We are all anxiously awaiting the 2025-2026 yearbook, specifically, the senior quotes page. Deciding on a quote can be a lot of pressure. Should you choose something school-related? Should you make something up? Choose something famous? What is this even supposed to say about you? While I can’t answer those questions for sure, I can tell you which quotes fit your favorite year of high school for some inspiration or entertainment while we wait for the yearbook.
Freshman Year
Freshman year is both exciting and daunting. There are new experiences around every corner, and no time to slow down. The goals for your first year of high school are to build a good foundation and discover what is meaningful to you. That is why this year’s themes are “hang in there” and “stay true to yourself.”
“The time to relax is when you don’t have time for it.”- Sydney Harris
Harris was an American journalist for the Chicago Daily News. His quote urges readers to take time to reflect and gain clarity when everything feels like too much. This is an important reminder for high school freshmen who are attempting to experience every activity. While trying a breadth of new activities is important, it is also necessary to stop and take some time to reflect so you can see what actually deserves your attention.
“You alone are enough.”- Maya Angelou
Angelou, a famous poet, memoirist, and civil rights activist, gave this advice through different quotes during her life, but this wording is the most recognizable. It is an important reminder, especially when entering a new community like the high school. At 14, it can be difficult to know who you are, but that isn’t an excuse to become someone else. No matter if you know you are going to be a doctor, pilot, have no idea, or are anywhere in between, you are still valuable to our community and enough.
Sophomore Year
Sophomore year was the easiest year for me. I felt the classes did not get harder than what we were doing in freshman year, and there was no longer the stress of trying to find my way around the high school. As a result, this was also the only year that I watched TV during the school year. So the quotes from this year come from some of my favorite characters.
“If you’re the smartest person in the room, you’re in the wrong room.”- Dr. Richard Webber
While the origins of this quote are widely discussed, with many people attributing it to the Chinese philosopher Confucius, I fell in love with the quote after Dr Richard Webber said it in a scene of Grey’s Anatomy. The quote preaches challenging yourself. While sophomore year can be easy, it is still important that you find ways to challenge yourself and make sure that you choose classes for junior year that will help you find a better room.
“I love meeting people’s moms. It’s like getting an instruction manual and finding out why they’re crazy.”- Ted Lasso
Ted Lasso is a character in an American sports comedy-drama series where an American football coach goes to the United Kingdom to coach “football”, aka soccer. The series also touches on important conversations surrounding mental health. While this quote is humorous, it is also a reminder to go out of your way to meet new people. Since academic stress lessons sophomore year, remember to challenge yourself in other ways, like by getting to know new people and even their moms.
Junior Year
Junior year is famously one of the most challenging and scariest. It feels like all of your college and future dreams are riding on knocking it out of the park for just two semesters, all while you are taking some of the hardest classes the school has to offer. These quotes are intended to remind Juniors to relax sometimes and that everything will turn out okay.
“Don’t be afraid of being scared. To be afraid is a sign of common sense. Only complete idiots are not afraid of anything.”- Carlos Ruiz Zafón, The Angel’s Game
Zafron is a Spanish novelist from Barcelona. His novel The Angel’s Game is a gothic mystery that is a prequel to his most popular book, The Shadow Of The Wind. His quote is a reminder that it is okay to be scared. Sometimes it is even good to be scared. Junior year is scary, and you should be scared, but that is not a bad thing.
“Perseverance is not a long race; it is many short races one after another.”- Walter Elliott
Elliott was a Scottish politician and writer, and his exact publication of this quote is unknown. Junior year can feel like a marathon, but a less intimidating way to think about it is that there are many, and I mean many, small check boxes or short races. These short races can be a test, an essay, or a project. Just work on one race at a time, and you will thrive in the marathon.
Senior Year
Senior year is your last push of high school, and it is filled with angst about what comes next.
“When you reach for the stars, you may not quite get one, but you won’t come up with a handful of mud, either.”- Leo Burnett
Burnett was a legendary American marketing executive and the founder of the Leo Burnett Company. His quote became the company’s motto, and it is an important reminder as you leave high school. Remember to try your best and to take some risks so you reach high. If you keep trying to go far, you might not make it all the way, but you will go farther than where you are right now.
“By judging another, you do not define them, you define yourself.”- Wayne Dyer.
Dyer is a renowned American self-help author, motivational speaker, and psychologist. His quote is an important reminder that next year, everyone will do something different, and that is okay. Seniors will choose different colleges or universities, go into the workforce, or figure out something else. Everyone will have a different path that works for them, so make sure to match everyone’s excitement! It is not your place to decide if they made a good choice or not.
Every year of high school has its own challenges and feelings. No matter what you experience, hang in there and try to stay positive.
