, very happy today, and you deserve to be so.

The business of being happy is a serious one! It needs lots of planning and action.

My old Scots Grandad used to say you earn the right to have fun. He did not mean financially, he meant you must work very hard at the day job and only then can you get out and have fun and adventure.

I have to say I loved my time here. I do remember the hard work and the exhilarated feeling when I graduated. I do too remember the most amazing parties and adventures as we released all that pent up energy.

I am sure each of you has had great times here, I hope they will be talked about for years to come!

I know there are lots of great lessons you have learned here at college.

Lessons like, have faith in your ability, set goals, work hard, be passionate.

I am sure you too have the utmost respect for your Principal and Teachers. I had a night with them last night. I agree they have worked very hard to give you the education you deserve. But, they also know how to party. Some of them allegedly did not get home till 3am this morning.

So, I think you have it all. You have that balance of the most serious work. You can succeed and you will continue to do so. But, you also know how to party. That balance will forever let you earn the right to be social and have fun and adventure.

So, today you get to celebrate big time. Everyone who loves and supports you is here to help you party.

As you look ahead to your new lives it is as well to prepare for the inevitable shortage of time you will have. New home, new job, new car, new city, and all of them needing your time. In time perhaps family.

You will no doubt use your skills to succeed in all areas of your new life.

However let me ask that you make time to have fun and adventure. You owe it to your family and colleagues to be a happy, rounded person.

Please take the business of being happy seriously!!!

Good Luck to all of you.

The next of the college graduation speeches is about teamwork.

Sample College Graduation Speeches

A formal opening for college graduation speeches is easiest and safest.

Purpose of college graduation speeches: Work very hard, but also be part of a great team. This is a great chance to use college graduation speeches to remind everyone about the teamwork behind them.

Principal Horton, Mrs Humble, Honored Guests, Students and Families.

Congratulations Class of 2008.

Finally I get to a Forfar college graduation ceremony. It feels so good! I had a rather tricky medical condition when it was my turn and was excused the ceremony.

I wondered what to say to you today. I have not listened to college graduation speeches before. I spoke to Principal Horton and she reckoned I should just keep it real.

I remembered back to my own time here and wondered how I got through it all, what it meant to me, how did I achieve and what were the obstacles.

I the end much of it came down to teamwork.

Anything that happened at the time was supported, improved and resolved b teamwork. That was then and continues to be the case today.

I don’t have much time for TV but sometimes I watch “House”. I noticed even this completely egotistical, lone star needed a team around him to make it all work. We all do.

Take a moment to think back to what striving to achieve is like for you at college.

You attend class where you need to work hard to think what the subject is about, how it relates to what you know and how you can get to full understanding. This is all for you alone!

You then go to a ‘study’ area, might be the library, and you get to work on term papers, assignments and study. Again all alone.

So, to achieve there is no doubt you have to be mentally tough and can spend long hours alone. You have clearly managed to do that very successfully.

However think about the other factors involved.

You may have great study buddies who have helped you to crack a subject and really understand it. It may well have worked well, giving reassurance, help, support and real fun!

You may have needed significant help in some areas which needed the teachers to work well with you to get you through it.

You probably needed to be with people, so your close friends were there for you. You may even have had hard times where you were homesick, or just needed comfort.

I do understand how important having your team with you. In my own case I needed all of this and more.

I had a debilitating illness and was not comfortable leaving home. My ‘team’ held study groups in my home, they were my postal service and freely shared their class notes. Although unwell I really did love being with them. I keep in weekly contact with them some 20 years later!

Today, you, your team, family and friends are all here rightly celebrating with each other. It s fantastic to see.

After college I reflected for a while on what my life could be. I wanted to have a dynamic business with a brilliant team around me. It is THE best thing I could have thought of.

Using the same team ethos we have created a rather large company.

The ethos of the company is clear:

1. Work together as a team

2. Help each other over difficult times.

3. Play together

4. Share a vision of what we want to do.

I LOVE IT!!!!

I spoke a few years ago to a respected firm of management consultants. I asked if our approach was leaving us behind our competitors who hired, fired and lived by only setting targets.

They said there was no real bottom line difference, if anything we were a bit ahead. But they felt it was far better to work in our environment.

I hope you know already the benefits of teamwork and will enjoy them over many, many years.

Good luck!!!

For these free college graduation speeches take out the parts you like, find your own style, add your own stories, poems and jokes and you have your own great college graduation speeches.

Click here for another free speech.

Have real fun writing college graduation speeches and delivering them. Be positive and be yourself in an inclusive way for everyone to hear your message. Your college graduation speeches can be truly inspirational.

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