give a speech in college

100 Speech Topics For College Students

College won’t be complete without having to deliver a speech in front of the class. From social issues to current events, there are many topics to choose from when it comes to speech topics for college students. With the right topic, you can create an engaging and memorable speech.

Here are some speech topics for college students that can help you get started with your next presentation:

The Importance of Mental Health and Self-Care on College Campuses
How to Make the Most of Your College Experience
Finding Your Passions and Pursuing Your Dreams in College
The Benefits of Joining a Student Organization
Networking for Success: Making Connections in College
Overcoming the Fear of Failure in College
Balancing Academics, Social Life, and Extracurricular Activities
Time Management Strategies for College Students
Exploring Options for Off-Campus Living
Learning How to Budget and Manage Finances in College
Self-Care Tips for College Students
The Benefits of Studying Abroad
Developing Healthy Study Habits
Navigating the College Social Scene
Preparing for Life after College
Impact of Social Media on Communication and Relationships
Role of Technology in Education and Its Potential to Revolutionize the Way We Learn
Importance of Volunteering and Community Service for Personal and Professional Development
Impact of Globalization on Cultural Identity
Importance of Diversity and Inclusion on College Campuses
Challenges and Rewards of Studying Abroad
The Role of Activism in Creating Social Change
The Impact of Climate Change and What Individuals Can Do to Reduce Their Carbon Footprint
The Importance of Financial Literacy and Managing Money in College and Beyond
Climate Change and Its Consequences
The Importance of Diversity and Inclusion in the College Setting
The Challenges and Benefits of Studying Abroad
Importance of a College Education
The Benefits of Building a Professional Network
The Impact of Social Media on College Life
How to Balance Education and Social Life on Campus
Finding the Right Career Path for You
The Benefits of Internships and Apprenticeships
Exploring Your Personal Values and Beliefs
Mindfulness and Mental Health
The Pros and Cons of Student Loans
The Impact of Student Debt on Future Generations
Dealing With Stress and Anxiety in College
Exploring Different Study Strategies and Techniques
Exploring Different Career Paths After College
The Benefits of Time Management and Organization
Navigating the Job Market After Graduation
The Benefits of Extracurricular Activities
Preparing for Graduate School and Beyond
Exploring Different Campus Resources
The Impact of Globalization on Education
Should College Be Free? Pros and Cons
Different Types of Leadership Styles
The Benefits of Networking and Mentoring
The Challenges of Being a Student Leader
Being A Top Student: Tips and Strategies
How to Balance Your Social Life With Your Studies
The Value of Quality Family Time
The Benefits of Having a Supportive Family
The Impact of Working Parents on Their Children’s Education
Role of Family in Encouraging Academic Achievement
How to Cope with Family Pressure During College Years
Benefits of Having a Mentor in Your Family
Role of Technology in Family Communication
Impact of Financial Stress on Family Relationships
Changing Dynamics of Family Roles in Society
The Benefits of Having a Positive Relationship With Your Siblings
The Challenges of Being a First-Generation College Student
How to Minimize College Debt
The Impact of College Debt on Your Future
Managing College Debt: Strategies for Success
Student Loans: How to Make the Best Use of Them
Is College Debt Worth It?
Understanding the Options for Repaying College Debt
Overcoming Depression and Low Self-Esteem
The Role of Positive Thinking in Mental Health
The Benefits of Therapy for Students
How to Recognize the Signs of Mental Illness
The Role of a Support System for Mental Health
The Impact of Stress on Mental Health
How to Balance Academics with Social Life in College
The Pros and Cons of Living on Campus
How to Select a Major that is Right for You
Understanding College-Level Expectations and Study Habits
Living with Roommates: Tips for Peaceful Coexistence
The Transition from High School to College
How to Manage Time as a Busy College Student
Navigating the College Financial Aid System
How to Stay Safe on Campus
Getting Involved in Campus Organizations
The Advantages of Taking Online Courses
Having Fun and Staying Healthy in College
Making Friends and Developing Social Networks
Adjusting to Life After Graduating from College
Coping with Loneliness and Homesickness
Dealing with Student Burnout
Managing Time and Prioritizing Tasks
Building Resilience and Handling Rejection
Overcoming Procrastination
Creating a Support System
Having Difficult Conversations
Making Healthy Choices
Developing Self-Confidence
Learning to Balance Work and Play
Taking Responsibility for Your Education

Final Thoughts

In conclusion, college students have a wide variety of speech topics to choose from. Whether it’s a persuasive speech about a current event, an informative speech about a historical figure, or a humorous speech about an interesting topic, there is something for every student’s tastes. These speech topics give college students the opportunity to explore their interests, challenge their beliefs, and develop their communication skills.

150 Good Persuasive Speech Topics for Students in 2024

April 1, 2024

Do you know that moment in your favorite film, when the soundtrack begins to swell and the main character stands up and delivers a speech so rousing, so impassioned, it has the entire room either weeping or cheering by the time it concludes? What distinguishes the effectiveness of such a speech is not only the protagonist’s stellar delivery but also the compelling nature of the subject matter at hand. Choosing an effective persuasive speech topic is essential for guaranteeing that your future speech or essay is as moving as these . If this sounds like a tall order, have no fear. Below you’ll find a list of some of the best and most interesting persuasive speech topics for high school students to tackle, from the playful (“Pets for President”) to the serious (“Should We Stop AI from Replacing Human Workers?”).

And if you’re craving more inspiration, feel free to check out this list of Great Debate Topics , which can be used to generate further ideas.

What is a Good Persuasive Speech?

Before we get to the list, we must address the question on everyone’s minds: what is a persuasive speech, and what the heck makes for a good persuasive speech topic? A persuasive speech is a speech that aims to convince its listeners of a particular point of view . At the heart of each persuasive speech is a central conflict . Note: The persuasive speech stands in contrast to a simple informative speech, which is intended purely to convey information. (I.e., an informative speech topic might read: “The History of Making One’s Bed,” while a persuasive speech topic would be: “Why Making One’s Bed is a Waste of Time”—understand?)

And lest you think that persuasive speeches are simply assigned by your teachers as a particularly cruel form of torture, remember that practicing your oratory skills will benefit you in all areas of life—from job interviews, to business negotiations, to your future college career in public policy or international relations . Knowing how to use your voice to enact meaningful change is a valuable skill that can empower you to make a difference in the world.

Components of a Great Persuasive Speech Topic

The ideal persuasive speech topic will inspire the audience to action via both logical arguments and emotional appeals. As such, we can summarize the question “what makes a good persuasive speech topic?” by saying that the topic must possess the following qualities:

Timeliness and Relevance . Great persuasive speech topics grapple with a contemporary issue that is meaningful to the listener at hand. The topic might be a current news item, or it might be a long-standing social issue. In either case, the topic should be one with real-world implications.
Complexity . A fruitful persuasive speech topic will have many facets. Topics that are controversial, with some gray area, lend themselves to a high degree of critical thinking. They also offer the speaker an opportunity to consider and refute all counterarguments before making a compelling case for his or her own position.
Evidence . You want to be able to back up your argument with clear evidence from reputable sources (i.e., not your best friend or dog). The more evidence and data you can gather, the more sound your position will be. In addition, your audience will be more inclined to trust you.
Personal Connection. Do you feel passionately about the topic you’ve chosen? If not, it may be time to go back to the drawing board. This does not mean you have to support the side you choose; sometimes, arguing for the opposing side of what you personally believe can be an effective exercise in building empathy and perspective. Either way, though, the key is to select a topic that you care deeply about. Your passion will be infectious to the audience.

150 Good Persuasive Speech Topics

Should tech companies regulate the development of AI systems and automation to protect humans’ jobs?
Should we limit screen time for children?
Is it ethical for AI models like Dall-E to train themselves on artists’ work without the artists’ permission?
Should the government regulate the use of personal drones?
Is mass surveillance ethical? Does its threat to civil liberties outweigh its benefits?
Are virtual reality experiences a valuable educational tool?
Do the positive effects of powerful AI systems outweigh the risks?
Do voice assistants like Siri and Alexa invade individuals’ privacy?
Are cell phone bans in the classroom effective for improving student learning?
Does the use of facial recognition technology in public violate individuals’ privacy?
Should students be allowed to use ChatGPT and other AI tools for writing assignments?
Should AI-generated art be allowed in art shows or contests?
Who holds responsibility for accidents caused by self-driving cars: the driver or the car company?

Business and Economy

Should we do away with the minimum wage? Why or why not?
Is it ethical for companies to use unpaid internships as a source of labor?
Does the gig economy benefit or harm workers?
Is capitalism the best economic system?
Is it ethical for companies to use sweatshops in developing countries?
Should the government provide free healthcare for all citizens?
Should the government regulate prices on pharmaceutical drugs?
Should the government enact a universal base income?
Should customers be required to tip a minimum amount in order to ensure food service workers make a living wage?
Should someone’s tattoos or personal appearance factor into the hiring process?
Should US workers have more vacation time?
Is big game hunting beneficial for local communities?
Should we legalize euthanasia?
Is it ethical to use animals for medical research?
Is it ethical to allow access to experimental treatments for terminally ill patients?
Should we allow genetic engineering in humans?
Is the death penalty obsolete?
Should we allow the cloning of humans?
Is it ethical to allow performance-enhancing drugs in sports?
Should embryonic stem cell collection be allowed?
Do frozen IVF embryos have rights?
Should state and federal investigators be allowed to use DNA from genealogy databases?
Should the government limit how many children a couple can have?
Is spanking children an acceptable form of discipline?
Should we allow parents to choose their children’s physical attributes through genetic engineering?
Should we require parents to vaccinate their children?
Should we require companies to give mandatory paternal and maternal leave?
Should children be allowed to watch violent movies and video games?
Should parents allow their teenagers to drink before they turn 21?
Should the government provide childcare?
Should telling your children about Santa Claus be considered lying?
Should one parent stay home?
Should parental consent be required for minors to receive birth control?
Is it an invasion of privacy for parents to post photographs of their children on social media?

Social Media

Should social media platforms ban political ads?
Do the benefits of social media outweigh the downsides?
Should the government hold social media companies responsible for hate speech on their platforms?
Is social media making us more or less social?
Do platforms like TikTok exacerbate mental health issues in teens?
Should the government regulate social media to protect citizens’ privacy?
Is it right for parents to monitor their children’s social media accounts?
Should social media companies enact a minimum user age restriction?
Should we require social media companies to protect user data?
Should we hold social media companies responsible for cyberbullying?
Should schools ban the use of social media from their networks?
Should we be allowed to record others without their consent?
Do online crime sleuths help or hurt criminal investigations?

Education – Persuasive Speech Topics

Would trade schools and other forms of vocational training benefit a greater number of students than traditional institutions of higher education?
Should colleges use standardized testing in their admissions processes?
Is forcing students to say the Pledge a violation of their right to freedom of speech?
Should school districts offer bilingual education programs for non-native speakers?
Should schools do away with their physical education requirements?
Should schools incorporate a remote learning option into their curriculum?
Should we allow school libraries to ban certain books?
Should we remove historical figures who owned slaves from school textbooks and other educational materials?
Should we have mixed-level classrooms or divide students according to ability?
Should grading on a curve be allowed?
Should graphic novels be considered literature?
Should all students have to take financial literacy classes before graduating?
Should colleges pay student athletes?
Should we ban violent contact sports like boxing and MMA?
Should sports leagues require professional athletes to stand during the national anthem?
Should sports teams ban players like Kyrie Irving when they spread misinformation or hate speech?
Should high schools require their athletes to maintain a certain GPA?
Should the Olympic committee allow transgender athletes to compete?
Should high schools ban football due to its safety risks to players?
Should all high school students be required to play a team sport?
Should sports teams be mixed instead of single-gender?
Should there be different athletic standards for men and women?
In which renewable energy option would the US do best to invest?
Should the US prioritize space exploration over domestic initiatives?
Should companies with a high carbon footprint be punished?
Should the FDA ban GMOs?
Would the world be a safer place without nuclear weapons?
Does AI pose a greater threat to humanity than it does the potential for advancement?
Who holds the most responsibility for mitigating climate change: individuals or corporations?
Should we be allowed to resurrect extinct species?
Are cancer screening programs ethical?

Social Issues – Persuasive Speech Topics

College education: should the government make it free for all?
Should we provide free healthcare for undocumented immigrants?
Is physician-assisted suicide morally justifiable?
Does social media have a negative impact on democracy?
Does cancel culture impede free speech?
Does affirmative action help or hinder minority groups in the workplace?
Should we hold public figures and celebrities to a higher standard of morality?
Should abortion be an issue that is decided at the federal or state level?
Should the sex offender registry be available to the public?
Should undocumented immigrants have a path to amnesty?
Do syringe services programs reduce or increase harmful behaviors?
Should there be a statute of limitations?
Should those who are convicted of a crime be required to report their criminal history on job and housing applications?

Politics and Government

Is the Electoral College still an effective way to elect the President of the US?
Should we allow judges to serve on the Supreme Court indefinitely?
Should the US establish a national gun registry?
Countries like Israel and China require all citizens to serve in the military. Is this a good or bad policy?
Should the police force require all its officers to wear body cameras while on duty?
Should the US invest in the development of clean meat as a sustainable protein source?
Should the US adopt ranked-choice voting?
Should institutions that profited from slavery provide reparations?
Should the government return land to Native American tribes?
Should there be term limits for representatives and senators?
Should there be an age limit for presidential candidates?
Should women be allowed in special forces units?

Easy Persuasive Speech Topics

Should schools have uniforms?
Can video games improve problem-solving skills?
Are online classes as effective as in-person classes?
Should companies implement a four-day work week?
Co-ed learning versus single-sex: which is more effective?
Should the school day start later?
Is homework an effective teaching tool?
Are electric cars really better for the environment?
Should schools require all students to study a foreign language?
Do professional athletes get paid too much money?

Fun Persuasive Speech Topics

Should we allow pets to run for public office?
Does pineapple belong on pizza?
Would students benefit from schools swapping out desks with more comfortable seating arrangements (i.e., bean bag chairs and couches)?
Is procrastination the key to success?
Should Americans adopt British accents to sound more intelligent?
The age-old dilemma: cats or dogs?
Should meme creators receive royalties when their memes go viral?
Should there be a minimum drinking age for coffee?
Are people who make their beds every day more successful than those who don’t?

Interesting Persuasive Speech Topics

Is the movie ranking system an effective way to evaluate the appropriateness of films?
Should the government place a “health tax” on junk food?
Is it ethical to create artificial life forms that are capable of complex emotions?
Should parents let children choose their own names?
Creating clones of ourselves to serve as organ donors: ethical or not?
Is it ethical to engineer humans to be better and more optimized than nature intended?
Should we adopt a universal language to communicate with people from all countries?
Should there be a penalty for people who don’t vote?
Should calories be printed on menus?
Does tourism positively or negatively impact local communities?
When used by non-Natives, are dreamcatchers cultural appropriation?
Should companies require their employees to specify pronouns in their signature line?
Should commercial fishing be banned?
Are cemeteries sustainable?
Is it okay to change the race, culture, and/or gender of historical figures in movies or TV shows?

I’ve Chosen My Topic, Now What?

Once you’ve selected your topic, it’s time to get to work crafting your argument. Preparation for a persuasive speech or essay involves some key steps, which we’ve outlined for you below.

How to Create a Successful Persuasive Speech, Step by Step

Research your topic. Read widely and smartly. Stick to credible sources, such as peer-reviewed articles, published books, government reports, textbooks, and news articles. The right sources and data will be necessary to help you establish your authority. As you go, take notes on the details and nuances of your topic as well as potential counterarguments. Research the counterarguments, too.
Choose an angle. For example, if you chose the topic “Should we limit screen time for children?” your speech should come down firmly on one side of that debate. If your topic is frequently debated, such as abortion, capital punishment, gun control, social media, etc. try to find a niche angle or new research. For example, instead of “Should abortion be legal?” you might consider “Should you be able to order abortion pills online?” Another example: “Should the death penalty be banned?” might become “How long is it ethical for someone to stay on death row?” If you do some digging, even the most cliche topics have incredibly interesting and relatively unexplored sub-topics.
Create an outline. Your outline should include an introduction with a thesis statement, a body that uses evidence to elaborate and support your position while refuting any counterarguments, and a conclusion. The conclusion will both summarize the points made earlier and serve as your final chance to persuade your audience.
Write your speech. Use your outline to help you as well as the data you’ve collected. Remember: this is not dry writing; this writing has a point of view, and that point of view is yours . Accordingly, use anecdotes and examples to back up your argument. The essential components of this speech are logos (logic), ethos (credibility), and pathos (emotion) . The ideal speech will use all three of these functions to engage the audience.

How to Practice and Deliver a Persuasive Speech

Talk to yourself in the mirror, record yourself, and/or hold a practice speech for family or friends. If you’ll be using visual cues, a slide deck, or notecards, practice incorporating them seamlessly into your speech. You should practice until your speech feels very familiar, at least 5-10 times.
Practice body language. Are you making eye contact with your audience, or looking at the ground? Crossing your arms over your chest or walking back and forth across the room? Playing with your hair, cracking your knuckles, or picking at your clothes? Practicing what to do with your body, face, and hands will help you feel more confident on speech day.
Take it slow. It’s common to talk quickly while delivering a speech—most of us want to get it over with! However, your audience will be able to connect with you much more effectively if you speak at a moderate pace, breathe, and pause when appropriate.
Give yourself grace. How you recover from a mistake is much more important than the mistake itself. Typically, the best approach is to good-naturedly shrug off a blip and move on. 99% of the time, your audience won’t even notice!

Good Persuasive Speech Topics—Final Thoughts

The art of persuasive speaking is a tricky one, but the tips and tricks laid out here will help you craft a compelling argument that will sway even the most dubious audience to your side. Mastering this art takes both time and practice, so don’t fret if it doesn’t come to you right away. Remember to draw upon your sources, speak with authority, and have fun. Once you have the skill of persuasive speaking down, go out there and use your voice to impact change!

Looking for some hot-button topics in college admissions? You might consider checking out the following:

Do Colleges Look at Social Media?
Should I Apply Test-Optional to College?
Should I Waive My Right to See Letters of Recommendation?
Should I Use the Common App Additional Information Section?
High School Success

Lauren Green

With a Bachelor of Arts in Creative Writing from Columbia University and an MFA in Fiction from the Michener Center for Writers at the University of Texas at Austin, Lauren has been a professional writer for over a decade. She is the author of the chapbook A Great Dark House (Poetry Society of America, 2023) and a forthcoming novel (Viking/Penguin).

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My Speech Class

Public Speaking Tips & Speech Topics

212 Speech Topics For College Students [Persuasive, Informative, Impromptu]

Jim Peterson has over 20 years experience on speech writing. He wrote over 300 free speech topic ideas and how-to guides for any kind of public speaking and speech writing assignments at My Speech Class.

In this article:

Informative

For higher education, thesis statement examples.

List of Speech Topics For College Students

How Schools Should Improve the Quality of Teaching.
Why You Should Apply For International Exchange Programs.
What to Do About Low Self-esteem?
What You Can Do to Cut Poverty Rates.
Refurbish your old computer PC!
Seat belts in school buses increase passenger safety.
Qualitative consumer market research give fundamental insight.
Professors should never be allowed to crush a student’s dream.
It is important for students to find organisations to get involved in.
Students should take time to go visit their family and friends back home.
Setting goals is important.
Students must not be afraid to ask questions.
Students shouldn’t be afraid to challenge a professor if they disagree with something.
A study now and party later attitude should be adapted.
Contrary to popular belief college kids do want their parents to fuss.
Every college student needs a mentor.
College students should start applying for jobs before they leave college.
Students should spend more time enjoying their campus.
It is important to be able to cook and do washing before starting college.
Students need to make dorm check lists.
Students should form study groups.
Students should do extra credit.
Students shouldn’t drink or smoke just because they want to fit in.
Every student sharing a dorm or apartment should get themselves earplugs.
Changing a major isn’t the end of the world.
Students should make time to work out.
Getting a job on campus is beneficial to a student.
Students should write down questions that they need to ask the college tour guide.
To get a true sense of what a college is really like students should visit while it’s in session.
It is important to have study time scheduled into your day. Study time should be scheduled into a students day.
A student’s syllabus is a wonderful tool that should be used to its full potential.
Students should not be embarrassed to go see a tutor if they are struggling.
Rewriting notes is a good way of reviewing study material.
Students need to take breaks to do things other than just studying.
Students should treat themselves to something they like at the end of very demanding weeks.
Students should make use of student discounts.
Being well organise will help students to avoid stress.
The internet is full of great resources that are beneficial to students.
Students can volunteer their way into scholarship money.
Students should attend all the orientations available to them.
Finding an ideal place to study is important.
Academic advisers are key resources for students.
When students don’t get along with their advisers they should request another.
It is important that students have a balanced life.
Never make hasty decisions on what to major in.
Students should not procrastinate.
Homesickness will affect even the students who could not wait to leave home.
Students need to set up a budget and stick to it.
Professors want students who want to learn, participate and show commitment to learning.
Having a conversation with a classmate during class is an insult to the professor.
Students should dress appropriately to class.
Students should never turn in work that doesn’t follow their professors guidelines.
It’s a good move to sit towards the front of the classroom.
There should be a system in place to minimise students from dropping out of college.
To save money students should make use of campus amenities.
College students will need flip-flops in the bathroom.
Students should visit their college counselling centre at least once a week.
Students should take advantage of all the free activities on campus.
Getting caught doing illegal things will be very bad for any college record.
Students should register for classes as early as possible.
Getting a job during the first semester isn’t a good idea.
Study groups should be kept small.
Students living in dorms should wash their hands often.
College demands 100% effort.
Parents shouldn’t yell at kids who no longer get straight A’s like they did before attending college.
Students need to carry condoms with them at all times.
Pregnancy shouldn’t be the end of a student’s college dream.
Students need to realise that most people’s social media posts are exaggerated.
High levels of pressure can lead to suicide.
Students should never be told they are failures, even when they have failed.
Virtual classroom will take over in future.
Students who were raised by over controlling parents will have a hard time dealing with all the changes once they start college.
Convincing a student to stay in college is very important.
Long distant relationships do not work.
Students should marry someone with the same level of education.
Believing that everyone will mature in college is a myth.
Students should always back up their files.
Roommates need to have a good talk when they are having issues.
Applying for a summer orientation position for incoming students will be good for a student.
There is no need for a car in campus.
Keeping a journal is a great idea.
Going to career fairs is a smart move.
Students should not over commit themselves just to look good on their resumes.
It is important that students check their emails often.
Becoming a Resident Assistant is a good idea.
Libraries are a cool place to study.
Freshman 15 is a real thing.
Students should be careful about whom they borrow things to.
Credit cards are not a good idea for college students.
Shy students should attend a public speaking class.
Students should take small classes with professors that write recommendations.
A student should write a thesis even if they don’t need to.
Opportunities to study abroad should always be accepted.
College students should not go home every weekend.
Internships are overrated.
Students should take advantage of free tutoring.
Most college friendships are temporary.
Undergraduation does not mean you are not qualified for a succesful career.
The majority of graduate students struggle with emotional fatigue.
Legalizing prostitution will avoid campus date rape incidents.
It is important for college students to take a Sabbatical.
Every graduation student should obtain foreign experience.
An online spell checker isn’t enough for your research paper essay.
Censorship is needed in college and high school drama productions.
Why you must sign the Student Pledge Against Gun Violence.
Persuade the government to pay the basic healthcare of students.
Do undercover FBI agents belong on campus?

College speech topics to attain indirect clues about themes intended to apply in higher learning presentations by little or less effort on the road to a successful presentation.

Award or graduation ceremonies revealed from the backstage.
How to become a cheerleader and transcend yourself to indispensability.
Chemistry experiments and scientific breaktroughs.
Horse racing and betting procedures – compare odds bookmakers.
My plans for the future after I have completed this year:
How spy sunglasses and airport bodyscans can see through clothes.
Diving expeditions to shipwrecks that are buried on the ocean sand floor.
Famous painters and paintings from the Golden Century.
Favourite movie characters which are voiced by actors.
Why meet and greet Asian people politely.
Dining etiquette you must know for all occasions.
Digital multitrack music recording works to compose top hits.
Impress people at first sight – the psychology behind that adagium.
What would you do if you should have an unexpected week off?
What would you like to know more about.
What is your favourite career field, something that make all the difference?
Clothing styles and name brands for prom nights.
Famous fashion or sports apparel designers – as seen on tennis tv shows.
Your worst campus activities in the days your are off.
Mountain biking is fun and earth-friendly they say, it is risky too.
How I earn money with … (fill in a not ordinary student job)
Enhance campus life in dorm rooms by nice pranks.
Fashion trends this spring and summer, autumn and winter.
Secrets of the Bermuda Triangle revealed.
The hip-hop lifestyle is a no-life style.
Dangers of a cyber relationship on shady late night moments.
Start your own internet broadcast program in three steps.
How to impress people at first sight.
Ways to enhance campus life.
The causes of the American civil war.
How i prepared my trip to Europe.
The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.
The Wonders of the Medieval World.
The Natural Wonders of the World.
The Wonders of the Modern Word.
The Vikings Boats – The fighting fleet of prehistoric Scandinavia.
The Samurai Warriors – Story of the Japanese military nobility.
Bermuda Triangle – The haunted southeastern Atlantic coast area.
Harry Houdini – The Great Illusionist and Magician.
The most famous cities of the Maya culture.
What are bar and bat Mitzvah.
The travels of Marco Polo.
What is an ISBN number and how it works.
What is an eclipse.
The secrets of crop circles.
Yoga for beginners.
5 dangers of cyber relationships.
The world’s time zones.
How photosynthesis works in plants.
Special tricks to remain focused during lectures.
Sanction for students that are caught cheating around the world.
Summer jobs for students.
How our graduate system compares to other countries.
Check list for leadership of student council members
Graduation party ideas to impress your guests.

College speech topic inventory of logical action sequences for higher education students. All are broad and should be narrowed for a classroom speech. For example, Safe Sunbathing can be narrowed to persuasion on your personal tips on how to enjoy the sun safely on holidays.

Another sample: Homesickness. E.g. describe what it is, how it feels, what forms exist and what you can do about it yourself or with help from professionals.

Most and for all, read the higher education assignment rules and requirements very, very carefully. Do not take issues everyone will consider as overused.

Choose the one you like. When in doubt: ask friends or your public speaking professor.

Can We Write Your Speech?

Get your audience blown away with help from a professional speechwriter. Free proofreading and copy-editing included.

College education years are absolute not the best years of our life
Coping with anxiety in life
Dealing with loss and mourning grief
Honesty in college really matters
How to communicate effectively at our campus
How to cope with an autistic person
The international diplomatic circus
My motto: Learn from the past, prepare the future, and live present
Limiting the promotion of alcohol diminishes traffic casualties
My goals for the student council election
The pros or cons of organ donating
Safe sunbathing is a must in sunshine states
Sports football vs. soccer, or other sports for another college speech topic
Studying alone or studying with a group of college students?
Why skipping classes can isolate a student socially.
Ten rules for achieving successes
Cheesy pickup lines you should not stick on your vehicle
Funny awards and their meanings
High Tech industry job opportunities
Homesickness is not pose
How to boost confidence in public speaking
Handling your drunken roommate
How to stay in touch with old college mates
Money problems – this is a very hot college speech idea 🙂
Problem drinkers and the problems that occur
Human services in health care
The Free Speech Movement
Time management skills are no luxury these days
What I will do when I retire
Why movies are popular, or take one special movie that’s in and make a presentation of it.

The inventory can be expanded to many more. Here are three methods for developing:

Look in the education resources you have access to for surprising new bare facts and background data sheets.
And categorize the information in easy to do step by step instructions and logical educational action sequences.
Ask college classmates and peers for their opinions, thoughts, ideas and needs on the chochosenllege speech topic.

These informative speech topics for college students are not only nice for preparing the best public speaking speech, but also for essay writing, I have noticed.

Some students who provide me feedback and additional tips, wrote that they have successfully adapted these five samples for writing and essay or paper.

The suggested sub-points are given to spark your imagination,; expand or focus them till they fit the requirements of the educational assignment.

Impromptu speech topics for college in case your are required to speak in front of everyone out of the blue about specific issues ad-libbing as public speaking training:

Second, use my basic outline template. Print it and learn the simple structure by heart. No worries, it is really that simple 🙂

Do keep it simple. Especially when you have to speak for let’s say a minute of three to five. To put it roughly: one minute per main point often will do the trick! Rehearse your first line.

Rehearse your last line; that is your relevant call to action. See more of my basic checks for speaking off the cuff when you are invited to do so.

Show the essence of a college sports scholarship.
Present the reasons why international climate change mitigation strategies will fall short. Tip: each of those reasons could be good by themselves.
Decide the value of a BA or Master degree.
Show similarities and differences of good college essays.
Distinguish the economic differences between the North and South.
Give a judgment of the positive and negative effects of video games on kids.
Make clear what the word quality means under certain circumstances.
Provide the detailed features of your new iPhone. Or take an alternative gadget for similar impromptu speech topics for college.
List and judge the for and against of anti-doping programs in sports.
List the steps to help making an informed decision about a future professional career.
The usefulness of your public speaking training abilities.
Make clear how and why people get a burnout.
What is a final salary scheme in calculating retirement pensions?
The value of information provided through school libraries.
Why intelligence services must apply forms of domestic spying.
The effects of industrialization after the invention of the steam engine.
Teen girls are getting very liberal with sexual favors, no that’s a false understatement.
Be a critic of impromptu speech topics for college of your public speaking instructor suggests.
Wrap up the last meeting of your campus community board; any decisions taken for example about sports scholarships improvements?
The interesting process of genetic reproductive cloning, by which an animal is created with the same DNA as an existing animal.

Speech topics for college students formulated as ready to go public speaking education thesis statements.

Just alter the sentences in the way you like it and there you are: you have your own personal slides and sheets writings for stirring the fire up somewhat and start a function or action based on the classic rhetorica essentials and oral hints for a higher education auditor.

Safety considerations related to school buses which operate under the supervision of the transportation authority boards.

Methods family genealogists use to research history and how they interpret data in an annotative critical perseverance way.

These are also very usable for starting up the thinking process for example essay writing and researching projects

Mass vaccination is a good public health strategy for protecting people in potential disaster regions against cholera. Or of course choose other diseases to get stringent in content speech topics if you study for gaining a degree in a specific area.
The concerns raised by the refurbishing of old computer PCs and recycling other consumer electronics.
Sedation could be a humanitarian solution for transporting acutely or critically ill patients and diminish safety risk issues on the way to hospital.
How a financial planner can identify those estate planning issues that are most forthcoming to you, and how you can solve many of the financial problems encountered.
I have also grouped and explained the famous travels of Marco Polo in three periods for vocal expressions if you like to orate on a great adventurer of centuries ago.
Consumer market research is an inevitable instrument to collect exact or valuable haphazard speech topics for college students data before you sell any goods.
How the seventeenth century judicial system of Checks and Balances is constituated in the US Constitution based on the hypothesis and theories of the father of the modern state structures, the honorable French politician Charles de Montesquieu.
Persons who are following a 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th grades course and who are gifted and talented should be provided with special education funds for high-achieving pupils, like the tropicana program for public speaking education.
Common emotional problems with wills and trusts and ways to handle them adequately.
There should be one uniform standard set of higher learning edu challenges in closing commencement rates with the same characteristics for similar bookworm populations.
Employees have the responsibility to prevent sexual harassment, to response appropriate, and participate in misconduct investigations.
The importance for college students, teachers, and instructors of improving social studies knowledge of controversial civic issues.
You can distillate many college persuasive speech topics out of this topic for public speaking. Map out the food gap between developing and rich countries; the trends over time and how the United Nations Millenium Goal policy could cut poverty rates.
The labor force population explained. The employed, unemployed and self-employed put into the context of the labor policy of our government. The problems, causes and possible solutions.
How emerging India has become a serious international space competitive in the past years, and future topics related to India’s space race in the next decade.
Why bilingual language education divides us Americans. Some persuasive speech topics for school to consider for public speaking students are: why every new citizen should learn both English and Spanish, or just another universal foreign language.
Five ways to help the partially sighted or blind; visually impaired people in ordinairy life. Motivate your public speaking audience to act immediately!
The National holidays other countries around the world celebrate with various names, traditions and cultures. Why do we have so much national holidays. Take some discutable ones and translate them into college persuasive speech topics.
Husbands and wives should have the right to decide freely to have as many children as they can properly raise. The one-child policy in the People’s Republic of China is not acceptable for us in the Western Hemisphere? Or is it the only way to stop overpopulation?
The goals of the science of Paleontology – what do students want to achieve with the studying of prehistoric life, olds stines and fossils. Are they sufficiently enough?
Why we should help to prevent and to improve therapeutic treatment methods and extensive educational programs on stuttering. Do the existing methods work?
The basics of risk management explained in detail – the determination, the prevention, and the control of dangers.
Human body language is the one and only Cupido guide to success in dating; it reveals everything about her or him and of course about yourself.
How to cut the expensive costs of dorm fees, books, food and transportation and have a good and relaxed campus life as well. Wow, these are real speech topics for college – it paves the path to many more supplements.
Why a professional business and management liability insurance is not a luxury, but an essential need for each and every company.
What every employee should know about earn gratuities and the related regulations and obligations under the Income Tax Act.
Why we should buy an IPhone and why not – the pros and cons of the Apple invention explained for mobile phone dummies.
Why so-called Pro Bono Lawyers are not philanthropically legal aid attorneys for charity. How they work on deductive premises – bring home the steps in the legal process – is an alternative option to work out.
Human Papillomavirus and Chlamydia are the most common bacterial sexually transmitted diseases at college campuses and therefore actual public speaking speech topics for college students to deliver in class.
Carbon monoxide poisoning or the silent assassin that can build up to dangerous levels while you are sleeping – describe the causes, the problems, the treatment and how it can be prevented.
Stop the state and federal budget cuts to the deaf access programs and services for persons with a hearing disability. Or take other disability programs to make a personal and political statement.

10 Oratory Speech Topics + Template

104 Environmental Speech Topics [Persuasive, Informative]

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50 Interesting Informative Speech Topics for College

26 September, 2020

15 minutes read

Author: Mathieu Johnson

Informative speeches grant speakers a responsible mission of educating people about significant ideas and themes. They’re also about sharing thoughts and opinions on this or that topic, aimed at expanding understanding and providing listeners with relevant insights for further deliberation. Therefore, it’s a particular type of speeches given to put things into sharp focus and offer food for thought. Read up to know which informative speech topics have the most impact.

What is an informative speech?

As mentioned above, it’s a kind of speech that, well, informs the audience about your topic. Sounds simple enough, but simplicity is deceptive, and there are enough secrets behind this science. Specifically, not all people are fully aware of the fact that the “what” question is a key element that needs to be answered, for with informative speeches, you want to choose a topic most likely to be well received.

Of course, you can speak about something you already know, but you can also talk about the topic which is absolutely new to you. In this case, however, you must make sure that the theme will be relatively easy to research and studied before speech delivery. Another important point worth noticing is that organizational requirements and type of information for informative speech usually intertwines with those for an informative essay, for the latter is often an extension of the first.

How to write an informative speech?

So, now it’s time to move from theory to practice and write an informative speech. But where do you start from?

Although there are many different processes involved in the process, we’ll narrow them to essentials to help you better grasp the idea of how a perfect speech should be tailored.

Stage 1. Research and Brainstorming

Think about the topic.

The first and most crucial step is about choosing the right topic. We’ve mentioned before that it’s vital to select the issue you feel free to talk about. However, there are also cases when professors assign a specific task for you. Either way, the point here is to conduct thorough research based on the given or chosen topic.

If you want to explain the history of some company, band or event, for example, make sure to deliver the message clearly, without going here and there. For this, consider talking about particular points which will cover the whole speech and help the audience quickly digest it. Otherwise, your speech will depart from the topic, and listeners will find it challenging to follow your thoughts.

Gather Evidence

Every scholarly work proves its credibility by the inclusion of relevant sources to show both the audience and the instructor that you’ve put enough effort into the work to sound authoritative. This is a great chance to get a good mark, but more importantly, earn trust from listeners. To cite the evidence correctly, you can search for some facts, stats, or numbers in a variety of sources. These include textbooks, books, and encyclopedias (online ones work as well), scholarly articles, reputable news bureaus, and government documents. If these are hard to find for you, think of alternatives, like online journals and magazines. But be careful and don’t use sources from there if they are not credible and reputable. As an example, use The New York Times, The Guardian, Harvard Business Review, SAJE journals, Forbes, etc.

Also, keep in mind that the evidence you’ll use should depend on the subject of your talk. If it’s about science, check scientific publications. If it’s about medicine – embark upon texts on this specific sphere. Finally, don’t forget to create a works cited page at the end of your speech and put all your sources there. Even if your instructor does not specify such a requirement, create a list anyways. This will help you keep references organized, and you will be able to pick a suitable one from the list.

Generate a Nice Thesis

A thesis is the core of impactful speech that tells listeners about its focal points. It also reveals the purpose of your speech and provides the audience with an insight into what the speech is all about. Notably, your thesis should not exceed the length of one-two sentences and be as precise as possible. More so, thesis, like the speech itself, is not about convincing people to take your topic stance immediately. Rather, it’s about informing listeners about significant events or cases which they could analyze and make relevant conclusions themselves. No need to push them or force to change the perspective, just try to be genuine and honest with people you’re talking to. Considering that it’s a scholarly piece of work, there’s no room for appealing to emotions or subjective claims. So in informative speeches, objectivity is the key player.

How to Start Informative Speech Writing?

Informative speech outline

The outline is a skeleton of your speech that briefly explains each of your points. This is basically a list of short sentences which reveal the meaning of your main speech ideas. Remember that this list is not for the audience; it’s for your own use. So the task here is to write about every point in a way you’ll understand. You can also use notecards instead of paper so that it’ll be much easier for you not to get lost in a sea of ideas and organize the speech properly. Tip: include numbers and capital letters for headings, and bullet points or other figures to mark subheadings.

If you are still unsure on whether you can cope with your task – you are in the right place to get help. Our essay writers will easily answer the to the question “Who can write my speech?”

Stage 2. Writing

Once the sketches are ready and you have a clear understanding of what to speak about, move on straight to writing.

Craft an Engaging Intro

What does engaging stand for in this case? It denotes some speech elements which will be enticing for listeners from the first sentence. It’s a common practice to start speeches with different hooks to call for more people’s attention. There are a plethora of techniques you can use to make an unforgettable first impression: jokes, anecdotes, examples from personal life, interesting statistics, rhetorical questions, quotes of famous people. You can even invent your own attention-grabber which will help you knock down listeners.

Give More Detail in the Main Body

Once you managed to create impact by the introduction and made sure everyone will be eager to listen to you further, you need to expand the explanation of key speech ideas in a well-structured, organized manner. Like in regular life, you start a story from the beginning to the end, while gradually moving from one idea to another. The same goes for informative speech – you need to ensure that the flow of your narration is logical and concise, fully elaborated, and precise. Also, don’t forget about making transitions between sentences. They will make your speech flow naturally, helping the audience to process the information much easier and effortlessly.

Wrap Everything Up in Conclusion

The ending of your informative speech should restate the main idea and the thesis you’ve mentioned in the introduction. There’s no need to say new things that will only confuse your audience. Instead, all the conclusion needs is a nice wrapping of the already stated claims.

So basically you want to review your main points and thereby deliver listeners a message which they will perceive as a major takeaway from what you’ve just told them. However, the introductory part should by no means repeat previous information word by word. It’s just a short restatement that covers up the main points.

Proofread and Edit the Final Version

Once the text is written entirely, it’s a must for you to double check it to avoid possible mistakes. If your informative speech turns out not as informative as expected due to grammatical or lexical errors, you’ll not be taken seriously, which we bet is not the purpose of delivering your talk. So, to prevent casualties from happening, you’ll need to use reliable editing and proofreading tools. Grammarly is an excellent source for this. Its accurate algorithm detects all kinds of mistakes and fixes them on the fly in a matter of seconds. And you can also check the text for plagiarism to make sure that it has no analogs anywhere on the web.

The Writing Process of Informative Speech

Stage 3. Perfecting Speech Delivery

Memorize your speech.

Half work is done – you have a writing piece. Now it’s time to learn it. Of course, it’ll take you time to do this, but with a little patience and enough time, you can memorize it even faster than expected. Besides, it’s not recommended to learn the speech from A to Z, inside out and upside down by heart. If your instructor is indulgent enough, feel free to memorize your talk in a way that allows you to explain your ideas clearly and consistently. To facilitate the process of learning, you can memorize sentence by sentence until you’re confident. And even if you forget something during delivery, you can always count on the outline that’ll give you a hint on what to talk about next.

Practice Reading Speech Aloud

When the final product is finally ready and polished, you need to concentrate on reading it.

Practice the speech in a mirror, to a friend/relative/pet, or record yourself to trace the tone and intonation. This way, you’ll make sure that your informative speech is brilliant and you deliver it just the way you wanted. Besides, this practice can help you critically evaluate the flaws and correct them before the actual delivery. Have enough time for this, because even experienced speakers always rehearse their speeches. Finally, focus on the way you use gestures, the way you stand and look at the audience, and facial expressions.

List of informative speech topics

There are lots of easy informative speech topics to choose from, but we offer you to review our topics list with some of the most alluring ones to get you started. Let’s examine pro informative topics that’ll help you write a memorable speech.

Topics for informative speech about music

Frank Sinatra – a beloved father of music
The drastic evolution of french music
Deep house – the most popular music style among youngsters
Why did rock and roll became an epitome of popular dance music
Why does reggae music most known under the name of Bob Marley
The psychological and physical benefits of listening to music
Chill, lounge and electronica has market the era of progressive sound
The impact of rap music on society at large
The art of playing the violin
The evolution of jazz music and its connection to historical movements

Informative speech topics about animals

Why are so many animals under extinction today and how do we fix it?
Why dogs are considered as humans best friend?
The history and evolution of polar bears
Why does rhinos horn trimming in South Africa still allowed
How to properly raise chinchillas
The most dangerous types of dogs on the planet
Staggering intellectual abilities of elephants baffle even scientists
How to keep snakes away and save your life
Different types of butterflies
The history of bees and their role in the world

Topics for informative speech about global warming

Patterns in climate change: rising temperatures and flooding
What Effects does Climate Change have on the Earth and its Inhabitants?
What are the practical solutions to global warming
What is global warming and what causes it?
The future of global warming: dismal predictions and statistics
Controversial opinions about global warming
The greenhouse effect as the top one reason of climate change
The global issue of global warming: what’s next?
Humans are responsible for the emergence and progress of global warming
Sanctions against generation of greenhouses: will they ever take place?

Informative speech ideas about sports

How sports improve human physical and psychological health
Is golf the game of the past?
The real life of sport teams: from trainings to furious games
Can roller skating be considered a kind of sport?
What’s more dangerous: white water rafting or ice diving?
The history of sports: whom do we owe respect?
Hockey 101: gear, playing techniques, team spirit
Why is boxing the most dangerous type of sports
The most unusual kinds of sports humans have invented
The importance and potential threat of football for the world

Interesting speech topics about food and drinks

How to bake a cake and not put on weight
Why does alcohol bring so much trouble to contemporary youth?
There are no superfoods, the study shows
Does fast food really cause addiction?
The secret ingredient of Coca Cola and why you’ll never want to drink it again
If the fruit diet useful for health?
Why bananas can save the world
Eating vegetables and olive oil is a golden ticket to rejuvenation
What’s the difference between natural and processed foods?
Why eating pizza is the worst way to get away with cooking

As you can see from the list of topics for speeches, informative speech is a perfect occasion to explore interesting themes in depth and share your knowledge with people who are most likely to learn new things with you. Discovering a variety of topics and writing them on paper is perhaps the most engaging task your instructor has ever assigned you. And if you find it challenging to come with the right idea for a good topic, just send a “ write my speech ” request, and we’ll complete your order in no time.

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112 Persuasive Speech Topics That Are Actually Engaging

What’s covered:, how to pick an awesome persuasive speech topic, 112 engaging persuasive speech topics, tips for preparing your persuasive speech.

Writing a stellar persuasive speech requires a carefully crafted argument that will resonate with your audience to sway them to your side. This feat can be challenging to accomplish, but an engaging, thought-provoking speech topic is an excellent place to start.

When it comes time to select a topic for your persuasive speech, you may feel overwhelmed by all the options to choose from—or your brain may be drawing a completely blank slate. If you’re having trouble thinking of the perfect topic, don’t worry. We’re here to help!

In this post, we’re sharing how to choose the perfect persuasive speech topic and tips to prepare for your speech. Plus, you’ll find 112 persuasive speech topics that you can take directly from us or use as creative inspiration for your own ideas!

Choose Something You’re Passionate About

It’s much easier to write, research, and deliver a speech about a cause you care about. Even if it’s challenging to find a topic that completely sparks your interest, try to choose a topic that aligns with your passions.

However, keep in mind that not everyone has the same interests as you. Try to choose a general topic to grab the attention of the majority of your audience, but one that’s specific enough to keep them engaged.

For example, suppose you’re giving a persuasive speech about book censorship. In that case, it’s probably too niche to talk about why “To Kill a Mockingbird” shouldn’t be censored (even if it’s your favorite book), and it’s too broad to talk about media censorship in general.

Steer Clear of Cliches

Have you already heard a persuasive speech topic presented dozens of times? If so, it’s probably not an excellent choice for your speech—even if it’s an issue you’re incredibly passionate about.

Although polarizing topics like abortion and climate control are important to discuss, they aren’t great persuasive speech topics. Most people have already formed an opinion on these topics, which will either cause them to tune out or have a negative impression of your speech.

Instead, choose topics that are fresh, unique, and new. If your audience has never heard your idea presented before, they will be more open to your argument and engaged in your speech.

Have a Clear Side of Opposition

For a persuasive speech to be engaging, there must be a clear side of opposition. To help determine the arguability of your topic, ask yourself: “If I presented my viewpoint on this topic to a group of peers, would someone disagree with me?” If the answer is yes, then you’ve chosen a great topic!

Now that we’ve laid the groundwork for what it takes to choose a great persuasive speech topic, here are over one hundred options for you to choose from.

Should high school athletes get tested for steroids?
Should schools be required to have physical education courses?
Should sports grades in school depend on things like athletic ability?
What sport should be added to or removed from the Olympics?
Should college athletes be able to make money off of their merchandise?
Should sports teams be able to recruit young athletes without a college degree?
Should we consider video gamers as professional athletes?
Is cheerleading considered a sport?
Should parents allow their kids to play contact sports?
Should professional female athletes be paid the same as professional male athletes?
Should college be free at the undergraduate level?
Is the traditional college experience obsolete?
Should you choose a major based on your interests or your potential salary?
Should high school students have to meet a required number of service hours before graduating?
Should teachers earn more or less based on how their students perform on standardized tests?
Are private high schools more effective than public high schools?
Should there be a minimum number of attendance days required to graduate?
Are GPAs harmful or helpful?
Should schools be required to teach about standardized testing?
Should Greek Life be banned in the United States?
Should schools offer science classes explicitly about mental health?
Should students be able to bring their cell phones to school?
Should all public restrooms be all-gender?
Should undocumented immigrants have the same employment and education opportunities as citizens?
Should everyone be paid a living wage regardless of their employment status?
Should supremacist groups be able to hold public events?
Should guns be allowed in public places?
Should the national drinking age be lowered?
Should prisoners be allowed to vote?
Should the government raise or lower the retirement age?
Should the government be able to control the population?
Is the death penalty ethical?

Environment

Should stores charge customers for plastic bags?
Should breeding animals (dogs, cats, etc.) be illegal?
Is it okay to have exotic animals as pets?
Should people be fined for not recycling?
Should compost bins become mandatory for restaurants?
Should electric vehicles have their own transportation infrastructure?
Would heavier fining policies reduce corporations’ emissions?
Should hunting be encouraged or illegal?
Should reusable diapers replace disposable diapers?

Science & Technology

Is paper media more reliable than digital news sources?
Should automated/self-driving cars be legalized?
Should schools be required to provide laptops to all students?
Should software companies be able to have pre-downloaded programs and applications on devices?
Should drones be allowed in military warfare?
Should scientists invest more or less money into cancer research?
Should cloning be illegal?
Should societies colonize other planets?
Should there be legal oversight over the development of technology?

Social Media

Should there be an age limit on social media?
Should cyberbullying have the same repercussions as in-person bullying?
Are online relationships as valuable as in-person relationships?
Does “cancel culture” have a positive or negative impact on societies?
Are social media platforms reliable information or news sources?
Should social media be censored?
Does social media create an unrealistic standard of beauty?
Is regular social media usage damaging to real-life interactions?
Is social media distorting democracy?
How many branches of government should there be?
Who is the best/worst president of all time?
How long should judges serve in the U.S. Supreme Court?
Should a more significant portion of the U.S. budget be contributed towards education?
Should the government invest in rapid transcontinental transportation infrastructure?
Should airport screening be more or less stringent?
Should the electoral college be dismantled?
Should the U.S. have open borders?
Should the government spend more or less money on space exploration?
Should students sing Christmas carols, say the pledge of allegiance, or perform other tangentially religious activities?
Should nuns and priests become genderless roles?
Should schools and other public buildings have prayer rooms?
Should animal sacrifice be legal if it occurs in a religious context?
Should countries be allowed to impose a national religion on their citizens?
Should the church be separated from the state?
Does freedom of religion positively or negatively affect societies?

Parenting & Family

Is it better to have children at a younger or older age?
Is it better for children to go to daycare or stay home with their parents?
Does birth order affect personality?
Should parents or the school system teach their kids about sex?
Are family traditions important?
Should parents smoke or drink around young children?
Should “spanking” children be illegal?
Should parents use swear words in front of their children?
Should parents allow their children to play violent video games?

Entertainment

Should all actors be paid the same regardless of gender or ethnicity?
Should all award shows be based on popular vote?
Who should be responsible for paying taxes on prize money, the game show staff or the contestants?
Should movies and television shows have ethnicity and gender quotas?
Should newspapers and magazines move to a completely online format?
Should streaming services like Netflix and Hulu be free for students?
Is the movie rating system still effective?
Should celebrities have more privacy rights?

Arts & Humanities

Are libraries becoming obsolete?
Should all schools have mandatory art or music courses in their curriculum?
Should offensive language be censored from classic literary works?
Is it ethical for museums to keep indigenous artifacts?
Should digital designs be considered an art form?
Should abstract art be considered an art form?
Is music therapy effective?
Should tattoos be regarded as “professional dress” for work?
Should schools place greater emphasis on the arts programs?
Should euthanasia be allowed in hospitals and other clinical settings?
Should the government support and implement universal healthcare?
Would obesity rates lower if the government intervened to make healthy foods more affordable?
Should teenagers be given access to birth control pills without parental consent?
Should food allergies be considered a disease?
Should health insurance cover homeopathic medicine?
Is using painkillers healthy?
Should genetically modified foods be banned?
Should there be a tax on unhealthy foods?
Should tobacco products be banned from the country?
Should the birth control pill be free for everyone?

If you need more help brainstorming topics, especially those that are personalized to your interests, you can use CollegeVine’s free AI tutor, Ivy . Ivy can help you come up with original persuasive speech ideas, and she can also help with the rest of your homework, from math to languages.

Do Your Research

A great persuasive speech is supported with plenty of well-researched facts and evidence. So before you begin the writing process, research both sides of the topic you’re presenting in-depth to gain a well-rounded perspective of the topic.

Understand Your Audience

It’s critical to understand your audience to deliver a great persuasive speech. After all, you are trying to convince them that your viewpoint is correct. Before writing your speech, consider the facts and information that your audience may already know, and think about the beliefs and concerns they may have about your topic. Then, address these concerns in your speech, and be mindful to include fresh, new information.

Have Someone Read Your Speech

Once you have finished writing your speech, have someone read it to check for areas of strength and improvement. You can use CollegeVine’s free essay review tool to get feedback on your speech from a peer!

Practice Makes Perfect

After completing your final draft, the key to success is to practice. Present your speech out loud in front of a mirror, your family, friends, and basically, anyone who will listen. Not only will the feedback of others help you to make your speech better, but you’ll become more confident in your presentation skills and may even be able to commit your speech to memory.

Hopefully, these ideas have inspired you to write a powerful, unique persuasive speech. With the perfect topic, plenty of practice, and a boost of self-confidence, we know you’ll impress your audience with a remarkable speech!

16 Public Speaking Tips for Students

Arlin Cuncic, MA, is the author of The Anxiety Workbook and founder of the website About Social Anxiety. She has a Master's degree in clinical psychology.

Aron Janssen, MD is board certified in child, adolescent, and adult psychiatry and is the vice chair of child and adolescent psychiatry Northwestern University.

Public speaking tips for students aim to reduce anxiety that can interfere with giving presentations or speeches in class. These tips can also be helpful for those with social anxiety disorder (SAD) who have difficulty speaking in front of a group or telling a story among friends.

Public Speaking Tips

If you have SAD and need to give a speech in elementary school, high school, college, or university, it helps to be as prepared as possible . Beyond preparation, however, there are strategies that you can use to reduce anxiety and fight the urge to stay home with a fake illness.

Even great speakers practice their speeches beforehand. Practice out loud with a recording device or video camera and then watch yourself to see how you can improve. If you are feeling brave, practice in front of a friend or family member and ask for feedback.

Talk about what you know : If possible, choose a topic for your speech or presentation that you know a lot about and love. Your passion for the topic will be felt by the audience, and you will feel less anxious knowing that you have a lot of experience to draw from when other students ask you questions.
Concentrate on your message : When you focus on the task at hand, anxiety is less likely to get out of control. Concentrate on the main message of your speech or presentation and make it your goal to deliver that message to the other students in your class.
Grab the audience's attention : Most of your fellow classmates will pay attention for at least the first 20 seconds; grab their attention during those early moments. Start with an interesting fact or a story that relates to your topic.
Have one main message : Focus on one central theme and your classmates will learn more. Tie different parts of your talk to the main theme to support your overall message. Trying to cover too much ground can leave other students feeling overwhelmed.

Tell Stories

Stories catch the attention of other students and deliver a message in a more meaningful way than facts and figures. Whenever possible, use a story to illustrate a point in your talk.

Being prepared to speak in public can also be important if you have social anxiety disorder. Feeling confident and prepared to give your speech may help lessen your feelings of anxiety. Some of the things that you can do to prepare include:

Visit the room : If you have access to the classroom where you will be speaking outside of class hours, take the time to visit in advance and get used to standing at the front of the room. Make arrangements for any audio-visual equipment and practice standing in the exact spot where you will deliver your speech.
Rack up experience : Volunteer to speak in front of your class as often as possible. Be the first one to raise your hand when a question is asked. Your confidence will grow with every public speaking experience.
Observe other speakers : Take the time to watch other speakers who are good at what they do. Practice imitating their style and confidence.
Organize your talk : Every speech should have an introduction, a body, and a conclusion. Structure your talk so that the other students know what to expect.

Manage Your Anxiety

Taking steps to deal with your feelings of anxiety can also make public speaking easier. Some of the things that you can do:

Tell someone about your anxiety : If you are speaking in front of a high school or college class, meet with your teacher or professor and describe your public speaking fears . If you're in elementary or high school, share your fears with your parents, a teacher, or a guidance counselor. Sometimes sharing how you feel can make it easier to overcome stage fright.
Visualize confidence : Visualize yourself confidently delivering your speech. Imagine feeling free of anxiety and engaging the students in your class. Although this may seem like a stretch for you now, visualization is a powerful tool for changing the way that you feel. Elite athletes use this strategy to improve performance in competitions.
Find a friendly face : If you are feeling anxious, find one of your friends in class (or someone who seems friendly) and imagine that you are speaking only to that person.

Press Play for Advice on Finding Courage

Hosted by therapist Amy Morin, LCSW, this episode of The Verywell Mind Podcast shares a strategy to help you find courage when you need it the most.

Follow Now : Apple Podcasts / Spotify / Google Podcasts

Maintain Perspective

Remember that other students are on your side. Think about a time when you have been an audience member and the student delivering the speech or presentation was noticeably nervous. Did you think less of that student? More likely, you felt sympathetic and wanted to make that person more comfortable by smiling or nodding.

Remember—other students generally want you to succeed and feel comfortable. If for some reason the audience is not on your side or you experience bullying or social exclusion, be sure to discuss this with a parent, teacher, or guidance counselor.

Be Confident

Sometimes just knowing what makes a good speech can help you feel more confident. Focus on some of the following elements and practice them before you have to speak in public.

Develop your own style : In addition to imitating good speakers, work on developing your own personal style as a public speaker. Integrate your own personality into your speaking style and you will feel more comfortable in front of the class. Telling personal stories that tie into your theme are a great way to let other students get to know you better.
Avoid filler words : Words such as "basically", "well", and "um" don't add anything to your speech. Practice being silent when you feel the urge to use one of these words.
Vary your tone, volume, and speed : Interesting speakers vary the pitch (high versus low), volume (loud versus soft), and speed (fast versus slow) of their words. Doing so keeps your classmates interested and engaged in what you say.
Make the audience laugh : Laughter is a great way to relax both you and the other students in your class, and telling jokes can be a great icebreaker at the beginning of a speech. Practice the timing and delivery of your jokes beforehand and ask a friend for feedback. Be sure that they are appropriate for your class before you begin.
Smile : If all else fails, smile. Your fellow classmates will perceive you like a warm speaker and be more receptive to what you have to say.

Don't Apologize

If you make a mistake, don't offer apologies. Chances are that your classmates didn't notice anyway. Unless you need to correct a fact or figure, there is no point dwelling on errors that probably only you noticed.

If you make a mistake because your hands or shaking, or something similar, try to make light of the situation by saying something like, "I wasn't this nervous when I woke up this morning!" This can help to break the tension of the moment.

A Word From Verywell

It's natural to feel frightened the first time you have to speak in front of your class. However, if you fear continues, interferes with your daily life and keeps you awake at night, it may be helpful to see someone about your anxiety.

Try talking to a parent, teacher, or counselor about how you have been feeling. If that doesn't get you anywhere, ask to make an appointment with your doctor. Severe public speaking anxiety is a true disorder that can improve with treatment .

Spence SH, Rapee RM. The etiology of social anxiety disorder: An evidence-based model . Behav Res Ther. 2016;86:50-67. doi:10.1016/j.brat.2016.06.007

By Arlin Cuncic, MA Arlin Cuncic, MA, is the author of The Anxiety Workbook and founder of the website About Social Anxiety. She has a Master's degree in clinical psychology.

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Top 99 College Speech Topics

Ninety-nine emotional, controversial, or relatable speech ideas for college students

Here's my list of 99 college speech topics! They cover all sorts of subjects, and you should be able to find something suitable for whatever type of speech you've been asked to deliver.

To make things easy on yourself, pick a topic that interests you and something you'll be able to speak about with passion!

It will make your research more interesting, and your speech more engaging for your listeners!

Are you returning to college, or just starting your freshman year?

Then check out these tips for time management for college students .

These tips for post-secondary students give you a fighting chance of thriving during your college years because you're capable of so much more than you realize if you schedule things right!

Round 1 - First 50 College Speech Topics

1st Fifty (50) College Speech Topics

The death penalty
Hazing in fraternities and sororities
Succeeding in college
What it means to be a hero
The dangers of drugs
The dangers of smoking
The dangers of alcohol
How to find a job
The dangers of credit cards
Staying Christian in college
Planning a party
How to make money on eBay
Tips to save money in college
Reality television
Today's music
Athletes as role models
My favorite celebrity
My best childhood memory
My worst childhood memory
The person who most influenced my life
My definition of "Family"
All about me!
My best friend
How to change a flat tire
How to get a second date
How to meet new people
My new year's resolution
We are living in the end times
The life and death of Robin Williams
Civil disobedience
Sex education
Teenage pregnancy
Gun control
Legalizing marijuana
Passing your driving tests
Study strategies - WaPo ex. " College Students: They don't know how to study "
Caffeine - Check out a sample informative speech - "The Truth About Caffeine"

49 More College Speech Topics

The importance of exercise
A turning point in my life
Gangs or gang violence
What type of legacy will you leave behind?
A moment that changed my life
If I won the lottery…
Platonic relationships
How to plan a vacation
The 'fake news' phenomenon and its dangers
Is Ebola a worldwide threat?
Energy drinks - useful or dangerous?
Practice makes perfect
A fair trial
What is a tornado?
The importance of a good night's sleep
Martin Luther King Jr.
Cell phones
Ideas for spring break trips
How to entertain on a budget
How to lose weight and keep it off
How to stop smoking
The media and self-esteem
The Kardashians
Immigration
O.J. Simpson
Trump and Twitter
Stephen King
The history of the internet
The invention of the telephone
The importance of a college education
Don't drop out of school
Muhammad Ali
Satellite vs. cable television
America's Got Talent
Should the school year be extended?
Teacher pay raises
The failure of the public school system
What is your credit score?
How to buy a car
What to look for in a roommate
How to reduce your carbon footprint
Is there life after death?
Life on other planets
Scientology

Knockout Your College Speech with a Great Topic

So there you have it - 99 college speech topics on which to base your presentation, or to inspire you to come up with a subject of your own!

Good luck with creating your speech - and if you'd like to share your creation, I'd love to publish it to help inspire others!

Need More Help - Here are a few free speech samples on some more topics that may be appropriate for college students:

Truth About Caffeine

Hybrid Animals

Childhood Obesity

Global Warming

If you like to publish or share, submit your speech here as an example for others to read after completion.

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Your chance of acceptance, your chancing factors, extracurriculars, informative speech topics for college students.

I have to give an informative speech for one of my college classes, and I'm having trouble coming up with a topic. Can you guys suggest any interesting ideas that would be appropriate for a college-level audience?

Sure! It's important to choose a topic that's both interesting and relevant to your college-level audience. Here are some ideas to get you started:

1. Mental health and its impact on academic performance: Discuss the increasing prevalence of mental health issues among college students and how it affects their academic success. You can share resources available on campus or in the community to assist students in managing their mental health.

2. The benefits of studying abroad: Talk about the different study abroad programs available and the life-changing benefits of experiencing new cultures, languages, and educational systems. Share personal anecdotes from students who have studied abroad, if possible.

3. Artificial intelligence and its implications: Discuss recent advancements in AI technology and its impact on various industries such as healthcare, education, and transportation. Explore the ethical issues that arise as AI continues to evolve.

4. The history and future of space exploration: Delve into the history of space exploration, from early astronomers to recent launches by companies like SpaceX and Blue Origin. Discuss the possibilities for future developments, such as space tourism or human colonization of Mars.

5. The role of social media in today's society: Analyze the influence social media platforms have had on communication, career development, relationships, and mental health. You can also discuss the "dark side" of social media, including misinformation spread, privacy concerns, and cyberbullying.

6. Environmental conservation and sustainability: Talk about the importance of environmental conservation, the dangers of climate change, and the role each individual can play in promoting a sustainable future. You could also focus on specific actions, such as reducing waste or supporting sustainable brands.

7. The impact of blockchain technology on various industries: Explain the basics of blockchain technology and its potential to revolutionize various sectors like finance, supply chain management, and voting systems. Touch on the potential challenges and opportunities associated with widespread blockchain adoption.

8. The gig economy and its effect on the future of work: Explore the rise of the gig economy, the benefits and drawbacks of gig work, and how it's changing traditional employment structures.

Remember to choose a topic you're genuinely passionate about, as it'll make your presentation more engaging and enjoyable for both you and your audience. Good luck!

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Sat / act prep online guides and tips, 105 interesting persuasive speech topics for any project.

General Education

Are you struggling to find good persuasive speech topics? It can be hard to find a topic that interests both you and your audience, but in this guide we've done the hard work and created a list of 105 great persuasive speech ideas. They're organized into ten categories and cover a variety of topics, so you're sure to find one that interests you.

In addition to our list, we also go over which factors make good persuasive speech topics and three tips you should follow when researching and writing your persuasive speech.

What Makes a Good Persuasive Speech Topic?

What makes certain persuasive speech topics better than others? There are numerous reasons, but in this section we discuss three of the most important factors of great topics for a persuasive speech.

It's Something You Know About or Are Interested in Learning About

The most important factor in choosing and creating a great persuasive speech is picking a topic you care about and are interested in. You'll need to do a lot of research on this topic, and if it's something you like learning about, that'll make the process much easier and more enjoyable. It'll also help you sound passionate and informed when you talk, both important factors in giving an excellent persuasive speech.

It's a Topic People Care About

In fourth grade, after being told I could give a persuasive speech on any topic I wanted to , I chose to discuss why the Saguaro cactus should be the United State's national plant. Even though I gave an impassioned talk and drew a life-size Saguaro cactus on butcher paper to hang behind me, I doubt anyone enjoyed the speech much.

I'd recently returned from a family vacation to Arizona where I'd seen Saguaro cacti for the first time and decided they were the coolest thing ever. However, most people don't care that much about Saguaro cacti, and most people don't care what our national plant is or if we even have one (for the record, the US has a national flower, and it's the rose).

Spare yourself the smattering of bored applause my nine-old self got at the end of my speech and choose something you think people will be interested in hearing about. This also ties into knowing your audience, which we discuss more in the final section.

It Isn't Overdone

When I was in high school, nearly every persuasive speech my classmates and I were assigned was the exact same topic: should the drinking age be lowered to 18? I got this prompt in English class, on standardized tests, in speech and debate class, etc. I've written and presented about it so often I could probably still rattle off all the main points of my old speeches word-for-word.

You can imagine that everyone's eyes glazed over whenever classmates gave their speeches on this topic. We'd heard about it so many times that, even if it was a topic we cared about, speeches on it just didn't interest us anymore.

The are many potential topics for a persuasive speech. Be wary of choosing one that's cliche or overdone. Even if you give a great speech, it'll be harder to keep your audience interested if they feel like they already know what you're going to say.

An exception to this rule is that if you feel you have a new viewpoint or facts about the topic that currently aren't common knowledge. Including them can make an overdone topic interesting. If you do this, be sure to make it clear early on in your speech that you have unique info or opinions on the topic so your audience knows to expect something new.

105 Topics for a Persuasive Speech

Here's our list of 105 great persuasive speech ideas. We made sure to choose topics that aren't overdone, yet that many people will have an interest in, and we also made a point of choosing topics with multiple viewpoints rather than simplistic topics that have a more obvious right answer (i.e. Is bullying bad?). The topics are organized into ten categories.

Arts/Culture

Should art and music therapy be covered by health insurance?
Should all students be required to learn an instrument in school?
Should all national museums be free to citizens?
Should graffiti be considered art?
Should offensive language be removed from works of classic literature?
Are paper books better than e-books?
Should all interns be paid for their work?
Should employees receive bonuses for walking or biking to work?
Will Brexit hurt or help the UK's economy?
Should all people over the age of 65 be able to ride the bus for free?
Should the federal minimum wage be increased?
Should tipping in restaurants be mandatory?
Should Black Friday sales be allowed to start on Thanksgiving?
Should students who bully others be expelled?
Should all schools require students wear uniforms?
Should boys and girls be taught in separate classrooms?
Should students be allowed to listen to music during study hall?
Should all elementary schools be required to teach a foreign language?
Should schools include meditation or relaxation breaks during the day?
Should grades in gym class affect students' GPAs?
Should teachers get a bonus when their students score well on standardized tests?
Should children of undocumented immigrants be allowed to attend public schools?
Should students get paid for getting a certain GPA?
Should students be allowed to have their cell phones with them during school?
Should high school students be allowed to leave school during lunch breaks?
Should Greek life at colleges be abolished?
Should high school students be required to volunteer a certain number of hours before they can graduate?
Should schools still teach cursive handwriting?
What are the best ways for schools to stop bullying?
Should prostitution be legalized?
Should people with more than one DUI lose their driver's license?
Should people be required to shovel snow from the sidewalks in front of their house?
Should minors be able to drink alcohol in their home if they have their parent's consent?
Should guns be allowed on college campuses?
Should flag burning as a form of protest be illegal?
Should welfare recipients be required to pass a drug test?
Should white supremacist groups be allowed to hold rallies in public places?
Should assault weapons be illegal?
Should the death penalty be abolished?
Should beauty pageants for children be banned?
Is it OK to refuse to serve same-sex couples based on religious beliefs?
Should transgender people be allowed to serve in the military?
Is it better to live together before marriage or to wait?
Should affirmative action be allowed?
Should prisoners be allowed to vote?
Should Columbus Day be replaced with Indigenous Peoples' Day?

Government/Politics

Should the government spend more money on developing high-speed rail lines and less on building new roads?
Should the government be allowed to censor internet content deemed inappropriate?
Should Puerto Rico become the 51st state?
Should Scotland declare independence from the United Kingdom?
Whose face should be on the next new currency printed by the US?
Should people convicted of drug possession be sent to recovery programs instead of jail?
Should voting be made compulsory?
Who was the best American president?
Should the military budget be reduced?
Should the President be allowed to serve more than two terms?
Should a border fence be built between the United States and Mexico?
Should countries pay ransom to terrorist groups in order to free hostages?
Should minors be able to purchase birth control without their parent's consent?
Should hiding or lying about your HIV status with someone you're sleeping with be illegal?
Should governments tax soda and other sugary drinks and use the revenue for public health?
Should high schools provide free condoms to students?
Should the US switch to single-payer health care?
Should healthy people be required to regularly donate blood?
Should assisted suicide be legal?
Should religious organizations be required to pay taxes?
Should priests be allowed to get married?
Should the religious slaughter of animals be banned?
Should the Church of Scientology be exempt from paying taxes?
Should women be allowed to be priests?
Should countries be allowed to only accept refugees with certain religious beliefs?
Should public prayer be allowed in schools?

Science/Environment

Should human cloning be allowed?
Should people be allowed to own exotic animals like tigers and monkeys?
Should "animal selfies" in tourist locations with well-known animal species (like koalas and tigers) be allowed?
Should genetically modified foods be sold in grocery stores?
Should people be allowed to own pit bulls?
Should parents be allowed to choose the sex of their unborn children?
Should vaccinations be required for students to attend public school?
What is the best type of renewable energy?
Should plastic bags be banned in grocery stores?
Should the United States rejoin the Paris Agreement?
Should puppy mills be banned?
Should fracking be legal?
Should animal testing be illegal?
Should offshore drilling be allowed in protected marine areas?
Should the US government increase NASA's budget?
Should Pluto still be considered a planet?
Should college athletes be paid for being on a sports team?
Should all athletes be required to pass regular drug tests?
Should professional female athletes be paid the same as male athletes in the same sport?
Are there any cases when athletes should be allowed to use steroids?
Should college sports teams receive less funding?
Should boxing be illegal?
Should schools be required to teach all students how to swim?
Should cheerleading be considered a sport?
Should parents let their children play tackle football?
Will robots reduce or increase human employment opportunities?
What age should children be allowed to have a cell phone?
Should libraries be replaced with unlimited access to e-books?
Overall, has technology helped connect people or isolate them?
Should self-driving cars be legal?
Should all new buildings be energy efficient?
Is Net Neutrality a good thing or a bad thing?
Do violent video games encourage players to become violent in real life?

3 Bonus Tips for Crafting Your Persuasive Speech

Of course, giving a great persuasive speech requires more than just choosing a good topic. Follow the three tips below to create an outstanding speech that'll interest and impress your audience.

Do Your Research

For a persuasive speech, there's nothing worse than getting an audience question that shows you misunderstood the issue or left an important piece out. It makes your entire speech look weak and unconvincing.

Before you start writing a single word of your speech, be sure to do lots of research on all sides of the topic. Look at different sources and points of view to be sure you're getting the full picture, and if you know any experts on the topic, be sure to ask their opinion too.

Consider All the Angles

Persuasive speech topics are rarely black and white, which means there will be multiple sides and viewpoints on the topic. For example, for the topic "Should people be allowed to own pit bulls?" there are two obvious viewpoints: everyone should be allowed to own a pit bull if they want to, and no one should be allowed to own a pit bull. But there are other options you should also consider: people should only own a pit bull if they pass a dog training class, people should be able to own pit bulls, but only if it's the only dog they own, people should be able to own pi tbulls but only if they live a certain distance from schools, people should be able to own pit bulls only if the dog passes an obedience class, etc.

Thinking about all these angles and including them in your speech will make you seem well-informed on the topic, and it'll increase the quality of your speech by looking at difference nuances of the issue.

Know Your Audience

Whenever you give a speech, it's important to consider your audience, and this is especially true for persuasive speeches when you're trying to convince people to believe a certain viewpoint. When writing your speech, think about what your audience likely already knows about the topic, what they probably need explained, and what aspects of the topic they care about most. Also consider what the audience will be most concerned about for a certain topic, and be sure to address those concerns.

For example, if you're giving a speech to a Catholic organization on why you think priests should be allowed to marry, you don't need to go over the history of Catholicism or its core beliefs (which they probably already know), but you should mention any research or prominent opinions that support your view (which they likely don't know about). They may be concerned that priests who marry won't be as committed to God or their congregations, so be sure to address those concerns and why they shouldn't worry about them as much as they may think. Discussing your topic with people (ideally those with viewpoints similar to those of your future audience) before you give your speech is a good way to get a better understanding of how your audience thinks.

More Resources for Writing Persuasive Speeches

If you need more guidance or just want to check out some examples of great persuasive writing, consider checking out the following books:

Lend Me Your Ears: Great Speeches in History by William Safire—This collection of great speeches throughout history will help you decide how to style your own argument.
The Essentials of Persuasive Public Speaking by Sims Wyeth—For quick direct tips on public speaking, try this all-purpose guide.
Talk Like TED: The 9 Public-Speaking Secrets of the World's Top Minds by Carmine Gallo—This popular book breaks down what makes TED talks work and how you can employ those skills in your own presentations.
We Should All Be Feminists by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and Make Good Art by Neil Gaiman—These two recent speeches by contemporary writers offer stellar examples of how to craft a compelling (and engaging) argument.

Conclusion: Persuasive Speech Ideas

Good persuasive speech topics can be difficult to think of, but in this guide we've compiled a list of 105 interesting persuasive speech topics for you to look through.

The best persuasive speech ideas will be on a topic you're interested in, aren't overdone, and will be about something your audience cares about.

After you've chosen your topic, keep these three tips in mind when writing your persuasive speech:

Do your research
Consider all the angles
Know your audience

What's Next?

Now that you have persuasive speech topics, it's time to hone your persuasive speech techniques. Find out what ethos, pathos, logos, and kairos are and how to use them here .

Looking to take your persuasive technique from speech to sheets (of paper)? Get our three key tips on how to write an argumentative essay , or learn by reading through our thorough breakdown of how to build an essay, step by step .

Want a great GPA? Check out our step-by-step guide to getting good grades in high school so you can have a stellar transcript.

Interested in learning about other great extracurricular opportunities? Learn more about job shadowing , community service , and volunteer abroad programs.

Still trying to figure out your courses? Check out our expert guide on which classes you should take in high school.

Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points? We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

These recommendations are based solely on our knowledge and experience. If you purchase an item through one of our links, PrepScholar may receive a commission.

Christine graduated from Michigan State University with degrees in Environmental Biology and Geography and received her Master's from Duke University. In high school she scored in the 99th percentile on the SAT and was named a National Merit Finalist. She has taught English and biology in several countries.

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100+ Good Informative Speech Topics for College Students

A group of multi-ethnic people gather around a speaker in a studio

Public speaking is a phase many students will go through before completing their academic careers. However, students find it challenging to stand before their class and speak. This action prompts students to browse educational websites, searching for informative speech topics that will help them out.

Coming up with essay topics and informative speech topics for college may be difficult but not impossible. We have 100 informative speech topics for college students to give you fresh ideas for your upcoming speech.

Interesting Informative Speech Topics for College Students

Accessible informative speech topics, fun informative speech topics, college informative speech topics, informative speech topics for high school, easy informative speech topics for college students, good topics for informative speeches, the best informative speech topics, unique informative speech topics, informative speech topic ideas for college students.

When searching for informative topics for speech, you must put all your informative speech topics in a well-structured format. Additionally, writing down your informative speech ideas will help you avoid leaving anything out.

Here are topic cases for informative speech writing.

Best career opportunities in IT
How to start an investment portfolio
How to choose the right career for you
What are the effects of greenhouse gasses
Is the media a reliable source of information?
The importance of validation to a person’s morale
The worst movie of the year.
How Hip Hop music affects American culture
What creates sibling rivalries?
Dealing with hyperactive children at school

Sometimes, your informative speech topic ideas are meant for a young audience; hence the informative topics should be exciting and easy to understand. Whichever informative speech topic you choose, it must also address current issues.

Here are some accessible informative speech ideas you can consider.

How does good or bad governance affect policy implementation
How vital are elections to the youth?
Disadvantages of student loans
Does journalism promote good governance?
Advantages of the public over private employment
Is it possible to effectively study while working?
Importance of teaching taxation to children
Are scholarships fairly handed out?
How to cater for your expenses while in college
How competition affects product or service delivery

Good topics for informative speeches should also be fun to help the audience remain engaged throughout the speech. When searching for good informative speech topics for college students, find out what subjects will interest your audience. Do you need some info speech topics or speech topics for college students?

Here are some informative speech topics for college students in 2020 for you.

How to plan for a holiday
How much bargain is a bargain vacation?
How the great wall of China became a world wonder
How to travel safely in these COVID times
What is the origin of St Patrick’s Day?
How did sending animals to space change space travel?
How did valentines come to be
Do party games improve social interactions?
Discuss the beginning of peanut butter.
Are people with tattoos viewed differently?

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Disadvantages of too much caffeine
When does birth control not work?
Is there such a thing as a bad memory?
Effects of alcoholism on the family
Advantages of getting employment on campus
College tours; is DIY better than tour guides?
Should students enroll in college immediately after campus?
When is it best for students to study?
Women’s roles during and after world war 2
Is there life after death?

High school students also require informative speech topics 2021 for their class presentations. When choosing informative informational topics or speech topics informative ideas for a class debate, choose an example of informative speech topics that will help you make a stand.

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Sex education should be left to the parents, not the school
How LGBTQ rights change the family structure
What is cultural pluralism?
Internet control as a way of preventing cyberbullying
Advantages of school uniforms
Why high school students should engage in political activities
Is homework effective?
How effective are online learning programs
Bunking classes: Right or wrong
Advantages of extracurricular activities

Are you searching for informative topics for college students or topics on informative speech? Look no further as other sites may give some outdated examples. Here are some informative speech ideas for college or informative speech topics for you.

Growing your business post COVID
Ways technology influences business
Why personal goals are essential for personal growth
Effects of fast food on children’s health.
Ways of reducing stress in college
What your posture says about you
How dangerous is sleepwalking?
Does social media cause depression in young adults?
How effective are safe spaces in college
How college basketball changed the NBA positively

The interesting informative speech topics need to be catchy; otherwise, you may choose good topics for speeches but your audience will find them dull. Below are some excellent informative presentation topics for your following remarks.

Discuss the relationship between innovation and technological advancement
Advantages of cultural diversity in today’s society
Discuss the benefits of learning different languages in school
Problem-solving through technology
Why Steve Jobs is considered the father of technology
Does violence in movies have an impact on children?
Discuss technological advancement in medical science
Discuss the quote, “News is verified gossip.”
Discuss media freedom about Russia Ukraine conflict
Is there a possibility of life on Mars?

You may have searched for great informative speech topics without any success. Don’t worry because the following topics to give an informative speech on are ready for use. Here are topics for an informative speech for college students.

Discuss the connection between Latin and English
Do you need a college education to be successful?
Discuss how pop music influenced the youth in the 1990s
Is war good for the economy?
Discuss UK’s dwindling land situation
Japan’s respect and honor culture
How nutrition influences life expectancy
Should robots be intelligent?
How safe is information in the cloud?
Discuss the origin of golf

Many unique informative speech topics touch on matters that some find pretty sensitive to talk about or are about a specific topic. These informative speech topics may also spark debate among your audiences. Here are some cases for an informative speech.

Is Jazz music the origin of Rock and Roll?
Do spiders make good pets?
How to tell if a rabbit is male or female
Can music influence a person’s mood?
Discuss the process of rescuing a dog.
Should religious classes be allowed in schools?
Should abortion be made illegal?
Should the WNBA lower the rim?
Should the 2 nd amendment be reviewed?
What are the effects of Finland and Sweden joining NATO?

For an informative speech topic to be termed so, it must be well-researched. These informative speech topics must be interesting for the audience and touch their daily lives. Here are issues on informative speech to consider.

Should religious clothes be allowed in school?
Is Jeff Bezos’ space industries viable?
How old should a child be before joining the school?
Is nuclear energy feasible in the future?
Is the death penalty a violation of human rights?
The earth can fix itself; discuss
Do mothers make better parents than fathers?
Is hydroponics the future of farming?
Discuss the world’s water situation by 2050
How to make your hobby profitable

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Break down walls. Vanquish villains. Stand up and speak out. Facts and truth matter.

6 past harvard commencement speakers offer inspiring messages of justice, courage, resilience, empathy.

Harvard graduates this week will hear from two high-profile leaders, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland, Thursday and Sunday. Ahead of the ceremonies, we look back at Commencement addresses from recent years.

“My philosophy is very simple. When you see something that’s not right, not fair, not just, stand up, say something, and speak out.”

U.S. Rep. John Lewis

2018 The Civil Rights icon delivers a powerful message on the importance of truth, justice, and equality at a time when those values have come under assault.

Thank you so much for those kind words of introduction. I must tell you that I’m delighted, very pleased and really happy to be here. You look good! The weather is good, rain stayed away. I’m happy. It’s good to see each and every one of you. Fellows of Harvard University, members of the Board of Overseers, members of the alumni board, distinguished deans, guests, faculty and all of the students, all of the wonderful graduates, and madam president, thank you. Thank you for your leadership, thank you for getting in good trouble! Necessary trouble. To lead this great University.

I want to take just a moment to honor the tenure of a great leader, who, through her courage and vision, worked to lead this historic university to even higher heights. Madam president, thank you for being a friend, but more importantly, thank you for using your office to move Harvard toward a more all-inclusive institution. Somewhere along the way, you realized that the brilliant mind is not confined to one discipline or one way of thinking.

In fact, true genius sees connections and relationships across barriers, to build a new understanding of the world around us. Creating one Harvard is much like the work I dedicated my life to. Ever since as a young girl you wrote a letter to President Eisenhower as a little girl, you have been responding to the cry for human dignity that rings out in our world. You used your vision and your talent, you used the great resources of this university to respond to that call, and I thank you. Thank you for your contribution to human unity in our world.

Today I say to each and every one of you who graduated from this University, you must lead. You’re never too young to lead, you’re never too old to lead! We need your leadership now more than ever before. We need it! We must save our country! We must save it! We must save our democracy. There are forces in America today and around the world trying to take us to some other place. Our foremothers and forefathers brought us to this place. Maybe our foremothers and our forefathers all came to this great land in different ships but as the late great A. Philip Randolph said “we are all in the same boat now” and we must look out for each other and care for each other. You’re never too young or too old to lead! To speak up! Speak out! And get in good trouble, necessary trouble. You cannot afford to stand on the sidelines.

Another generation of young people and people not so young are inspired to get in the way. Students from Harvard, Dr. Cole, who I have been knowing for many years came to Mississippi, came to the South and gave everything you had. During the 63 young men that I knew, Andrew Goodman, Michael Schwermer, and James Chaney gave their very lives while they were helping people to register to vote. The vote is precious. It’s almost sacred. It is the most powerful, nonviolent instrument or tool we have in a democratic society and we must use t if we fail to use it, we will lose it.

So during this election year, I urge you, I plead with you to do what you can to save and rescue America. To do what you can to save the planet! Save this spaceship we call earth and leave it a little cleaner, a little greener, and a little more peaceful. For generations yet unborn. We have a mission and a mandate to go out there, play a role and play it so well as Dr. King would say, that no one else can play it any better. Some of you have heard me say from time to time that I grew up in rural Alabama on a farm, picking cotton, gathering peanuts, gathering corn. Sometimes I would be out there working and my mother would say, “boy, you’re falling behind! You need to catch up.” And I would say “this is hard work.” And she said “hard work never killed anybody.” And I said “well it’s about to kill me!” We need to work hard! There is work to be done. These smart graduates will lead us. High school students lead us, and guys, I say to you, if you’re not mindful, the women are going to lead us! It is my belief, it is my feeling as a traveler of America that the women and young. People, high school students, elementary school students and College students will lead us as part of a nonviolent revolution. We will create an America that is better, a little more humane and no one, but no one can deny us of that.

I just want to say one or two words to the graduates. Take a deep breath and take it all in. But tomorrow, I hope you roll up your sleeves, because the world is waiting for talented men and women to lead it to a better place. During the 60s, people literally put their bodies on the line! Many came from this University, came from Cambridge, from Boston, throughout the state and throughout America. Just think a few short years ago that Black people and white people couldn’t be seated together on a Greyhound business or trailway bus, leaving Washington, D.C., to travel through Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi. We were on our way to New Orleans to test a decision of the United States Supreme Court. We were beaten, arrested, and more than 400 of us were jailed. My seatmate was a young white gentleman from Connecticut. We arrived in a small town in South Carolina. We were beaten, left bloody. But many years later, and this was May 1961, same year that Barack Obama was born, but many years later, one of the guys that beat us came to my office in Washington. He got information from a local reporter. He was in his 70s, his son came with him in his 40s. He said, “Mr. Lewis, I’m one of the people that beat you. Beat your seatmate. I’ve been a member of the Klan.” He said “will you forgive me? I want to apologize. Will you accept my apology? Will you forgive me?” His son started crying, he started crying and I said, “I forgive you. I accept your apology.” They hugged me, I hugged them back, and I cried with them. It is the power of the way of peace, the power of love, it is the power of the philosophy and discipline of nonviolence. We need to create a society where we can be reconciled and lay down the burden of hath for hate is too heavy of a burden to bear.

Fifty years ago the man that I admired, the man that was like a brother, Martin Luther King Jr., was taken from us. When we heard that Dr. King had been assassinated I was in Indianapolis, Indiana, campaigning with Bobby Kennedy. I cried. Stopped crying and I said to myself “we still have bobby.” Two months later Bobby Kennedy was gone. And I cried some more. Today we’ve got to get rid of our are tears and not be down. And not get lost in the sea of despair. We’ve got to be hopeful and keep the faith and turn the ship around. We can do it and we must do it!

Here at Harvard you’ve been well trained. You must lead. You must get out there and as Dr. King would say, be a headlight, not a taillight! It’s your time, it’s your calling. During the 60s I got arrested a few times, 40 times! And since I’ve been in Congress another five times! And I’m probably going to get arrested again! My philosophy is very simple, when you see something that is not right, not fair, not just, stand up! Say something! Speak up and speak out!

When I was growing up as a young boy in rural Alabama, 50 miles from Montgomery, I had an aunt by the name of Seneva and my aunt lived in a shotgun house. Here at Harvard you never seen a shotgun house, you don’t even know what I’m talking about. One way in, one way out. What is a shotgun house? Old house, dirt yard. Sometimes my aunt Seneva would go out on the weekend, Friday or Saturday, and take a brush broom made from dogwood branches and sweep the yard very clean. One Saturday afternoon few of my brothers and sisters, cousins, about 15 of us young children were playing in her dirt yard. And an unbelievable storm came up. The wind started blowing, the thunder started rolling and the lightning started flashing and she told us to come in. We went in. The wind continued to blow, the thunder continued to roll, the lightning continued to flash, and the rain continued to beat on this old tin roof of the shotgun house. And we cried and cried. And in one corner of the old house appeared to be lifting up. And my aunt walked over to that side to hold the house down with her body. When the other corner appeared to be lifting she had us walk to that corner, we were children walking with the wind, but we never, ever left the house! I say to each of you, each and every one of us, the wind may blow, the thunder may roll, the lightning may flash, and the rain may beat down on an old house. Call it a house of Harvard, call it a house of Cambridge, call it a house of Boston, call it the house of Washington, or Alabama or Georgia, we all live in the same house. We all must hold our little house down. So I say to you: Walk with the wind. Let the spirit of history be your guide.

Thank you very much.

“Rock bottom became the solid foundation on which I rebuilt my life.”

J.K. Rowling

2008 Drawing from her own life story, the “Harry Potter” author urges graduates not to fear failure but to learn from it and emphasized the power of empathy and imagination.

Read the speech.

“If we break down the walls that hem us in, if we step out into the open and have the courage to embrace new beginnings, everything is possible.”

Angela Merkel

2019 Like the Berlin Wall, “anything that seems set in stone or inalterable can indeed change,” Germany’s first woman chancellor said.

Herman Hesse wrote, “In all beginnings dwells a magic force for guarding us and helping us to live.” These words by Herman Hesse inspired me when I completed my physics degree at the age of 24. That was back in 1978. The world was divided into east and west, and it was in the grips of the Cold War. I grew up in East Germany, in the GDR, the part of my country which was not free at that time, in a dictatorship. People were oppressed and under state surveillance. Political dissidents were persecuted. The East German government was afraid that the people would flee to freedom. And that’s why it built the Berlin Wall, a wall made of concrete and steel. Anyone caught trying to overcome it was arrested or shot dead. This wall, which cut Berlin in half, divided a people and it divided families. My family was also divided.My first job after college was as a physicist at the Academy of Sciences in East Berlin. I lived near the Berlin Wall. I walked towards it every day on my way home from my institute. Behind it lay West Berlin, freedom. And every day, when I was very close to the wall, I had to turn away at the last minute in order to head towards my apartment. Every day, I had to turn away from freedom at the last minute. I don’t know how often I thought that I just couldn’t take it anymore. It was so frustrating.

Now, I was not a dissident. I didn’t run up and bang against the wall. Nor, however, did I deny its existence, for I didn’t want to lie to myself. The Berlin Wall limited my opportunities. It quite literally stood in my way. However, there was one thing which this wall couldn’t do during all those years. It couldn’t impose limits on my inner thoughts. My personality, my imagination, my dreams and desires, prohibitions or coercion couldn’t limit any of that. Then came 1989. A common desire for freedom unleashed incredible forces throughout Europe. In Poland, in Hungary, in Czechoslovakia, as well as in East Germany, hundreds of thousands of people dared to take to the streets. The people demonstrated and brought down the wall. Something which many people, including myself, would not have believed possible became reality. Where there was once only a dark wall, a door suddenly opened. For me, too, the moment had come to walk through that door. I no longer had to turn away from freedom at the last minute. I was able to cross this border and venture out into the great wide open.

During these months, 30 years ago, I experienced firsthand that nothing has to stay the way it is. This experience, dear graduates, is the first thought I want to share with you today for your future. Anything that seems to be set in stone or inalterable can, indeed, change. In matters both large and small, it holds true that every change begins in the mind. My parents’ generation discovered this in a most painful way. My father and mother were born in 1926 and 1928.

When they weren’t as old as most of you here today, the betrayal of all civilized well values that was the Shoah and World War II had just ended. My country, Germany, had brought unimaginable suffering on Europe and the world. The victors and the defeated could easily have remained irreconcilable for many years, but instead, Europe overcame centuries old conflicts. A peaceful order based on common values rather than suppose at national strength emerged. Despite all the discussions and temporary setbacks, I firmly believe that we Europeans have United for the better. And the relationship between Germans and Americans, too, demonstrates how former wartime enemies can become friends.

It was George Marshall who gave a crucial contribution to this for the plan he announced at the commencement ceremonies in 1947 in this very place. The transatlantic partnership based on values, such as democracy and human rights, has given us an era of peace and prosperity of benefit to all sides, which has lasted for more than 70 years now. And today, it will not be long now before the politicians of my generation are no longer the subject of the exercising leadership program, and at most will be dealt with in leadership in history. Harvard class of 2019, your generation will be faced with the challenges of the 21st century in the coming decades. You are among those who will lead us into the future.

Protectionism and trade conflicts, jeopardize free international trade, and thus the very foundations of our prosperity. The digital transformation affects all facets of our lives, wars and terrorism lead to displacement and forced migration, climate change poses a threat to our planet’s natural resources, it and the resulting crises are caused by humans. Therefore, we can and must do everything humanly possible to truly master this challenge to humankind. It’s still possible. However, each and every one of us must play our part. And I say this with a measure of self criticism, get better. I will therefore do everything in my power to ensure that Germany, my country, will achieve climate neutrality by 2050. Changes for the better are possible if we tackle them together. If we were to go it alone, we could not achieve much. The second thought I want to share with you is therefore, more than ever our way of thinking and our actions have to be multilateral rather than unilateral, global rather than national, outward looking rather than isolationists. In short, we have to work together rather than alone.

You, dear graduates, will have quite different opportunities to do this in future than my generation did. After all, your smartphone probably has considerably more processing power than the copy of an IBM mainframe computer manufactured in the Soviet Union, which I was allowed to use for my dissertation in East Germany in 1986.

Today we use artificial intelligence, for example, to search through millions of images for symptoms of diseases.In order, among other things, to better diagnose cancer. In future, empathetic robots could help doctors and nurses to focus on the individual needs of patients. We cannot predict today which applications will be possible. However, the opportunities it brings are truly breathtaking.

Class of 2019, how we use these opportunities will be largely up to you as graduates. You are the ones who will be involved in deciding how our approach to how we work, communicate, get about, indeed, our entire way of life will develop. As federal chancellor, I often have to ask myself, “Am I doing the right thing?” “Am I doing something? Because it isn’t right? Or simply because it is possible.” That is something you two need to keep asking yourselves. And that is the third thought I wish to share with you today.

Are we laying down the rules for technology or is technology dictating how we interact? Do we prioritize people as individuals with their human dignity and all their many facets? Or do we see in them merely consumers, data sources, objects of surveyance. These are difficult questions.

I have learned that we can find good answers even to difficult questions if we always try to view the world through the eyes of others. If we respect other people’s history, traditions, religion, and identity. If we hold fast to our inalienable values and act in accordance with them. And if we don’t always act on our first impulses, even when there is pressure to make a snap decision.

But instead take a moment to stop. Be still. Think. Pause. Granted, that certainly takes courage. Above all it calls for truthfulness in our attitude towards others. And perhaps most importantly, it calls for us to be honest with ourselves.

What better place to begin to do so than here, in this place, where so many young people from all over the world come to learn, research, and discuss the issues of our time under the maxim of truth. That requires us not to describe lies as truth and truth as lies. It requires us not to accept shortcomings as our normality. Yet what, dear graduates, could stop you? What could stop us from doing that?

Once again, the answer is walls.

Walls in people’s minds. Walls of ignorance and narrow-mindedness. They exist between family members, as well as between groups within the society, between people of different skin colors, nations, and religions. I would like us to break down these walls. Walls that keep preventing us from envisioning the world in which, together, we want to live.

Whether we manage to do that is up to us. That’s why my full thought for you, dear graduates, to consider is this. Nothing can be taken for granted. Our individual liberties are not givens. Democracy is not something we can take for granted. Neither is peace and neither is prosperity.

But if we break down… If we break down the walls that hem us in, if we step out into the open and have the courage to embrace new beginnings, everything is possible. Walls can collapse. Dictatorships can disappear. We can halt global warming. We can eradicate starvation. We can eliminate diseases. We can give people, especially girls, access to education. We can fight the causes of displacement and forced migration. We can do all of that. Let’s not start by asking what isn’t possible, or focusing on what has always been that way. Let’s start by asking what is possible and looking for things that have never been done like that before. This is exactly what I said to the Bundestag, the German Parliament, in 2005 in my first policy statement as newly elected Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany and the first woman to hold this office. I want to use precisely these words to share with you my fifth thought. Let us surprise ourselves by showing what is possible. Let us surprise ourselves by showing what we are capable of. In my own life, it was the fall of the Berlin Wall that allowed me almost 30 years ago to step out into the open. At that point, I left my work as a scientist behind me and entered politics. That was an exciting and magical time, just as your lives will be exciting and magical.

I also experienced moments of doubt and worry, for at that time, we all knew what lay behind us, but not what might lie ahead. Perhaps that reflects a little how you, too, are feeling today, amidst all the joy of this occasion.

The six thought I also want to share with you is this. The moment when you step out into the open is also a moment of risk-taking. Letting go of the old is part of a new beginning. There is no beginning without an end, no day without night, no life without death. Our whole life consists of the difference, the space between beginning and ending.

It is what lies in between that we call life and experience. I believe at time and time again, we need to be prepared to keep bringing things to an end in order to feel the magic of new beginnings and to make the most of opportunities. That was what I learned as a student, and it is what I now in politics. Who knows what life will bring after my time as a politician? That, too, is completely open. Only one thing is clear. It will again be something different and something new.

That’s why I want to leave this wish with you. Tear down walls of ignorance and narrow mindedness for nothing has to stay as it is.

It’s six things. Take joint action in the interest of the moderate lateral global world. Keep asking yourselves, “Am I doing something because it is right, or simply because it’s possible?” Don’t forget that freedom is never something that can be taken for granted. Surprise yourself with what is possible. Remember that openness always involves risks. Letting go of the old is part of the new beginning. Above all, nothing can be taken for granted. Everything is possible. Thank you.

“In a two-hour movie, you get a handful of character-defining moments, but in real life, you face them every day. Life is one strong, long string of character-defining moments.”

Steven Spielberg

2016 Don’t shy away from the world’s pain, the filmmaker urged grads. Instead, examine it, challenge it and, while you’re at it, find “a villain to vanquish.”

Thank you, thank you, President Faust, and Paul Choi, thank you so much.

It’s an honor and a thrill to address this group of distinguished alumni and supportive friends and kvelling parents. We’ve all gathered to share in the joy of this day, so please join me in congratulating Harvard’s Class of 2016.

I can remember my own college graduation, which is easy, since it was only 14 years ago. How many of you took 37 years to graduate? Because, like most of you, I began college in my teens, but sophomore year, I was offered my dream job at Universal Studios, so I dropped out. I told my parents if my movie career didn’t go well, I’d re-enroll. It went all right.But eventually, I returned for one big reason. Most people go to college for an education, and some go for their parents, but I went for my kids. I’m the father of seven, and I kept insisting on the importance of going to college, but I hadn’t walked the walk. So, in my fifties, I re-enrolled at Cal State — Long Beach, and I earned my degree.I just have to add: It helped that they gave me course credit in paleontology for the work I did on Jurassic Park. That’s three units for Jurassic Park, thank you. Well I left college because I knew exactly what I wanted to do, and some of you know, too — but some of you don’t. Or maybe you thought you knew but are now questioning that choice. Maybe you’re sitting there trying to figure out how to tell your parents that you want to be a doctor and not a comedy writer.

Well, what you choose to do next is what we call in the movies the “character-defining moment.” Now, these are moments you’re very familiar with, like in the last “Star Wars: The Force Awakens,” when Rey realizes the force is with her. Or Indiana Jones choosing mission over fear by jumping over a pile of snakes. Now in a two-hour movie, you get a handful of character-defining moments, but in real life, you face them every day. Life is one strong, long string of character-defining moments. And I was lucky that at 18 I knew what I exactly wanted to do. But I didn’t know who I was. How could I? And how could any of us? Because for the first 25 years of our lives, we are trained to listen to voices that are not our own. Parents and professors fill our heads with wisdom and information, and then employers and mentors take their place and explain how this world really works. And usually these voices of authority make sense, but sometimes, doubt starts to creep into our heads and into our hearts. And even when we think, “that’s not quite how I see the world,” it’s kind of easier to just to nod in agreement and go along, and for a while, I let that going along define my character. Because I was repressing my own point of view, because like in that Nilsson song, “Everybody was talkin’ at me, so I couldn’t hear the echoes of my mind.” And at first, the internal voice I needed to listen to was hardly audible, and it was hardly noticeable — kind of like me in high school.

But then I started paying more attention, and my intuition kicked in. And I want to be clear that your intuition is different from your conscience. They work in tandem, but here’s the distinction: Your conscience shouts, “here’s what you should do,” while your intuition whispers, “here’s what you could do.” Listen to that voice that tells you what you could do. Nothing will define your character more than that. Because once I turned to my intuition, and I tuned into it, certain projects began to pull me into them, and others, I turned away from. And up until the 1980s, my movies were mostly, I guess what you could call “escapist.” And I don’t dismiss any of these movies — not even 1941. Not even that one. And many of these early films reflected the values that I cared deeply about, and I still do. But I was in a celluloid bubble, because I’d cut my education short, my worldview was limited to what I could dream up in my head, not what the world could teach me.

But then I directed “The Color Purple.” And this one film opened my eyes to experiences that I never could have imagined, and yet were all too real. This story was filled with deep pain and deeper truths, like when Shug Avery says, “Everything wants to be loved.” My gut, which was my intuition, told me that more people needed to meet these characters and experience these truths. And while making that film, I realized that a movie could also be a mission. I hope all of you find that sense of mission. Don’t turn away from what’s painful. Examine it. Challenge it. My job is to create a world that lasts two hours. Your job is to create a world that lasts forever. You are the future innovators, motivators, leaders and caretakers. And the way you create a better future is by studying the past.

“Jurassic Park” writer Michael Crichton, who graduated from both this college and this medical school, liked to quote a favorite professor of his who said that if you didn’t know history, you didn’t know anything. You were a leaf that didn’t know it was part of a tree. So history majors: Good choice, you’re in great shape…Not in the job market, but culturally. The rest of us have to make a little effort. Social media that we’re inundated and swarmed with is about the here and now. But I’ve been fighting and fighting inside my own family to get all my kids to look behind them, to look at what already has happened. Because to understand who they are is to understand who we were, and who their grandparents were, and then, what this country was like when they emigrated here. We are a nation of immigrants at least for now.

So to me, this means we all have to tell our own stories. We have so many stories to tell. Talk to your parents and your grandparents, if you can, and ask them about their stories. And I promise you, like I have promised my kids, you will not be bored. And that’s why I so often make movies based on real-life events. I look to history not to be didactic, cause that’s just a bonus, but I look because the past is filled with the greatest stories that have ever been told. Heroes and villains are not literary constructs, but they’re at the heart of all history.

And again, this is why it’s so important to listen to your internal whisper. It’s the same one that compelled Abraham Lincoln and Oskar Schindler to make the correct moral choices. In your defining moments, do not let your morals be swayed by convenience or expediency. Sticking to your character requires a lot of courage. And to be courageous, you’re going to need a lot of support.And if you’re lucky, you have parents like mine. I consider my mom my lucky charm. And when I was 12 years old, my father handed me a movie camera, the tool that allowed me to make sense of this world. And I am so grateful to him for that. And I am grateful that he’s here at Harvard, sitting right down there. My dad is 99 years old, which means he’s only one year younger than Widener Library. But unlike Widener, he’s had zero cosmetic work. And dad, there’s a lady behind you, also 99, and I’ll introduce you after this is over, okay? But look, if your family’s not always available, there’s backup. Near the end of “It’s a Wonderful Life” — you remember that movie, “It’s a Wonderful Life”? Clarence the Angel inscribes a book with this: “No man is a failure who has friends.” And I hope you hang on to the friendships you’ve made here at Harvard. And among your friends, I hope you find someone you want to share your life with.

I imagine some of you in this yard may be a tad cynical, but I want to be unapologetically sentimental. I spoke about the importance of intuition and how there’s no greater voice to follow. That is, until you meet the love of your life. And this is what happened when I met and married Kate, and that became the greatest character-defining moment of my life.Love, support, courage, intuition. All of these things are in your hero’s quiver, but still, a hero needs one more thing: A hero needs a villain to vanquish. And you’re all in luck. This world is full of monsters. And there’s racism, homophobia, ethnic hatred, class hatred, there’s political hatred, and there’s religious hatred.As a kid, I was bullied — for being Jewish. This was upsetting, but compared to what my parents and grandparents had faced, it felt tame. Because we truly believed that anti-Semitism was fading. And we were wrong. Over the last two years, nearly 20,000 Jews have left Europe to find higher ground. And earlier this year, I was at the Israeli embassy when President Obama stated the sad truth. He said: “We must confront the reality that around the world, anti-Semitism is on the rise. We cannot deny it.”

My own desire to confront that reality compelled me to start, in 1994, the Shoah Foundation. And since then, we’ve spoken to over 53,000 Holocaust survivors and witnesses in 63 countries and taken all their video testimonies. And we’re now gathering testimonies from genocides in Rwanda, Cambodia, Armenia and Nanking. Because we must never forget that the inconceivable doesn’t happen — it happens frequently. Atrocities are happening right now. And so we wonder not just, “When will this hatred end?” but, “How did it begin?”

Now, I don’t have to tell a crowd of Red Sox fans that we are wired for tribalism. But beyond rooting for the home team, tribalism has a much darker side. Instinctively and maybe even genetically, we divide the world into “us” and “them.” So the burning question must be: How do all of us together find the “we?” How do we do that? There’s still so much work to be done, and sometimes I feel the work hasn’t even begun. And it’s not just anti-Semitism that’s surging — Islamophobia’s on the rise, too. Because there’s no difference between anyone who is discriminated against, whether it’s the Muslims, or the Jews, or minorities on the border states, or the LGBT community — it is all big one hate.

And to me, and, I think, to all of you, the only answer to more hate is more humanity. We gotta repair — we have to replace fear with curiosity. “Us” and “them” — we’ll find the “we” by connecting with each other. And by believing that we’re members of the same tribe. And by feeling empathy for every soul — even Yalies.

My son graduated from Yale, thank you …

But make sure this empathy isn’t just something that you feel. Make it something you act upon. That means vote. Peaceably protest. Speak up for those who can’t and speak up for those who may be shouting but aren’t being hard. Let your conscience shout as loud as it wants if you’re using it in the service of others.

And as an example of action in service of others, you need to look no further than this Hollywood-worthy backdrop of Memorial Church. Its south wall bears the names of Harvard alumni — like President Faust has already mentioned — students and faculty members, who gave their lives in World War II. All told, 697 souls, who once tread the ground where stand now, were lost. And at a service in this church in late 1945, Harvard President James Conant — which President Faust also mentioned — honored the brave and called upon the community to “reflect the radiance of their deeds.”

Seventy years later, this message still holds true. Because their sacrifice is not a debt that can be repaid in a single generation. It must be repaid with every generation. Just as we must never forget the atrocities, we must never forget those who fought for freedom. So as you leave this college and head out into the world, continue please to ‘reflect the radiance of their deeds,’ or as Captain Miller in Saving Private Ryan would say, “Earn this.”

And please stay connected. Please never lose eye contact. This may not be a lesson you want to hear from a person who creates media, but we are spending more time looking down at our devices than we are looking in each other’s eyes. So, forgive me, but let’s start right now. Everyone here, please find someone’s eyes to look into. Students, and alumni and you too, President Faust, all of you, turn to someone you don’t know or don’t know very well. They may be standing behind you, or a couple of rows ahead. Just let your eyes meet. That’s it. That emotion you’re feeling is our shared humanity mixed in with a little social discomfort.

But, if you remember nothing else from today, I hope you remember this moment of human connection. And I hope you all had a lot of that over the past four years. Because today you start down the path of becoming the generation on which the next generation stands. And I’ve imagined many possible futures in my films, but you will determine the actual future. And I hope that it’s filled with justice and peace.

And finally, I wish you all a true, Hollywood-style happy ending. I hope you outrun the T. rex, catch the criminal and for your parents’ sake, maybe every now and then, just like E.T.: Go home. Thank you.

“Facts and truth are matters of life and death. Misinformation, disinformation, delusions, and deceit can kill.”

Martin Baron

2020 “Imperfect though [it] may be” an independent press is key to ensuring that facts are presented and truth defended in society,” the Washington Post executive editor said.

Good morning from my home. Like you, I wish we were together on campus.There is so much now we can no longer take for granted. The air we breathe is first among them. So, those of us who are healthy have ample reason to be grateful. I am also grateful to Harvard and to President Bacow for inviting me to be with you. To the Harvard Class of 2020, congratulations. And congratulations to the parents, professors, mentors and friends who helped you along the way. Joining you for graduation is a high honor.

For me, this is an opportunity – an opportunity to speak about subjects that I believe are of real urgency. Especially now during a worldwide health emergency.

I would like to discuss with you the need for a commitment to facts and to truth. Only a few months ago, I would have settled for emphasizing that our democracy depends on facts and truth. And it surely does. But now, as we can plainly see, it is more elemental than that.

Facts and truth are matters of life and death. Misinformation, disinformation, delusions and deceit can kill. Here is what can move us forward: Science and medicine. Study and knowledge. Expertise and reason. In other words, fact and truth. I want to tell you why free expression by all of us and an independent press, imperfect though we may be, is essential to getting at the truth. And why we must hold government to account. And hold other powerful interests to account as well.When I began thinking about these remarks, I expected, of course, to be on Harvard’s campus. And I thought: Not a bad place to talk about a free press. Not a bad place to talk about our often-testy relationship with official power.

It was in Boston, after all, where the first newspaper of the American colonies was founded. Its first edition was published September 25th, 1690. The very next day, the governor and council of Massachusetts shut it down. So, the press of this country has long known what it means to face a government that aims to silence it. Fortunately, there has been progress. With the First Amendment, James Madison championed the right of “freely examining public characters and measures.”

But it took a very long time before we as a nation fully absorbed what Madison was talking about. We took many ominous turns. We had the Alien and Sedition acts under John Adams, the Sedition and Espionage Acts under Woodrow Wilson, the McCarthy era. It was not always clear where we as a nation would end up.

Finally, witnessing the authoritarianism of Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan, we began to secure a free press in this country. The Supreme Court would forcefully emphasize the press’ role in guaranteeing a democracy. Justice Hugo Black said it well decades later: “The press was protected so that it could bare the secrets of government and inform the people.” Not only the secrets of government, I would add. Our duty to inform the public does not stop there. Not by a long shot.

That was evident during my years as a journalist in Boston. Amid today’s crisis, it seems like another era. And I guess it is. But I want to tell you about it — because I think it remains instructive about what a strong, independent press must do.

I started as editor of the Boston Globe in the summer of 2001. One day prior to my start date, a Globe columnist wrote about a shocking case. A priest had been accused of abusing as many as 80 kids. A lawsuit alleged that the cardinal in Boston at the time knew about the serial abuse, didn’t do anything about it — and repeatedly reassigned this priest from parish to parish, warning no one, over decades. The Archdiocese called the accusations baseless and reckless. The Globe columnist wrote that the truth might never be known. Internal documents that might reveal it had been sealed by a judge. On my first day of work, we asked the question: How do we get at the truth? Because the public deserved to know.

That question led us to challenge the judge’s secrecy order. And our journalists launched an investigation of their own. In early 2002, we published what we had learned through reporting and by prevailing in court. We published the truth: The cardinal did know about the abuse by this priest. Yet he kept him in ministry, thus enabling further abuse. Dozens of clergy in the diocese had committed similar offenses. The cardinal had covered it all up.

And a bigger truth would emerge: Covering up such abuse had been practice and policy in the Church for decades. Only now the powerful were being held to account.

Late in 2002, after hundreds of stories on this subject, I received a letter from a Father Thomas P. Doyle. Father Doyle had struggled for years – in vain — to get the Church to confront the very issue we were writing about. He expressed deep gratitude for our work. “It is momentous,” he wrote, “and its good effects will reverberate for decades.” Father Doyle did not see journalists as the enemy. He saw us an ally when one was sorely needed. So did abuse survivors. I kept Father Doyle’s letter on my desk — a daily reminder of what journalists must do when we see evidence of wrongdoing.

Harvard’s commencement speaker two years ago, civil rights pioneer John Lewis, once said this: “When you see something that is not right, not fair, not just, you have to speak up. You have to say something; you have to do something.” We as journalists have the capacity – along with the constitutional right — to say and do something. We also have the obligation. And we must have the will. So must you. Every one of you has a stake in this idea of free expression. You want to be free to express your views. You should be free to hear the views of others, the same or different. You want to be free to watch any movie. To read any book. To listen to any lyrics. You should be free to say what you know is true without threat of government reprisal.And you should acknowledge this if you value these freedoms that come with democracy: Democracy cannot exist without a free and independent press. It never has.

Leaders who crave more power for themselves always move quickly to crush an independent press. Next, they destroy free expression itself. Sadly, much of the world is on that worrisome path. And efforts in this country to demonize, delegitimize and dehumanize the press give license to other governments to do the same – and to do far worse.

By the end of last year, a near-record 250 journalists worldwide were sitting in prison. Thirty of them faced accusations of “false news,” a charge virtually unheard-of only seven years earlier.

Turkey has been trading places with China as No. 1 on the list of countries that jail the most journalists. The Turkish government has shut down more than 100 media outlets and charged many journalists as terrorists. Independent media have been largely extinguished. China, of course, imposes some of the world’s tightest censorship on what its citizens can see and hear.

In Hungary, the prime minister has waged war on independent media. Harvard Nieman fellow Andras Petho, who runs an investigative reporting center there, notes that the prime minister’s business allies are “taking over hundreds of outlets and turning them into propaganda machines.”

Like other heads of state, Hungary’s prime minister has exploited the pandemic to grab more power, suppress inconvenient facts, and escalate pressure on news outlets. A new law threatens up to five-year jail terms against those accused of spreading supposedly false information. Independent news outlets have questioned how the crisis was managed. And the fear now is that such accountability journalism will lead to harassment and arrests, as it has in other countries.

In the Philippines, the courageous Maria Ressa, who founded the country’s largest online-only news site, has been battling government harassment for years on other fronts. She now faces prosecution on bogus charges of violating foreign ownership laws. By the end of last year, she had posted bail eight times. Her real violation? She brought scrutiny to the president. In Myanmar, two Reuters journalists — Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo – were imprisoned for more than 500 days for investigating the killing of 10 Rohingya Muslim men and boys. Finally, a year ago, they were released. In 2018, an opinion writer for The Washington Post, Jamal Khashoggi, walked into Saudi Arabia’s consulate in Istanbul to get documents he needed to marry. He was murdered there at the hands of a team sent by highest-level Saudi officials. His offense? He had sharply criticized the Saudi government. In Mexico, murderous vengeance against journalists is common. Last year, at least five were killed, more than in any other country. I think also of the risks that American journalists have taken to inform the public. Among them are colleagues I can never forget.

One is Elizabeth Neuffer. Seventeen years ago this month, I stood before her friends at the Boston Globe to report that she had died covering the war in Iraq. Elizabeth was 46, an experienced foreign correspondent, a mentor to others; vivacious and brave. Her Iraqi driver was traveling at high speed because of the risk of abductions. He lost control. Elizabeth died instantly; her translator, too. Elizabeth had a record of fearlessness in investigating war crimes and human rights abuses. Her goal: Reveal the world as it is — because someone might then make things better.

Another colleague was Anthony Shadid. In 2002, I visited Anthony, then a reporter for the Globe, after he was shot and wounded in Ramallah. Lying in a hospital in Jerusalem, it was clear that he had narrowly escaped being paralyzed. Anthony recovered and went on to report from Iraq, where he won two Pulitzer Prizes for The Washington Post. From Egypt, where he was harassed by police. From Libya, where he and three New York Times colleagues were detained by pro-government militias and physically abused. He died in 2012, at age 43, while reporting in Syria, apparently of an asthma attack. Anthony told the stories of ordinary people. Without him, their voices would have gone unheard.

And now I think constantly of reporters, photographers and videographers who risk their own well-being to be with heroic frontline health workers — frontline workers of every sort – to share their stories. Anthony, Elizabeth and my present-day colleagues sought to be eyewitnesses. To see the facts for themselves. To discover the truth and tell it. As a profession, we maintain there is such a thing as fact, there is such a thing as truth.

At Harvard, where the school’s motto is “Veritas,” presumably you do, too. Truth, we know, is not a matter of who wields power or who speaks loudest. It has nothing to do with who benefits or what is most popular. And ever since the Enlightenment, modern society has rejected the idea that truth derives from any single authority on Earth.

To determine what is factual and true, we rely on certain building blocks. Start with education. Then there is expertise. And experience. And, above all, we rely on evidence. We see that acutely now when people’s health can be jeopardized by false claims, wishful thinking and invented realities. The public’s safety requires the honest truth. Yet education, expertise, experience and evidence are being devalued, dismissed and denied. The goal is clear: to undermine the very idea of objective fact, all in pursuit of political gain. Along with that is a systematic effort to disqualify traditional independent arbiters of fact. The press tops the list of targets. But others populate the list, too: courts, historians, even scientists and medical professionals – subject-matter experts of every type.

And so today the government’s leading scientists find their motives questioned, their qualifications mocked — despite a lifetime of dedication and achievement that has made us all safer. In any democracy, we want vigorous debate about our challenges and the correct policies. But what becomes of democracy if we cannot agree on a common set of facts, if we can’t agree on what even constitutes a fact? Are we headed for extreme tribalism, believing only what our ideological soulmates say? Or do we become so cynical that we think everyone always lies for selfish reasons? Or so nihilistic that we conclude no one can ever really know what is true or false; so, no use trying to find out? Regardless, we risk entering dangerous territory. Hannah Arendt, in 1951, wrote of this in her first major work, “The Origins of Totalitarianism.” There, she observed “the possibility that gigantic lies and monstrous falsehoods can eventually be established as unquestioned facts … that the difference between truth and falsehood may cease to be objective and may become a mere matter of power and cleverness, of pressure and infinite repetition.”

One hundred years ago – in 1920 – a renowned journalist and leading thinker, Walter Lippmann, harbored similar worries. Lippmann, once a writer for the Harvard Crimson, warned of a society where people “cease to respond to truths, and respond simply to opinions … what somebody asserts, not what actually is.” Lippmann wrote those words because of concerns about the press itself. He saw our defects and hoped we might fix them, thus improving how information got to the public.

Ours is a profession that still has many flaws. We make mistakes of fact, and we make mistakes of judgment. We are at times overly impressed with what we know when much remains for us to learn. In making mistakes, we are like people in every other profession. And we, too, must be held accountable. What frequently gets lost, though, is the contribution of a free and independent press to our communities and our country — and to the truth.

I think back to the aftermath of Hurricane Andrew in 1992 when the Miami Herald showed how lax zoning, inspection and building codes had contributed to the massive destruction. Homes and lives are safer today as a result. In 2016, the Charleston Gazette-Mail in West Virginia exposed how opioids had flooded the state’s depressed communities, contributing to the highest death rates in the country. In 2005, after Hurricane Katrina, Louisiana’s newspapers were indispensable sources of reliable information for residents. The Washington Post in 2007 revealed the shameful neglect and mistreatment of wounded veterans at Walter Reed Hospital. Corrective action was immediate. The Associated Press in 2015 documented a slave trade behind our seafood supply. Two thousand slaves were freed as a result. The New York Times and The New Yorker in 2017 exposed sexual predators in elite boardrooms. A movement of accountability for abuses against women took root. The New York Times in 1971 was the first to publish the Pentagon Papers, revealing a pattern of official deceit in a war that killed more than 58,000 Americans and countless others. The Washington Post broke open the Watergate scandal in 1972. That led ultimately to the president’s resignation.Those news organizations searched for the truth and told it, undeterred by pushback or pressure or vilification.Facing the truth can cause extreme discomfort. But history shows that we as a nation become better for that reckoning. It is in the spirit of the preamble to our Constitution: “to form a more perfect union.” Toward that end, it is an act of patriotism.

W.E.B. Du Bois, the great scholar and African American activist — and the first African American to graduate with a PhD from Harvard – cautioned against the falsification of events in relating our nation’s history. In 1935, distressed at how deceitfully America’s Reconstruction period was being taught, Du Bois assailed the propaganda of the era. “Nations reel and stagger on their way,” he wrote. “They make hideous mistakes; they commit frightful wrongs; they do great and beautiful things. And shall we not best guide humanity by telling the truth about all this, so far as the truth be ascertainable?”

At this university, you answer that question with your motto — “Veritas.” You seek the truth — with scholarship, teaching and dialogue – knowing that it really matters.My profession shares with you that mission — the always arduous, often tortuous and yet essential pursuit of truth. It is the demand that democracy makes upon us. It is the work we must do. We will keep at it. You should, too. None of us should ever stop.

Thank you for listening. Thank you for honoring me. Good luck to you all. And please, stay well.

“While the legacy of enslavement, racism, discrimination, and exclusion still influences so much of contemporary attitudes, we must never conclude that it is too late to overcome such a legacy. For it is never too late to do justice.”

Ruth J. Simmons

2021 The president of Prairie View A&M University and former president of Brown University and Smith College exhorted graduates to fight inequality and foster diversity and inclusion.

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Good day and congratulations to the Harvard University Class of 2021.

It is a singular honor to be invited to address you on this important milestone occasion. To all completing their studies today, I offer my best wishes as you undertake the next exciting phase of your lives. That you have succeeded so well during such a time as this is commendable and augurs well for the years to come when the world will rely greatly on your knowledge, your discernment, and your empathy for those less fortunate than you.

When first approached about delivering this Commencement address, I was, frankly, taken aback. I did not immediately feel up to the task. Recalling occasions when I sat in Tercentenary Theatre looking across the expanse of graduates to the steps of Widener Library, I could not picture myself confidently delivering remarks from a dais where so many more eminent figures had stood and, indeed, made history. Growing up on a constant Jim Crow diet that offered assertions of my inferiority, I’m always that same little Black girl trying to believe in and demonstrate her worthiness. Further, I thought about the challenge of what I might impart in such a pivotal national moment when social gains seem more like losses, when clarity gives way so easily to confusion, and when much heralded progress recedes like a trompe l’oeil that was never real.

I extend greetings from the faculty, administration and students of our 145 year old institution, Prairie View A&M University. And, though I have not been anointed to do so, I also bring greetings from the collection of Historically Black and Minority Serving institutions that have the weight and privilege of advancing access, equity and opportunity for so many communities across the world. Our university, like many others HBCUs, was founded at the end of Reconstruction when Blacks were thought to be unable to perform the highest level academic study. I speak to you, in fact, from the Prairie View campus whose 1500 acres were once the site of the Alta Vista Plantation. That plantation, before being sold to the State of Texas, was the site where 400 human beings were held in slavery. Thus, our very steps as they daily tread upon vestiges of the suffering of our ancestors, call to us constantly to do our duty as full citizens. Painful as such memories are, they are a powerful force that calls us to action when challenges arise.

During the 145 years following our 1876 founding, it would take many years for most universities in our nation to grant access to Blacks. So, universities like Prairie View, designed with limited resources, served the state and nation by admitting students to whom full access to the fruits of liberty was intentionally blocked. We are therefore proud of our legacy of endurance and even prouder of the fact that we converted an assertion of the inferiority of African Americans into a triumph of human capacity. Like other HBCUs, we made a place to empower rather than disparage, to open minds rather than imprison them, to create pathways to promise rather than to stifle opportunity.

Such is the task of every true university. Those of you graduating today can well attest to that. When you first arrived at Harvard as undergraduate or post-graduate students, you most likely could not have imagined the many ways that your ability would be tested, your insights sharpened and expanded, and your prospects in life improved by studying at the University. I certainly didn’t expect such results when I arrived at Harvard and yet I know now that it is likely primarily because I studied at Harvard that I have had the deeply rich and satisfying career that I’ve enjoyed for so many years.

A product of a segregated upbringing in Houston and undergraduate study at an HBCU, I am ashamed to say that in my youth, I secretly bought into the prevailing racial assumptions of the day: that someone like me would be ill-prepared to benefit from and contribute to study at a university of Harvard’s stature. I expected to be flatfooted if not oafish in the company of well-heeled and urbane students who had the advantage of the best education and a wealth of experiences. While not outwardly immobilized by fear of failing the biggest test of my life, I was inwardly terrified that I would fail to measure up. Uncertainty and malaise governed my early days at the university.

Harvard was, you see, a place steeped in other peoples’ traditions—traditions that I could not easily access. My reaction was very much akin to the French expression denoting window shopping: “lécher les vitrines.” Those of us who are outsiders are often as mere observers looking through windows, salivating and wondering how we might ever be able to attain a sense of inclusion, acceptance and respect. Just as when, as a child, I was banned from white establishments, I identified as the outsider looking enviously at others who not only had full access to Harvard’s history and traditions but who also could so easily see themselves reflected in them. Few things that I could see at Harvard at the time represented me. Perhaps it is the memory of that feeling that moved me to remain in university life to make that experience easier for others who felt excluded.

The need to make universities more aware of how first generation and underserved communities reacted to the stultified tradition in many universities shaped my conviction about the importance of individuals feeling fully embraced and respected as learners, erasing vestiges of disparagement that inevitably accrue in an unequal society. Having been profiled and racially isolated and having carried within me for so many years the weight of that sentence, I understood that to change our country, we had to insist that everyone’s humanity, everyone’s traditions and history, everyone’s identity contributes to our learning about the world we must live in together. I came to believe what Harvard expressed in its admission philosophy: that such human differences, intentionally engaged in the educational context, are as much a resource to our intellectual growth as the magnificent tomes that we build libraries to protect and the state of the art equipment proudly arrayed in our laboratories. The encounter with difference rocks!

I believe that each of us has a solemn duty to learn about and embrace that difference. That undertaking takes not a month or a year but a lifetime of concerted action to ensure that we are equipped to play a role in caring for and improving the world we inhabit together. This responsibility should encourage us to commit to our individual as well as professional role in advancing access, equality and mutual respect.

Thus, I believe that the task of a great university is not merely to test the mettle and stamina of brilliant minds but to guide them toward enlightenment, enabling thereby the most fruitful and holistic use of their students’ intelligence and humanity. That enlightenment suggests the need for improving upon students’ self-knowledge but it also means helping them judge others fairly, using the full measure of their empathy and intelligence to do so. In an environment rich in differences of background, experience and perspectives, learning is turbo charged and intensified by the juxtaposition of these differences. Those open minded enough to benefit fully from the power of this learning opportunity are bound for leadership in this time of confusion and division. The Harvard model intentionally and successfully provides to students a head start in understanding how to mediate difference in an ever more complex reality in which some exploit those differences for corrupt purposes.

Today, irrational hatred of targeted groups is seemingly on the rise, stoked by opportunists seeking advantage for themselves and their profits. What stands between such malefactors and the destruction of our common purpose are people like you who, having experienced learning through difference, courageously stand up for the rights of those who are targeted. Your Harvard education, if you were paying close attention here, should have encouraged you to commit willingly to playing such a role. If you follow through on this commitment, in addition to anything else you accomplish in life, you will be saving lives, stanching the flow of hatred and the dissolution of our national bond. You will be serving the mighty cause of justice. If we are to thrive on this orb that we share, our schools and universities must contribute deliberately to increasing our understanding of the ways to interact meaningfully with others.

Harvard is, in some ways, the most powerful university bully pulpit in the nation. It did not achieve that status merely through its age and wealth; it attained that status principally through the efforts of its faculty and graduates’ scholarly and professional output. Through its gates have come generations of scholars with immense intelligence and passionate purpose to whom fate bequeathed the laurels of success. But it is important that universities model in their own values and actions the high purpose that they hope to see in the actions of their scholars.

In that vein, Harvard has a special responsibility as both a prod and steward of the national conscience. It could sit on the hill and congratulate itself on its prowess but it could also use its immense stature to address the widening gaps in how different groups experience freedom and justice. I spoke earlier about the heroic work of HBCUs and minority serving institutions that keep our country open and advancing the cause of equality and access. Yet, many of them have been starved for much of their history by the legacy of underfunding and isolation from the mainstream of higher education.

I call on universities like Harvard to acknowledge the limitations imposed on these institutions over the past decades. While universities like Harvard had the wind at their back, flourishing from endowments, strong enrollments, constant curricular expansion, massive infrastructure improvements, and significant endowment growth, HBCUs often had gale force winds impeding their development. Our nation is finally coming to terms with the consequences of the underfunding of HBCUs but we are far from where we need to be if we are to be assured continued progress in the fight for equal educational benefits.

I ask the university that did so much for me to add to its luster by embracing the opportunity to stand alongside these historic and other minority serving institutions to build stronger partnerships, advocate for greater funding, and elevate the fight for parity and justice to the level it deserves. Let us not complain in a hundred years that those historically excluded from access and opportunity continue to ask how much longer it will take to gain the respect, inclusion and support that their service to the nation deserves.

Many minority serving institutions accept students from impoverished underserved communities where educational preparation often lacks the pre-requisites needed for certain careers. Children in those communities may experience the same or a worse fate than I and my peers did during the pre-Civil Rights era. Consigned to underfunded schools and alienating curricula, they must wonder as I did what will befall them in life. ublic schools saved me and they have the burden still of saving millions of children across this land. In so very many cases, these institutions are the only hope for many children and their families. Support for public education in this moment is as important as it was in the early days of the country when Horace Mann first called for universal education. For Mann, it was a matter of what our young country would need; it still is today as Mann’s emphasis on civic virtue continues to ring true.

Further, in such a moment, universities and all of you must play a leadership role in reversing the designation of the teaching profession as less intellectually worthy, less glamorous, and less important than the high-flying careers of financiers and technologists. Attention to and investment in K-12 teacher preparation and curricular content remains one of the most important ways for universities and the average citizen to contribute to the civic good.

None of us is exempt from responsibility for the future we give our children. Harvard has its role and so do all of you. I have come to ask you who graduate today what you are prepared to do to acknowledge and address the historic biases and inequities that so many continue to experience. Will your actions point us in a more uplifting direction? For, just as we recount the moral bankruptcy of those who cruelly enslaved others, we also tell the story of those who were equally guilty because they refused to challenge the practice of slavery. In the future, the history of these times will reveal both what we do and what we fail to do to address the unjust treatment of marginalized groups. Among all that you will have learned at Harvard, I hope that the consciousness of your responsibility in the struggle for equality remains with you. While the legacy of enslavement, racism, discrimination and exclusion still influences so much of contemporary attitudes, we must never conclude that it is too late to overcome such a legacy. For it is never too late to do justice.

Today, I call on all of you to declare that you will not give sanction to discriminatory actions that hold some groups back to the advantage of others. I call on you to be a force for inclusion by not choosing enclaves of wealth, privilege and tribalism such that you abandon the lessons you learned from your Harvard experience of diversity. I call on you to do your part to ensure that generations to come will no longer be standing on the outside fighting for fairness, respect and inclusion.

Today, after decades in the academy, my path has taken me back to a place where students are waging the same battles that were so hard fought when I was a teenager: safe passage in the face of bigotry, the right to vote, and equal access to educational and professional opportunities. Sandra Bland, a Prairie View alumna, was stopped for a minor traffic offense at the entrance to our campus. Jailed for this offense, she was found deceased in her cell three days later. Must every generation add more tragic evidence of the racial hatred that has troubled the world? Our work is not done as long as there are young people growing up with the thought that they matter less than others. As long as they have fewer and narrower educational opportunities. As long as they must fear for their safety every moment of every day of their lives. As long as their full participation in society is circumscribed by policies that willfully chip away at or block their rights.

Just as I ask Harvard to use its voice on behalf of minority institutions that have been unfairly treated across time, I ask you to add your voice to the cause of justice wherever you go. Help the children of need wherever they are: in underfunded public schools, in neighborhoods bereft of resources, in search of a way to belong. If they do not hear your voices advocating for them and their worth, what must they conclude about their place in the world?

If you take up the cause of these children, you are taking up the greatest cause—that of justice. Today, you earn your laurels as a scholar. Taking up the cause of justice, you will earn your laurels as a human being.

Congratulations, once again, and God speed.

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Speech on College Life

College life is a new chapter filled with excitement, opportunities, and challenges. It’s a time when you step out of your comfort zone and explore the world around you.

In college, you’ll meet people from diverse backgrounds and learn to balance academics with other aspects of life. The experiences you gain here will shape your future and broaden your perspectives.

1-minute Speech on College Life

Ladies and gentlemen, let’s talk about college life. Picture a place where you can grow, learn, and make lifelong friends. That’s what college is all about!

First, let’s think about learning. College is not just about books and exams. It’s a place where you learn about life. You learn how to solve problems on your own. You learn how to take care of yourself. You learn how to work with others. In short, college prepares you for the real world.

Next, think about the friendships. College is a place where you meet people from different places. You share ideas, dreams, and even food. You study together, laugh together, and sometimes cry together. These friendships often last a lifetime.

Then, there’s freedom. In college, you get to make your own choices. You decide what to study, when to study, and even where to study. You learn to be responsible for your actions. This freedom helps you become a confident person.

Lastly, college life is fun. There are sports, clubs, and cultural events. You get to try new things and discover new passions. You learn to balance work and play. This makes college life exciting and memorable.

In conclusion, college life is a journey. It’s a journey of learning, friendships, freedom, and fun. It shapes you into who you are and who you want to be. So, embrace it, enjoy it, and make the most of it. Because college life is not just about getting a degree, it’s about growing as a person. Thank you.

2-minute Speech on College Life

Ladies and gentlemen, let’s talk about college life. It’s a big step, a new chapter, and a world full of opportunities. It’s a time that shapes us, helps us grow, and paves the way for our future. It’s a journey, and like any journey, it comes with its own set of challenges, joys, and lessons.

First, let’s talk about freedom. In college, you’re your own boss. You decide when to study, when to play, and when to sleep. It’s a time to learn responsibility. It’s a time to understand that every choice we make has consequences. But remember, with great freedom comes great responsibility.

Next, let’s talk about friendships. College is where you meet people from different walks of life. You learn about new cultures, new ideas, and new ways of thinking. These friendships often last a lifetime. You grow together, learn together, and build a network that helps you in your future endeavours.

Now, let’s talk about learning. College is not just about textbooks. It’s about learning life skills. It’s about learning to work in a team, to manage your time, and to solve problems. It’s about exploring your interests and discovering your passion. It’s about finding what you love and pursuing it with all your heart.

But college life is not all sunshine and rainbows. It’s also about challenges. It’s about dealing with stress, handling failures, and overcoming obstacles. It’s about late-night study sessions, tough exams, and tight deadlines. But it’s through these challenges that we grow. It’s through these challenges that we become stronger.

Finally, let’s talk about growth. College is a time of transformation. You enter as a high school graduate and leave as a professional ready to take on the world. You learn, you grow, and you evolve. You become a better version of yourself.

In conclusion, college life is a beautiful journey. It’s a journey of freedom, friendships, learning, challenges, and growth. It’s a journey that shapes us and prepares us for the future. It’s a journey that we remember for the rest of our lives. So, let’s make the most of it. Let’s embrace the opportunities, overcome the challenges, and cherish the memories. After all, college life is not just about earning a degree, it’s about earning an experience. Thank you.

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We also have speeches on more interesting topics that you may want to explore.

The complete guide to writing a college graduation speech

Did you know that more than 75% of people in the United States have some level of fear about speaking in public? Giving speeches can make people feel overwhelmed because you are putting yourself in a vulnerable position. If you have been honored with the opportunity to share a speech with your graduating class, there are many tips to help pull you through. Continue reading to discover the best tips for writing a college graduation speech that will inspire everyone!

Believe in yourself

The most important step to writing and giving a college graduation speech is to believe in yourself. The more that you encourage yourself that you can do this, the easier it will be when the time comes.

Many people focus on their fears when creating a graduation speech outline, and these fears tend to take over when they go to deliver their message. The more positive you are from the beginning, the easier it will be to trust in yourself.

If you have been honored to give a speech, remind yourself that someone saw something in you to show that you can do this successfully. Try switching fearful thoughts with positive attributes about yourself to prepare for the big day.

Did you know that around 85% of people have self-esteem issues? You are not alone in fearing public speaking and believing in yourself. The best way to combat this, however, is by confronting it!

Think of the message behind your college graduation speech

There are many graduation speech themes that you can follow, but it is best to start with the message that you want to portray. Before you sit down to write your speech, take time to consider the goal or intentions of your speech. Are you wanting to bring awareness to an important topic? Are you hoping to give a lighthearted speech that celebrates accomplishments?

Knowing the message that you are trying to send will help guide your speech because you can tie everything together. When it comes to making an impact on an audience, you need to have a direction to follow. Think about your passions and motivation for writing the speech.

The message of your speech should relate to your overall goal. You must understand why you are writing the speech to deliver it naturally and passionately.

Use specific examples

When a graduation ceremony speech is too vague, you can lose the interest of your audience. Vague speeches without specific examples can seem ingenuine and difficult to relate to.

If you have memories of football games, going to the library, or eating at the cafe, include them in the speech. The more specific that you are, the more that other students will be able to compare their experiences with yours.

By viewing valedictorian speeches examples you can discover how to incorporate experiences. Make sure that your examples are general enough for people to understand. But they should also be specific enough to bring up memories that each student gained during their education.

Show your sense of humor

Including humor in speeches is a great way to interact with your audience and attract their interest. Including jokes in your speech and showing a sense of humor will make it easier for those in the audience to relate to you.

Some people pack their speeches with jokes to keep the crowd laughing but this is not likely the best approach. Do your best to naturally fit in jokes where they support your ideas and beliefs.

It’s a good idea to avoid jokes that could be controversial too, as you don’t want to wind up on Youtube or the local news. Keep your jokes light and relatable, otherwise they will be a flop. When people include humor naturally, the crowd doesn’t feel forced to laugh and you will avoid awkward silence.

Although including humor in your presentation can be a good thing, don’t forget that a commencement ceremony is a big moment in many people’s lives. So, use it sparingly and appropriately.

Be short and sweet with your college graduation speech

Most professionals recommend that a speech be between 5 and 10 minutes for commencement ceremonies. When speeches are longer than 10 minutes, students, faculty, and parents can lose interest.

This is the case in even the most engaging and entertaining speeches. By giving yourself a 10-minute window, you will have plenty of time to go over the message and share experiences with your classmates.

Having a speech that is under the 5-minute mark, however, might make your speech forgettable and not as impressive. It can be difficult to find the sweet spot for the length of time but don’t get discouraged. It is best to write a speech that is originally too long so that you can edit information out as you go.

Once you feel that you have included everything you want in the speech, time yourself while presenting it. Try to practice your speech just like you would present it on stage.

Practice your college graduation speech

Everyone has heard the saying that practice makes perfect. Although you shouldn’t put yourself to a standard of perfection, you should still practice your speech. Practicing ahead of time will make delivery easier to accomplish when the time comes. It is okay if you don’t follow your speech word for word while on stage.

Preparation should be natural and practiced so much that if you miss a section, you can easily include it somewhere else in your message. Many people recommend practicing your speech in front of a mirror or with a person that you trust so that you become more comfortable with it.

Do your best to stay within your time constraints while practicing and make edits along the way. As you practice, you might discover that certain pieces are meshing well together or need to be eliminated. Without practice, it will be difficult to catch these details.

Thank the previous speaker

At the beginning of your speech, take the time to acknowledge the previous speaker. Thanking the previous person and mentioning their speech makes you look more humble and respectful. It is also a great transition into your speech and helps people prepare to listen to something new.

You don’t need to take a long time thanking the previous speaker, but you must not forget to do so. During this time, you can also thank the educational faculty who have helped pull the ceremony together to give your class a celebration.

Giving acknowledgment to everyone involved will attract their attention and make them feel heard. If you want the same respect after you have given your speech, it is important to start on the right foot.

Introduce yourself

After you have thanked the faculty and the previous speaker, you can turn the conversation to your speech.

Start by providing an introduction to yourself. This part does not need to be very long, but it is a necessity. Given how large some graduation classes are today, some people don’t know each other. Giving your audience the chance to know who you are will make them more interested in your story.

During the introduction, include information like your name and the program you are graduating from. Sharing your major and type of degree can help bring attention to a specific college or area of study. You can also include a fun fact about yourself to capture attention.

Relate to other students

Students love to be acknowledged during ceremony speeches because this event is a celebration for everyone. Do your best to relate to people in the audience by talking about endless hours of studying, running late for classes, and other common things. This will make them more engaged while listening, as they will try to identify things that they have also experienced.

Your experiences ought to be genuine and honest. Don’t try to pack your speech with too many things that are vague and heard in generic speeches, as these examples won’t take you very far. If you aren’t sure about what to talk about, ask your friends and classmates about their encounters. Getting examples from other people might bring back memories of important moments that happened to you at college.

Select your favorite quotes

Although you shouldn’t rely on quotes and sayings to get through your speech, it is a good ice breaker. Many people recommend including a motivational quote at the beginning or end of the speech.

Make sure that whatever quote you decide to use correlates with the message you are sharing with the audience. Try to avoid quotes that are irrelevant or commonly used for speeches, as they can come off as ingenuine.

Some people find inspiration from their favorite TV shows and movies that many people have seen. This is a great way to build connections with the audience and lighten the mood. Depending on your preference, you can use funny quotes or ones that will resonate with people for a lifetime.

It is usually best to limit yourself to two or three quotes in your speech. Otherwise, your message could get muddled in other people’s words.

Don’t worry about perfection

One of the biggest reasons that people get overwhelmed and mess up during the delivery of speeches is that they want to be perfect . These people often try to read word for word in their speech and have difficulty making connections with the audience.

Instead of holding yourself to an unrealistic standard, accept the fact that you might make mistakes. Taking your mistakes in stride and acknowledging them shows that you are a humble person.

People have a difficult time relating to others that make themselves appear perfect, so don’t stress over the small details. As long as you have practiced your speech and believe in yourself, there is nothing to worry about on the big day.

Give yourself time to write

If you want to write a good graduation speech, you must give yourself enough time to do so. Waiting until the last minute to write your speech could impact your delivery and overwhelm you right before going on stage. Once you find out that you will be sharing a speech, set aside time each day to think about ideas and write them on paper.

As you get closer to graduation, you can make your speech draft and still have time to make edits. Practicing your speech in front of others ahead of time is the best way to catch errors and figure out how you want to format information and stories.

Connect the dots

A common mistake that people make when giving a speech is not connecting the dots. In other words, when writing the speech, ensure that your stories, message, and quotes align with each other. When the dots don’t connect, the audience can easily become confused and miss the entire point of what you were trying to say.

It might help to draw a spider map of your ideas that you brainstorm. This will be a great visual representation that will go back to your message. If you find information that seems random in your speech, set it aside to see if there is a better place to share it or leave it out completely.

Rock your college graduation speech

When it comes to writing a college graduation speech, you might feel a lot of pressure to do well. Having confidence in yourself is the most important thing because it will help get you through your message and inspire others.

Although people like to say that practice makes perfect, don’t get caught up in minor mistakes that you might make during the presentation. By giving yourself enough time to write the speech, get feedback, and make edits, you will likely feel confident in your message.

Don’t be afraid to show your personality and sense of humor while saying your speech. This often gets the crowd listening and makes your speech memorable compared to the rest of the speakers. At the end of the speech, tie everything together and make sure that you don’t drag on for too long.

Writing a motivational speech can seem overwhelming but with these tips, you can make the job feel natural and effortless. Cheers to an amazing speech!

16 Best Graduation Speeches That Leave a Lasting Impression

By Kristi Kellogg and Noor Brara

Listen to words of wisdom from the best graduation speeches.

Some of the most impactful and inspiring sentiments are shared during graduation speeches delivered by the leaders we look up to. Graduation speeches from celebrities , entrepreneurs, authors and other influential thinkers are motivational, inspiring, thought-provoking and just might make you reach for the nearest tissue. After four years of hard work, stress, and exhausting self-discovery, lucky graduates are privy to a life-changing speech to top it all off.

Here, we rounded up up 16 of the best graduation speeches of all time, including words of wisdom from Natalie Portman, Michelle Obama, Oprah Winfrey, and more.

1. Steve Jobs: Stanford, 2005

"You've got to find what you love. And that is as true for your work as it is for your lovers. Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven't found it yet, keep looking. Don't settle. As with all matters of the heart, you'll know when you find it."

2. Michelle Obama: Tuskegee University, 2015

"I've found that this journey has been incredibly freeing. Because no matter what happened, I had the piece of mind knowing that all of the chatter, the name-calling, the doubting...all of it was just noise. It did not define me, it didn't change who I was, and most importantly, it couldn't hold me back."

3. Natalie Portman: Harvard, 2015

"I just directed my first film. I was completely unprepared, but my own ignorance to my own limitations looked like confidence and got me into the director's chair. Once there, I had to figure it all out, and my belief that I could handle these things, contrary to all evidence of my ability to do so was half the battle. The other half was very hard work. The experience was the deepest and most meaningful one of my career."

4. Amy Poehler: Harvard University, 2011

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"What I have discovered is this: You can't do it alone … Listen. Say 'yes.' Live in the moment. Make sure you play with people who have your back. Make big choices early and often."

5. Meryl Streep: Barnard College, 2010

"This is your time and it feels normal to you but really there is no normal. There's only change, and resistance to it and then more change."

6. David Foster Wallace: Kenyon College, 2005

"Twenty years after my own graduation, I have come gradually to understand that the liberal arts cliché about teaching you how to think is actually shorthand for a much deeper, more serious idea: learning how to think really means learning how to exercise some control over how and what you think. It means being conscious and aware enough to choose what you pay attention to and to choose how you construct meaning from experience. Because if you cannot exercise this kind of choice in adult life, you will be totally hosed. Think of the old cliché about quote the mind being an excellent servant but a terrible master."

7. Barack Obama: Howard University, 2016

"You have to go through life with more than just passion for change; you need a strategy. I’ll repeat that. I want you to have passion, but you have to have a strategy. Not just awareness, but action. Not just hashtags, but votes."

8. Kerry Washington: George Washington University, 2013

"You and you alone are the only person who can live the life that can write the story that you were meant to tell."

9. Conan O'Brien: Dartmouth College, 2011

"There are few things more liberating in this life than having your worst fear realized. Today I tell you that whether you fear it or not, disappointment will come. The beauty is that through disappointment you can gain clarity, and with clarity comes conviction and true originality … Work hard, be kind, and amazing things will happen."

10. J.K. Rowling: Harvard, 2008

"I stopped pretending to be anything than what I was. My greatest fear had been realized. I had an old typewriter and a big idea. Rock bottom became the solid foundation on which I rebuilt my life."

11. Oprah Winfrey: Harvard University, 2013

"Learn from every mistake because every experience, encounter, and particularly your mistakes are there to teach you and force you into being more who you are. And then figure out what is the next right move. And the key to life is to develop an internal moral, emotional G.P.S. that can tell you which way to go."

12. Joss Whedon: Wesleyan University, 2013

"You have, which is a rare thing, that ability and the responsibility to listen to the dissent in yourself, to at least give it the floor, because it is the key—not only to consciousness–but to real growth. To accept duality is to earn identity. And identity is something that you are constantly earning. It is not just who you are. It is a process that you must be active in. It's not just parroting your parents or the thoughts of your learned teachers. It is now more than ever about understanding yourself so you can become yourself."

13. George Saunders: Syracuse University, 2013

"Do all the other things, the ambitious things … Travel, get rich, get famous, innovate, lead, fall in love, make and lose fortunes, swim naked in wild jungle rivers (after first having it tested for monkey poop)—but as you do, to the extent that you can, err in the direction of kindness."

14. Nora Ephron: Wellesley College, 1996

"Be the heroine of your life, not the victim."

15. Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie: Wellesley College, 2015

"As you graduate, as you deal with your excitement and your doubts today, I urge you to try and create the world you want to live in. Minister to the world in a way that can change it. Minister radically in a real, active, practical, get your hands dirty way."

16. Admiral William H. McRaven: University of Texas at Austin, 2014

"If you make your bed every morning you will have accomplished the first task of the day. It will give you a small sense of pride, and it will encourage you to do another task and another and another. By the end of the day, that one task completed will have turned into many tasks completed. Making your bed will also reinforce the fact that little things in life matter. If you can't do the little things right, you will never do the big things right."

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How to Write a Graduation Speech (Graduation Speech Examples)

Have you been asked to deliver a commencement speech? Or have you worked your butt off to become valedictorian or salutatorian, and now you have to deliver a graduation speech? In this post, we will cover one of the more challenging types of presentation creation: How to Write a Graduation Speech . (By the way, I have also included a few popular graduation speech examples as a guide for you.)

This post is a continuation of our How to Create a Presentation series. We are going to break this post down into three parts, though. We will show you how to create a commencement speech in this post. Next week, I’ll show you how to write a valedictorian speech and how to deliver a salutatorian speech. Each of these graduation speeches has a slightly different purpose, but all of them need to be inspirational and funny.

How to Write a Commencement Speech

The commencement speech is often the keynote speech of the graduation ceremony. This presentation should be uplifting and entertaining, but this graduation speech should also teach a life lesson to the graduating students. If you do a search on YouTube of the best graduation speeches, many of these speakers will be famous comedians. When a comedian delivers a commencement speech, and the speech is posted on YouTube, it will always get a ton of views. The humor alone will make people want to watch the video. Three of the most popular of these speeches are by Conan O’Brien, Will Ferrell, and Ellen DeGeneres. The interesting thing about the speeches from these famous comedians is that, yes, they are funny, but the inspiration comes from what they learned from their failures.

“There is no such thing as failure. Failure is just life life trying to push you in another direction.” Oprah Winfrey, Harvard University Commencement Speech

A Good Structure When You Write a Commencement Address

Thank the crowd.

https://www.fearlesspresentations.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/The-first-step-to-writing-a-graduation-speech

Start with Something Funny

Be Inspirational

The inspirational part of your commencement speech will come from the theme of the graduation speech . (For Sample Graduation Speech Themes , see the section below.) The easiest way to develop a theme is to look for an inspirational famous quote about success. You can do this by just going to Google and type in “success quotes”. Once you come up with a great quote, you can either paraphrase the quote and make it your own or quote the original speaker.

Tell Stories from Your Own Experience Related to Your Quote (Theme).

This the most important part of how to write a graduation speech. The stories and examples are what the audience will remember. These stories add emotion and inspiration to your graduation speech. They also help you build rapport with the audience. Finally, these stories make your delivery much easier. You don’t have to memorize a lot of material. Instead, just play the video in your head of what happened and describe the incident to the graduates.

For a great example of this, watch the YouTube video on Stanford University’s channel where Steve Jobs gives the commencement speech. I love this speech, because Jobs skips the introduction and the funny stuff and starts his speech with the following. “I’m going to tell you three stories.” It’s simple, and the crowd loves him.

End with an Inspirational Call to Action.

So as you go on to the next stage in your life and you experience failure… because you will experience failure, use that as a stepping stone to your next success. Persevere. Don’t rest on that success. Use it as a stepping stone to your next success. Persevere, and you will experience a series of successes and failures that will allow you to accomplish something great!”

Use this outline to create a simple 20 to 30 minute speech. (The shorter the better… No one gets a diploma until you finish.)

Sample Graduation Speech Themes

If you are having trouble coming up with a theme for your graduation speech, here are a few Sample Commencement Speech Themes. As you read through them, think about which them or quote has been most applicable in your career? Once you choose a graduation speech them, use the outline above to create your speech.

Hard Work Leads to Success

“I find that the harder I work, the more luck I seem to have.” — Coleman Cox

Create Your Own Path.

“It is better to fail in originality than to succeed in imitation.” — Herman Melville

Make Things Happen.

“Success usually comes to those who are too busy to be looking for it.” — Henry David Thoreau

Don’t Settle for Average. Strive for Greatness.

“Don’t be afraid to give up the good to go for the great.” –John D. Rockefeller

Don’t Wait for the Perfect Opportunity. Look for a Way to Create Your Own Opportunity.

“Opportunities don’t happen. You create them.” — Chris Grosser/blockquote> The Road Ahead is Hard, But It Leads to Success. “Successful people do what unsuccessful people are not willing to do. Don’t wish it were easier; wish you were better.” — Jim Rohn

Focus on Your Dream.

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

Learn from Every Mistake to Move Toward Success.

“Success seems to be connected with action. Successful people keep moving. They make mistakes, but they don’t quit.” — Conrad Hilton

When Your Why is Big Enough, Your How Will Appear.

“If you really want to do something, you’ll find a way. If you don’t, you’ll find an excuse.” — Jim Rohn

Happiness is the Key to Success.

“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

Use the Speech Creator as a Guide to How to Create a Graduation Speech

Once you have chosen a them, and you have a few stories to inspire your audience, use our Online Speech Writer to help you organize your thoughts. (It’s free.)

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Welcome Speech For College Function

Welcome Speech For College Function In English For Students

Speeches are an essential component of every professional or formal event. A welcome speech is a type of speech given by a speaker or the function's host to greet the distinguished Chief Guest and the other guests and express gratitude for their presence. It helps to glorify the occasion.

Everybody expects an introductory speech for an event. And that is because the opening speech sets the tone for the entire event. One can easily attract the attention of the audience with a catchy first line and introduction. So it is very important to make a good first impression.

To make guests feel welcomed, you'll need a powerful speech. Here are some examples of speeches that you might use to impress your guests. These speeches are categorised under several headings. Any of these can be used for your forthcoming events.

Let’s go Through Some Long and Short Speeches

Long speech .

This form of opening speech for an event is extremely important if one intends to take time and welcome and extend gratitude to everyone involved in making the event successful.

Good Morning everyone! A very warm welcome to the respected teachers and the incredible parents. I am so grateful to welcome our students to the commencement ceremony (mention the name of the event). I feel privileged to open this event and stand here, where many accomplished people who I admired and looked up to once stood.

A very special welcome to our Chief guest (mention their name). They truly set a benchmark for multi-hyphenated achievements. They are an entrepreneur, coach and author of the best selling books in our country and even abroad. Their quiet charitable endeavours at such a young age speak volumes of the person they are and the upbringing they had. Thank you for accepting our invitation to address our students who are about to start another new chapter in their lives.

I express my gratitude to our esteemed Principal (mention name) for their approval. They have assisted us in not just our development but also in enhancing our creativity and knowledge. And last but not the least, a heartfelt thanks to our esteemed lecturers, without whom we would be incomplete as students. They were always here to assist and advise us in unimaginable ways. They helped us with the development of ideas and the execution of those ideas.

Our Principal, professors, other associates, and the administration department have all supported us. I also can't help but admire my team's tenacious attitude, which went above and beyond to guarantee in successfully organising and completing the event. We all also owe a special appreciation to our sponsors without whom the yearly celebration would be incomplete.

We are all gathered here to mark the end of a year and receive our much-deserved appreciation and certificates. A semester has passed, and another year has come to an end. I am certain that you are all feeling anxious and giddy with excitement at the same time. This is the final official ceremony that we will ever attend in our prestigious school/college (mention the name). The ceremony will last until (mention time), after which our guests will give a message to the students. Our students will also have the opportunity to ask questions and converse with our speaker during a question-and-answer session. Tea and snacks will be offered at the end. Please stay until the end of the session to show your support for our participants.

Our Honourable Principal will address the gathering tonight. I'm confident that their speech will not just be a collection of words but a strong motivational speech.

For all of the freshmen attending the college this year, I would like to inform you that our college toasts its annual celebration with great excitement and festivities every year, creating amazing memories. Of course, preparing for this big day takes a lot of time and effort because it cannot be achieved overnight. It requires meticulous scrutiny of every element, as even the tiniest oversight might derail the entire endeavour. So please give a huge round of applause to all the organisers!

Let us applaud the efforts of all the contestants who have worked hard in order to shine in their performance. We were quite lucky in having the support of all parties, not just for the participants, but also for the backstage crew.

For today's celebration, a variety of performances have been scheduled. We have Dance performances, singing, and playing instruments, and a variety of other activities like quizzes and other competitions. So everyone! Get ready for some incredible performances from our students, and trust me when I say that you will not be able to take your gaze away from them.

After completing the first round of performances, there will be an awards event recognising the talents and efforts of our college students who competed at various zonal, state, and national level events.

There are no free lunches in the world. Just because you studied here doesn’t mean you are entitled to all the opportunities. You must remember to work hard and earn every opportunity you want. Take every challenge you face as an opportunity for another chance to prove your worth. Also, know the difference between people to whom you have to prove yourself and those you don’t have to. Always remember to have a sense of humour in life. Only that will get you through the tough times. Life is truly special and with patience and hard work, you will certainly make responsible decisions for yourself, your family and for your country as well. Take accountability for your failures and learn from them. Don’t let anything bring you down. Stay as passionate and driven as you are today. Keep achieving and reach great heights with flying colours.

That is all from me, friends! I thank you all for your patience. I'll meet you after the event. I hope you relax and enjoy the evening.

Short Speech

This form of welcome speech for an event is helpful when the presenter wishes to keep it simple, short and effective without diverting focus from the main event.

Good Morning everyone! A warm welcome to respected teachers, parents and students. A special thanks to the Chief Guest of the day (mention his/her name). It's an honour to have such an accomplished author and entrepreneur among us. Thank you (sir/ ma’am/ mx) for accepting the invitation to deliver the keynote speech today and for guiding our students for new beginnings.

Your teachers have guided you in all your endeavours and your parents have constantly supported you through it. This would not be the same without them. I extend my sincere thanks to all the teachers and parents for their understanding and support.

This is a highly multi-talented batch of students in our school. Aside from academics, we value advancement in the arts, cultural activities, and sports. One of the best aspects of our college is that it places equal emphasis on all areas to develop the overall talents and personalities of the students. I stand here, feeling lucky to be a part of your life, even if it is only in a small way. This school is so proud of all you have accomplished and every achievement you have garnered for yourself. You all have been excellent performers in academics and won so many olympiads and awards. And you didn’t hold back even in extracurricular activities like sports tournaments like martial arts, football, basketball and badminton. Our school has also been a top performer in inter-school events like dancing, singing, speech, elocution and debate. The book club that you have started which is now thriving also shows your innovative side.

Our students have put their best foot forward to make this college function a success. Preparations have been underway since last month. Let us all take a moment to appreciate them.

Let me provide the schedule for today's function before we get started. To begin with, we have our principal inviting our honoured guests. We then have a speech, followed by the pupils' performances. At last, our honoured visitors take the stage and relate their experiences. Our distinguished keynote guest will then present medals to the students.

Finally, I'd like to wish everyone a good time at the celebration and I wish you all to take some lovely and happy memories with you. I now invite our Principal Shri (Name of your Principal) to speak a few words.

These are samples for a college event. To extend an understanding, let us go through a general guide for writing a speech.

Address the audience - "Good evening to everyone present here!" is an appropriate greeting. Then, using a sentence like "It is my pleasure to invite everyone to our magnificent venue tonight," welcomes the audience to the event. Keep the tone in check. If it's a special occasion, use a more solemn tone.

Welcome the guests - "A warm welcome to all the esteemed guests present here today!" is a simple and clear greeting to use. Use a sentence like "It's so nice to see you all here on this beautiful day" to make them feel welcome. More informal language may be suitable for an occasion with close friends and relatives. Include a few jokes in your speech to lighten it up.

Information about the event - Give a brief description of the event's name and purpose. If it's important, provide the event's name and age, and a little about the organisation that put it on.

Thank the helpers/aiders - Mention at least two people who assisted in making the event a reality. Mention their names as well as the roles they played.

Engage the audience - Mention any particularly noteworthy aspects of the incident. If applicable, introduce what's coming up later in the event or the future days. Pick the most significant elements and encourage people to stick around for or pay special attention to them.

Ending the speech - If appropriate, express your hope that the audience appreciates the event. Send your warmest greetings to them for the remainder of the event.

Duration - Keep your discourse to a reasonable length. The event will determine the duration. A shorter speech is usually better because most people just want to get on with the event. Smaller events should last no more than 1-2 minutes, whereas larger and more formal events, such as conferences, should last no more than 5 minutes.

FAQs on Welcome Speech For College Function

1. How to begin a welcome speech?

Introduce the honored visitor, their work, achievements, contributions, and honors. Express gratitude towards them for taking time out of their schedule and attending the college occasion. For more tips and advice, you can browse through the free resources available on Vedantu for reference.

2. How to end a speech?

If appropriate, express your desire that the audience enjoys the event. Send your warmest greetings to the audience for the remainder of the event. For example, you could say, "I hope you all enjoy the exciting speakers to come!"

3. What is the ideal duration of a welcome speech?

The event will determine the duration of the speech. For smaller events, the speech should last no more than 1-2 minutes, whereas, for larger and more formal events, it should not exceed 5 minutes.

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Dawn Staley Had Beautiful Message for Caitlin Clark During NCAA Championship Trophy Ceremony

Author: Andy Nesbitt

In this story:

South Carolina was able to race past Iowa in Sunday's national championship game in Cleveland and win their second title in three years with an 87-75 victory over Caitlin Clark and the Iowa Hawkeyes .

Gamecocks coach Dawn Staley was emotional immediately following the win during her postgame interview with ESPN's Holly Rowe. Then during the trophy presentation, Staley took a minute to shout out Clark and all that she's done for women's basketball during her legendary career, which came to an end Sunday.

“I want to personally thank Caitlin Clark for lifting up our sport,” Staley said. “She carried a heavy load for our sport and it’s not going to stop here on the collegiate tour. When she’s the No. 1 pick in the WNBA draft she’s going to lift that league up as well. So Caitlin Clark, if you’re out there, you are one of the GOATs of our game and we appreciate you.”

Here' s that moment:

Dawn Staley with a tribute to Caitlin Clark and what she's done for the game: "You are one of the GOATs of our game and we appreciate you" pic.twitter.com/Rg4okSZlFE — CJ Fogler account may or may not be notable (@cjzero) April 7, 2024

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Chiefs’ Kicker Harrison Butker to Give Commencement Speech at Benedictine College

Butker, who offered advice last year at his alma mater, Georgia Tech, is known not only for setting NFL records but also for being outspoken about his Catholic faith.

Harrison Butker on the sideline of the AFC Championship in Baltimore on Jan. 28, 2024.

Harrison Butker, the three-time Super Bowl-winning kicker for the Kansas City Chiefs football team, will be the keynote speaker at this year’s commencement at Benedictine College in Atchison, Kansas, the school announced Tuesday.

At the May 11 ceremony, the college will also recognize Lt. Gen. Arthur Gregg, who graduated from the college in 1964 (when it was St. Benedict’s College) and recently became the first Black man and first living person to have a U.S. military base named after him, according to a press release from the school.

Butker, whose advice as last year’s graduation speaker at his alma mater, Georgia Tech , was to “get married and start a family,” is known not only for setting NFL records but also for being outspoken about his Catholic faith.

In addition to his devotion to the traditional Latin Mass, Butker, a 28-year-old father of two, frequently promotes his pro-life convictions as well as the importance of marriage and family life, often emphasizing the importance of prioritizing his vocation as a husband and father.

In an interview with EWTN News reporter Mark Irons on EWTN News In Depth last month, Butker said he wanted to encourage men, especially fathers, to “be courageous, to not be afraid to be the leader.”

“It’s something that we struggle with, I think, a lot of times: to go outside of our comfort zone and to say, ‘You know what? God has called me to be a leader and to lead by example. I’m going to lead my household, and I’m going to lead outside the world when I’m evangelizing.’ So that’s something that I’m very passionate about,” Butker said.

“I think Our Lord needs to be King,” Butker continued. “He needs to be front and center. And as Catholics, we have to be unapologetically proud of our faith and of Jesus Christ.”

After learning that the victim of a fatal shooting during the Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl victory parade in February, a Catholic mother of two , was wearing his No. 7 jersey at the time she was shot, Butker gave one of his own jerseys to the family and they buried her in it.

Butker also garnered headlines during the 2023 Super Bowl when fans noticed he was wearing a scapular — a brown woolen sacramental from the Carmelite tradition, worn around the neck as a sign of consecration to Mary.

The Chiefs became back-to-back Super Bowl champions after defeating the San Francisco 49ers 25-22 in Super Bowl LVIII on Feb. 11. In the game, Butker kicked a 57-yard field goal, setting the record for the longest field goal ever made in a Super Bowl. He also made headlines after Super Bowl LVII in 2023 by kicking the game-winning field goal.

This year’s commencement will not be Butker’s first visit to Benedictine College, which is approximately 50 miles northwest of Kansas City. He has visited the school several times to discuss “faith, family and football, in that order,” with faculty and students.

“We are excited to introduce Harrison Butker and Lt. Gen. Gregg to our graduating seniors this May,” Benedictine College President Stephen Minnis said in the press release. “These students missed their high school graduations due to the COVID-19 pandemic, so we wanted to make it up to them with a truly memorable commencement experience.”

Gregg, 95, was the first African American to reach the rank of lieutenant general in the U.S. Army. He commanded the 96th Quartermaster Direct Support Battalion, one of the largest battalions in Vietnam, for which he received the Meritorious Unit Citation. In 1977, he became the director of logistics for the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He retired in 1981 after more than 30 years of service in the Army. In 2023, Fort Lee in Virginia was renamed Fort Gregg-Adams in his honor, along with that of Lt. Col. Charity Adams Earley, who served as the highest-ranking Black female officer during World War II.

CNA staff writer Jonah McKeown contributed to this story.

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College of Behavioral and Community Sciences

Main navigation, speech-language pathology students collaborate with physical therapy students.

SLP students give a presentation on thickening liquids

Speech-language pathology students give a presentation on thickening liquids.

April 8, 2024
College News , Communication Sciences and Disorders

Second-year speech-language pathology (SLP) and doctorate of physical therapy faculty and students participated in an interprofessional lab and discussion to better understand how the two professions align.

The SLP students participated in case discussion and were able to learn more about the purpose and rationale for physical therapy. They also gave presentations on the practice areas they address. Assistant Instructor Kelli Gorajec, MA, CCC-SLP , initiated and set up this learning experience for the students.

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The Mission of the College of Behavioral and Community Sciences (CBCS) is to advance knowledge through interdisciplinary teaching, research, and service that improves the capacity of individuals, families, and diverse communities to promote productive, satisfying, healthy, and safe lives across the lifespan. CBCS envisions the college as a globally recognized leader that creates innovative solutions to complex conditions that affect the behavior and well-being of individuals, families, and diverse communities.

Rachel Maddow Flames GOP for Campaigning on 'What America Most Needs: Banks to Make More Money' | Video

R achel Maddow flamed the Republican Party on Monday for the Republican Party's continued efforts to give America what it "most needs: for banks to make more money off people who took out loans to go to college."

The four-minute evisceration began with the MSNBC host breaking down President Joe Biden's speech in Wisconsin earlier that day, which saw him announce a new plan to forgive student loans and intereset. This, after the GOP "already sued and successfully blocked" multiple previous efforts from the president to "help people who are drowning under big student loan payments," Maddow explained.

"The substance is straightforward and important. The politics are straightforward and important for President Biden. But just as important are the politics on the other side," Maddow said. "Now, President Biden has announced this latest plan today in Wisconsin. And so, new Republican lawsuits against that one are expected any minute as well."

Reflecting on "what that means" for the American college graduate and voter, Maddow emphasized that "Republicans are suing to make sure that Americans have to pay more in student loans, to make sure that you have to pay more interest to banks on your student loans."

She then mocked such efforts, sarcastically stating that "in this election year," that's the issue that Americans are concerned about most.

"Isn't that really — you know, morally — isn't that a real justice issue for America?" Maddow said.

"Everything is so personality-driven in the way we talk about politics, it sometimes just doesn't get covered," she continued. "But what the Republicans are offering in terms of policy right now, what they're actually doing in places where they have power, it's all stuff like this."

The MSNBC host then listed through various other hot-button issues that the Republican Party generally puts its weight against — despite those same issues like in vitro fertilization, abortion, student loan forgiveness and social security being "supported by 70, 80, 90% of Americans in some cases."

"So, yeah, if I were them, I'd prefer personality-driven politics coverage as well," she quipped.

Watch the full "Rachel Maddow Show" segment in the video above.

The post Rachel Maddow Flames GOP for Campaigning on 'What America Most Needs: Banks to Make More Money' | Video appeared first on TheWrap .

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College won't be complete without having to deliver a speech in front of the class. From social issues to current events, there are many topics to choose from when it comes to speech topics for college students. ... These speech topics give college students the opportunity to explore their interests, challenge their beliefs, and develop their ...
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Give a judgment of the positive and negative effects of video games on kids. Make clear what the word quality means under certain circumstances. Provide the detailed features of your new iPhone. Or take an alternative gadget for similar impromptu speech topics for college. List and judge the for and against of anti-doping programs in sports.
50 Good Informative Speech Topics for College
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Visit the room: If you have access to the classroom where you will be speaking outside of class hours, take the time to visit in advance and get used to standing at the front of the room.Make arrangements for any audio-visual equipment and practice standing in the exact spot where you will deliver your speech. Rack up experience: Volunteer to speak in front of your class as often as possible.
Top 99 College Speech Topics
Here's my list of 99 college speech topics! They cover all sorts of subjects, and you should be able to find something suitable for whatever type of speech you've been asked to deliver. ... These tips for post-secondary students give you a fighting chance of thriving during your college years because you're capable of so much more than you ...
333 Informative Speech Topics To Rock Your Presentation
The "what" of your speech is the meat of the presentation. Imagine a three-circle Venn diagram. The three circles are labeled: "things I am interested in," "things my audience cares about," and "things I can research.". The center point where these three circles overlap is the sweet spot for your speech topic.
10 Great College Commencement Speeches
David Foster Wallace, Kenyon College, 2005. The prolific author, who would take his own life three years later, delivered a speech titled "This is Water," an exploration of the true value of a liberal arts education. Favorite quote: "The capital-T Truth is about life BEFORE death. It is about the real value of a real education, which has almost ...
Informative speech topics for college students
Sure! It's important to choose a topic that's both interesting and relevant to your college-level audience. Here are some ideas to get you started: 1. Mental health and its impact on academic performance: Discuss the increasing prevalence of mental health issues among college students and how it affects their academic success. You can share resources available on campus or in the community to ...
80 Persuasive Speech Topics for College Students
This is our list of 80 good persuasive speech topics for college students. They should be enough for you to choose the topic which is the most suitable, or to come up with your own persuasive speech topic. Make your arguments strong and prove your viewpoints. May your voice be loud and your will be strong. Previous post Next post.
110 Interesting Persuasive Speech Topics to Impress Your Audience
Add emotional connections with your audience. Make your argument more powerful by appealing to your audience's sense of nostalgia and common beliefs. Another tactic (which marketers use all the time) is to appeal to your listeners' fears and rely on their instincts for self-preservation. Address counterarguments.
105 Interesting Persuasive Speech Topics for Any Project
105 Topics for a Persuasive Speech. Here's our list of 105 great persuasive speech ideas. We made sure to choose topics that aren't overdone, yet that many people will have an interest in, and we also made a point of choosing topics with multiple viewpoints rather than simplistic topics that have a more obvious right answer (i.e.
This writer analyzed 100 graduation speeches
Here are the four tips they all contain: 1. Dream big. "I think it is often easier to make progress on mega-ambitious dreams. I know that sounds completely nuts. But, since no one else is crazy enough to do it, you have little competition. There are so few people this crazy that I feel like I know them all by first name.
100+ Good Informative Speech Topics for College Students
Look no further as other sites may give some outdated examples. Here are some informative speech ideas for college or informative speech topics for you. Growing your business post COVID. Ways technology influences business. Why personal goals are essential for personal growth. Effects of fast food on children's health.
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6 past Harvard Commencement speakers offer inspiring messages of justice, courage, resilience, empathy. Harvard graduates this week will hear from two high-profile leaders, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland, Thursday and Sunday. Ahead of the ceremonies, we look back at Commencement addresses ...
Speech on College Life
In conclusion, college life is a journey. It's a journey of learning, friendships, freedom, and fun. It shapes you into who you are and who you want to be. So, embrace it, enjoy it, and make the most of it. Because college life is not just about getting a degree, it's about growing as a person. Thank you. 2-minute Speech on College Life
The complete guide to writing a college graduation speech
Believe in yourself. The most important step to writing and giving a college graduation speech is to believe in yourself. The more that you encourage yourself that you can do this, the easier it will be when the time comes. Many people focus on their fears when creating a graduation speech outline, and these fears tend to take over when they go ...
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50 Top Graduation Speech Ideas (& Examples) Try to search online and you'll find a lot of graduation speech examples. If you're in charge of giving a speech during this important event, you have the choice of whether to compose a long or short graduation speech. As long as you're able to convey your message, the length isn't that relevant.
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Once you choose a graduation speech them, use the outline above to create your speech. Hard Work Leads to Success. "I find that the harder I work, the more luck I seem to have.". — Coleman Cox. Create Your Own Path. "It is better to fail in originality than to succeed in imitation.". — Herman Melville.
Welcome Speech For College Function for Students in English
Everybody expects an introductory speech for an event. And that is because the opening speech sets the tone for the entire event. One can easily attract the attention of the audience with a catchy first line and introduction. So it is very important to make a good first impression. To make guests feel welcomed, you'll need a powerful speech.
so for one of my speeches i have to do i'm doing a college ...
so for one of my speeches i have to do i'm doing a college graduation speech for myself. and my professor came up to me today and said that she wanted to cry reading my outline and give me a hug bc she would've never guess that i dropped out before or struggled bc im such a good student 🥲🥲🥲
Dawn Staley Had Beautiful Message for Caitlin Clark During NCAA
Dawn Staley. South Carolina was able to race past Iowa in Sunday's national championship game in Cleveland and win their second title in three years with an 87-75 victory over Caitlin Clark and ...
Chiefs' Kicker Harrison Butker to Give Commencement Speech at
At the May 11 ceremony, the college will also recognize Lt. Gen. Arthur Gregg, who graduated from the college in 1964 (when it was St. Benedict's College) and recently became the first Black man ...
NC State's Kevin Keatts, Boo Corrigan give emotional speech ...
After a run that saw NC State win nine games to go from a 10 seed in the ACC Tournament in Washington, D.C. to the Final Four in Phoenix, the emotions ran high in the final postgame speech.
Speech-language pathology students collaborate with physical therapy
April 8, 2024. College News, Communication Sciences and Disorders. Second-year speech-language pathology (SLP) and doctorate of physical therapy faculty and students participated in an interprofessional lab and discussion to better understand how the two professions align. The SLP students participated in case discussion and were able to learn ...
Rachel Maddow Flames GOP for Campaigning on 'What America Most ...
Rachel Maddow flamed the Republican Party on Monday for the Republican Party's continued efforts to give America what it "most needs: for banks to make more money off people who took out loans to ...

100 Speech Topics For College Students

Final Thoughts

Related Posts:

150 Good Persuasive Speech Topics for Students in 2024

What is a Good Persuasive Speech?

Components of a Great Persuasive Speech Topic

150 Good Persuasive Speech Topics

Business and Economy

Social Media

Education – Persuasive Speech Topics

Social Issues – Persuasive Speech Topics

Politics and Government

Easy Persuasive Speech Topics

Fun Persuasive Speech Topics

Interesting Persuasive Speech Topics

I’ve Chosen My Topic, Now What?

How to Create a Successful Persuasive Speech, Step by Step

How to Practice and Deliver a Persuasive Speech

Good Persuasive Speech Topics—Final Thoughts

Lauren Green

College Planning in Your Inbox

212 Speech Topics For College Students [Persuasive, Informative, Impromptu]

Informative

List of Speech Topics For College Students

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50 Interesting Informative Speech Topics for College

What is an informative speech?

How to write an informative speech?

Stage 1. Research and Brainstorming

Gather Evidence

Generate a Nice Thesis

Informative speech outline

Stage 2. Writing

Craft an Engaging Intro

Give More Detail in the Main Body

Wrap Everything Up in Conclusion

Proofread and Edit the Final Version

Stage 3. Perfecting Speech Delivery

Practice Reading Speech Aloud

List of informative speech topics

Topics for informative speech about music

Informative speech topics about animals

Topics for informative speech about global warming

Informative speech ideas about sports

Interesting speech topics about food and drinks

A life lesson in Romeo and Juliet taught by death

Ethical Research Paper Topics

Art Research Paper Topics

What are your chances of acceptance?

Your chancing factors

112 Persuasive Speech Topics That Are Actually Engaging

Choose Something You’re Passionate About

Steer Clear of Cliches

Have a Clear Side of Opposition

Environment

Science & Technology

Social Media

Parenting & Family

Entertainment

Arts & Humanities

Do Your Research

Understand Your Audience

Have Someone Read Your Speech

Practice Makes Perfect

Related CollegeVine Blog Posts

16 Public Speaking Tips for Students

Public Speaking Tips

Tell Stories

Manage Your Anxiety

Press Play for Advice on Finding Courage

Maintain Perspective

Be Confident

Don't Apologize

A Word From Verywell

Ninety-nine emotional, controversial, or relatable speech ideas for college students

Are you returning to college, or just starting your freshman year?

1st Fifty (50) College Speech Topics

49 More College Speech Topics

Need More Help - Here are a few free speech samples on some more topics that may be appropriate for college students: