These first day of school quotes will remind you of the beauty of earning an education and prompt you to set your alarm early!
The start of a new school year can yield many different emotions. Some students may feel excited, while others may feel nervous — or, a combination of both.
Whatever you may be feeling about your first day of school or your child’s first day of school, remember that everyone has been in this position at some point in their lives.
No matter what, it’s important to start the year off on the right foot so that you can pave a pathway for the future.
Below is our collection of inspirational, wise, and memorable first day of school quotes and sayings, collected from a variety of sources over the years.
Also check out these quotes about math for more motivation.
First Day of School Quotes
1. “The most important day of a person’s education is the first day of school, not Graduation Day.” ― Harry Wong
2. The first day of school – The day when the countdown to the last day of the school begins. ― Unknown
3. “If you think your teacher is tough, wait ‘til you get a boss.” — Bill Gates
4. “Make today so awesome yesterday gets jealous.” ― Anonymous
5. “Time to rise. Time for school! Open your eyes.” — Tammie Jones
6. “I’ve always loved the first day of school better than the last day of school. Firsts are best because they are beginnings.” ― Jenny Han
7. “Today is the first day of the rest of your life.” ― Charles Dederich
8. “You’re off to great places. Today is your first day! Your mountain is waiting, so get on your way!”― Dr. Seuss
9. “This is a new year. A new beginning. And things will change.” — Taylor Swift
10. “The worst thing is trying to find a good seat on the first day of school.” — Unknown
11. “The first day of school is our second New Year’s. It is our day to make resolutions, to look backward to former lapses and triumphs and to look ahead, usually with a mix of anxiety and hope, to the year to come.” ― Mark Edmundon
12. “On the first day of a college you will worry about how will you do inside the college and at the last day of a college you will wonder what will you do outside the college” ― Amit Kalantri
13. “Sometimes we’re all too quick to count down the days that we forget to make the days count.” — Unknown
14. “School bells are ringing loud and clear; vacation’s over, school is here.” — Winifred C. Marshal
15. “The first day of school is always a fashion show, The rest of the school year? A pajama party.” — Unknown
First Day of School Quotes on Fitting In
16. “Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who matter don’t mind and those who mind don’t matter.” ― Dr. Seuss
17. “Don’t try so hard to fit in, and certainly don’t try so hard to be different … just try hard to be you.” — Zendaya
18. “Be curious, not cool.” — Ken Burns
You might also like these inspirational knowledge quotes and sayings for those who love learning.
First Day of School Quotes on Creativity
19. “All children start their school careers with sparkling imaginations, fertile minds, and a willingness to take risks with what they think.” ― Ken Robinson
20. “I’m not going to school just for the academics. I wanted to share ideas, to be around people who are passionate about learning.” — Emma Watson
21. “You can’t do it alone. Be open to collaboration. Find a group of people who challenge and inspire you. Spend a lot of time with them and it will change your life.” — Amy Poehler
22. “Take your risks now. As you grow older, you become more fearful and less flexible.” — Amy Poehler
23. I like a teacher who gives you something to take home to think about besides homework. — Lily Tomlin
24. “I went through phases of finding myself. I dabbled in musical theater, chess club, dance troupe, drill team girl, emo kid — and not one of them defined me, but every single one will always play a part in who I am.” — Debby Ryan
25. “What makes a child gifted and talented may not always be good grades in school, but a different way of looking at the world and learning.” — Chuck Grassley
If you’re enjoying these quotes, you’ll love our collection of school quotes about learning and growth.
First Day of School Quotes on Importance of an Education
26. “A good education is a foundation for a better future.” ― Elizabeth Warren
27. “You must get an education. You must go to school, and you must learn to protect yourself. And you must learn to protect yourself with the pen, and not the gun.” ― Josephine Baker
28. “The roots of education are bitter, but the fruit is sweet.” ― Aristotle
29. “Education is the key to unlocking the world, a passport to freedom.” — Oprah Winfrey
30. “You have to stay in school. You have to. You have to go to college. You have to get your degree. Because that’s the one thing people can’t take away from you is your education. And it is worth the investment.” — Michelle Obama
31. “The road to freedom – here and everywhere on earth – begins in the classroom.” — Hubert Humphrey
32. “Intelligence plus character—that is the true goal of education.” — Martin Luther King
If you’re enjoying these quotes, make sure to read our collection of education quotes about learning and success.
33. “The object of education is to prepare the young to educate themselves throughout their lives.” — Robert M. Hutchins
34. “Education is our passport to the future.” — Malcolm X
35. “Education is what remains after one has forgotten what one has learned in school.” — Albert Einstein
36. The whole purpose of education is to turn mirrors into windows. — Sydney J. Harris
37. “In a global economy, where the most valuable skill you can sell is your knowledge, a good education is no longer just a pathway to opportunity, it is a prerequisite.” — Barack Obama
38. “Sometimes you have to do what you don’t love, so that you can do what you love.” — Unknown
39. “Education is not preparation for life; education is life itself.” — John Dewey
Don’t forget to also read these inspiring Maria Montessori quotes from the woman that changed education.
First Day of School Quotes on Potential
40. “One child, one teacher, one pen and one book can change the world.” ― Malala Yousafzai
41. “You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose.” ― Dr. Seuss
42. “School is a building which has four walls with tomorrow inside.” ― Lon Watters
43. “You must do the things you think you cannot do.” ― Eleanor Roosevelt
44. “The difference between try and triumph is a little umph.” ― Marvin Phillips
45. “The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.” ― Eleanor Roosevelt
46. “Sometimes the smallest step in the right direction ends up being the biggest step of your life.” ― Naeem Callaway
47. “You can’t start the next chapter of your life if you keep re-reading the last one.” ― Unknown
First Day of School Quotes on Learning
48. “What we want is to see the child in pursuit of knowledge, and not knowledge in pursuit of the child.” ― George Bernard Shaw
49. “The purpose of learning is growth, and our minds, unlike our bodies, can continue growing as we continue to live.” ― Mortimer Adler
50. “You learn something every day if you pay attention.” ― Ray LeBlond
First day of school quotes to prepare you for the year ahead
51. “Children must be taught how to think, not what to think.” – Margaret Mead
52. “It’s one of my favorite seasons of the year: Back to School.” –Dana Perino
53. “A new school year means new beginnings, new adventures, new friendships, and new challenges. The slate is clean and anything can happen.” –Denise Witmer
54. “Fall is here, hear the bell. Back to school, ring the bell. Brand new shoes, walking blues. Climb the fence, books and pens.” –The White Stripes
55. “First day of school! Wake up!” -Nemo, ‘Finding Nemo’
56. “No matter how you feel, get up, dress up, and show up.” –Regina Brett
57. “There’s more treasure in books than in all the pirates’ loot on Treasure Island.” –Walt DIsney
58. “Learn as much as you can while you are young, since life becomes busy later.” -Dana Stewart Scott
59. “Develop a passion for learning. If you do, you will never cease to grow.” –Anthony J. D’Angelo
60. “Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day in and day out.” –Robert Collier
First Day Of School Quotes To Focus On Learning
61. “High school is about finding who you are, because that’s more important than trying to be someone else.” ― Nick Jonas
62. “Dreams come a size too big so that we can grow into them.” ― Josie Bissett
63. “Education doesn’t just make us smarter. It makes us whole.” ― Jill Biden
64. “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” ― Nelson Mandela
65. “Work hard, be kind, and amazing things will happen.” ― Conan O’Brien
66. “You can accomplish anything with students if you set high expectations for behavior and performance by which you yourself abide.” ― Harry K. Wong
67. “It is very reassuring to your students that you know what you are doing.” ― Harry K. Wong
68. “When the students have no idea what is to be learned, and the teacher has no idea what is to be taught, no student learning can take place.” ― Harry K. Wong
69. “The effective teachers spent time organizing and structuring their classrooms so the students knew what to do to succeed.” ― Harry K. Wong
70. “Education is what survives when what has been learnt has been forgotten.” ― B.F. Skinner
You might also like these inspirational quotes for kids about life and dreams.
Feeling ready?
The start of a new school year can be a clean slate — an opportunity to show your teacher, your peers, and most of all, yourself, that you’re ready to work hard, learn and prepare for the future.
It’s hard to predict what might happen on the first day of school, but these first day of school quotes can give you the push you need to walk in with your right foot first.
You may feel nervous and a little unsure of what to expect, but all you need is the right attitude — and maybe a sharpened pencil and a smile!
What’s your biggest takeaway from these inspirational first day of school quotes? Let us know in the comment section below!