Remember how hard it was to swap those lazy summer days for early mornings, algebra homework and pop quizzes? (Yeah, we're glad that's over.) But while the classroom setting may have changed (hello, online learning), going back-to-school can still feel like a chore. So sneaking some nice, funny and inspirational words of wisdom from Taylor Swift, Zendaya or Amy Poehler into their notebook will definitely win you brownie points. Thankfully, we found 36 back-to-school quotes to motivate your kids for the academic year ahead, so they can reach their full potential (and then some).
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1. “Education is the key to unlocking the world, a passport to freedom.” – Oprah Winfrey
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2. “You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose.” – Dr. Seuss
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3. “Work hard, be kind and amazing things will happen.” – Conan O’Brien
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4. “You don’t learn to walk by following rules. You learn by doing, and by falling over.” – Richard Branson
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5. “Take your risks now. As you grow older, you become more fearful and less flexible. And I mean that literally. I hurt my knee this week on the treadmill, and it wasn’t even on.” – Amy Poehler
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6. “You must do the things you think you cannot do.” – Eleanor Roosevelt
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7. “Be so good they can’t ignore you.” – Steve Martin
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8. “I like a teacher who gives you something to take home to think about besides homework.” – Lily Tomlin
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9. “Let us remember: One book, one pen, one child and one teacher can change the world.” – Malala Yousafzai
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10. “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” – Nelson Mandela
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11. “Develop a passion for learning. If you do, you will never cease to grow.” – Anthony J. D'Angelo
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12. “I've always loved the first day of school better than the last day of school. Firsts are best because they are beginnings.” – Jenny Han
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13. “Intelligence plus character—that is the true goal of education.” – Martin Luther King Jr.
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14. “The roots of education are bitter, but the fruit is sweet.” – Aristotle
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15. “Nothing is impossible, the word itself says ‘I’m possible!’’ – Audrey Hepburn
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16. “I'm not going to school just for the academics. I wanted to share ideas, to be around people who are passionate about learning.” – Emma Watson
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17. “A good education is a foundation for a better future.” — Elizabeth Warren
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18. “You have to stay in school. You have to. You have to go to college. You have to get your degree. Because that’s the one thing people can’t take away from you is your education. And it is worth the investment.” — Michelle Obama
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19. “This is a new year. A new beginning. And things will change.” — Taylor Swift
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20. “Fall is here, hear the yell. Back to school, ring the bell. Brand new shoes, walking blues. Climb the fence, books and pens. I can tell that we are going to be friends. I can tell that we are going to be friends.” — “We’re Going to Be Friends” by The White Stripes
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21. “When we empower girls hungry for education, we cultivate women who are emboldened to effect change within their communities and globally.” — Meghan Markle
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22. “Education is the passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to those who prepare for it today.” — Malcolm X
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23. “I believe that education is all about being excited about something. Seeing passion and enthusiasm helps push an educational message.” — Steve Irwin
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24. “Technology is just a tool. In terms of getting the kids to work together and motivating them, the teacher is the most important.” — Bill Gates
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25. “We don't stop going to school when we graduate.” — Carol Burnett
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26. “Education doesn’t just make us smarter. It makes us whole.” — Jill Biden
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27. “The beautiful thing about learning is that no one can take it away from you.” — B.B. King
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28. “Don’t try hard to fit in, and certainly don’t try so hard to be different...just try hard to be you.” — Zendaya
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29. “First day of school! Wake up! Come on. First day of school.” — Nemo from Finding Nemo
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30. “High school is about finding who you are, because that’s more important than trying to be someone else.” — Nick Jonas
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31. “If you put your mind to it, you can accomplish anything.” — Marty McFly from Back to the Future
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32. “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.” — Pelé
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33. “I had the feeling that to get into a schoolhouse and study...would be about the same as getting into paradise.” — Booker T. Washington
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34. “I know I can be what I wanna be. If I work hard at it, I’ll be where I wanna be.” — “I Can” by Nas
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35. “Education is not just about going to school and getting a degree. It’s about widening your knowledge and absorbing the truth about life.” — Shakuntala Devi
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