If college offers one guarantee, it’s that it will start and end with a speaker blowing a lot of hot air on a stage. Commencement and graduation speakers alike have a way of boring the students and families in attendance, no matter what each summer’s crop of YouTube-friendly speeches might have you believe.

We think it’s time to turn our ears away from the blowhards and toward more grounded and usable advice. That’s why we’ve assembled the following list of college quotes and quotes that college students will find useful.

What follows are the words of geniuses, iconoclasts, and the most infamous screw-up in the history of college cinema. We’ve saved his quote for the end. Read on to find out just who we’re talking about.

College Quotes to Keep Close to the Sweater Vest

When you’re assembling your list of necessities to bring to college, don’t forget to pack one of these quotes along with those dreaded Twin XL sheets.

Some of them may offer stress relief. Others will keep your inspired when your spirits are low. The most important ones are reminders that, above all, college is about making connections and having fun.

Take a look.

1. “For what it’s worth… it’s never too late, or in my case too early, to be whoever you want to be. There’s no time limit. Start whenever you want. You can change or stay the same. There are no rules to this thing.”

-F. Scott Fitzgerald

It’s funny to read this coming from the author of The Great Gatsby. Fitzgerald also said, “There are no second acts in American lives.” It turns out the truth of his beliefs might lie somewhere between these poles.

No matter what Fitzgerald felt, it’s helpful for college students to get a reminder than freshman year is a great time to reinvent yourself. In fact, so is every year at college.

2. “A university is just a group of buildings gathered around a library.”

-Shelby Foote

Many of these quotes give power to college students by pointing out that college itself is what you make of it. College is only a collection of resources. It’s up to you what you do with those resources.

Foote makes that point here with the added bonus of pointing out just how valuable one of those resources is: the library.

3. “I’ve learned one thing, and that’s to quit worrying about stupid things. You have four years to be irresponsible here, relax. Work is for people with jobs. You’ll never remember class time, but you’ll remember the time you wasted hanging out with your friends. So stay out late. Go out with your friends on a Tuesday when you have a paper due on Wednesday. Spend money you don’t have. Drink ’til sunrise. The work never ends, but college does…”

-Tom Petty

Leave it to America’s easygoing rock poet laureate to make “relax” his big reminder. The way he says it, we can’t help but agree with the dearly departed singer and songwriter. Just don’t forget your miracle hangover cure.

4. “Every year, many, many stupid people graduate from college. And if they can do it, so can you.”

-John Green

This quote does two things. It validates the feelings many college students have about the stupidity of their peers. It also uses that validation to give them hope for graduation.

5. “I imagine that one of the biggest troubles with colleges is there are too many distractions, too much panty-raiding, fraternities, and boola-boola and all of that.”

-Malcolm X

We’d call this a wet blanket quote if it didn’t come from such an esteemable source. Malcolm X knew the trouble distractions could cause, but he was good-spirited enough to use “boola-boola” to refer to them.

6. “Some people get an education without going to college. The rest get it after they get out.”

-Mark Twain

No list of quotes is complete without Mark Twain or Shakespeare. Here, Twain wins the list with the smartest insult to ignorant people we’ve found.

If you really want to take Twain’s words to the extreme, you can buy high school diploma papers and skip school altogether.

7. “Find something you’re passionate about and keep tremendously interested in it.”

-Julia Child

Finally, a quote that can help you find a major!

8. “And will you succeed? Yes you will indeed! (98 and 3/4 percent guaranteed.)”

-Dr. Seuss

We wouldn’t expect anything less than mostly unqualified support from perhaps the most beloved children’s author of all time. There’s some inspiring in that missing 1 and 1/4 percent. It feels realistic.

9. “Great people do things before they’re ready. They do things before they know they can do it. Doing what you’re afraid of, getting out of your comfort zone, taking risks like that-that is what life is. You might find out something about yourself that’s really special. If you’re not good, who cares? You tried something. Now you know something about yourself.”

-Amy Poehler

Combine this advice with Julia Child’s words, and you just may achieve all your dreams before your roommate even gets out of bed!

10. “Oh no! Seven years of college down the drain!”

-John “Bluto” Blutarsky

Animal House is THE classic college movie, if for no other reason than the multitude of sweaters and posters it has spawned. That’s why we needed to include this quote from the late John Belushi’s character, Bluto.

Bluto makes us laugh here, but he also speaks some sage words of wisdom. Many a good student has devoted more than the requisite four years to college. Whether it’s because of laziness or love, it’s important not to postpone the world beyond college too long.

Now You’ve Got Your Quote Diploma

Let these college quotes wash over you in their wisdom, their cheekiness, and their righteous indignation. We hope you’ve found a few new ones to add to your collection.

If you’re ready to move beyond words into actions, check out our other useful tips.