For exam-takers! A collection of quotes that become profound and interesting once you understand their meaning

10 years as a kindergarten teacher / elementary school teacher / junior and senior high school teacher / childminderkepiko
Graduated from Kunitachi College of Music, Faculty of Music (now: Department of Music Culture and Education, Early Childhood Music Education major). In elementary school, my homeroom teacher was Jun Kusaba, a game researcher. After graduating from university, I worked as a kindergarten teacher for 10 years and as an after-school childcare instructor for 7 years, then took a position as a music teacher at an international school in Singapore. In addition to music education, I engaged in activities that introduced Japanese culture, traditional games, and recreational activities, working with many children. Later, through freelance writing, planning, and editing at Shogakukan, I met many delightful adults and experienced the joy of communicating and sharing. Drawing on the perspective cultivated in the field of education and my experience as an editor, I provide practical information with an emphasis on both input and output, mainly in areas related to music and children. My hobbies include instruments, singing, handicrafts, toys, drawing, traditional games, the outdoors, and books. My special skill is spinning-top tricks.

Are you unsure what to say to friends or younger classmates who are tense during exam season? Serious messages are great, but sometimes you want to help them relax with a lighthearted, funny encouragement that brings a little smile.

In fact, many great figures and popular characters have left us with memorable, humorous quotes.

In this article, we’ll introduce quotes from historical figures and characters that are perfect for cheering on exam-takers—lines filled with humor and warmth that become even funnier when you catch the meaning.

Turn that pressure into motivation!

For exam takers! A collection of profound and fascinating quotes once you grasp the meaning (41–50)

Cunning people despise study, simple people praise it, and wise people make use of it.Francis Bacon

Francis Bacon, an English philosopher, is also known for proposing various principles that connect to modern philosophy.

The following is a saying of his that expresses the tendencies of a person as revealed by their attitude toward study.

It gives the impression that he is not speaking of study in the literal sense, but about the workings of things and ways to solve problems, conveying that a person can be discerned from their approach and way of thinking.

It also feels like a call to become someone wise who can use study for a better life.

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kappamaki

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For Exam Takers! A Collection of Deep and Fascinating Quotations Once You Understand the Meaning (51–60)

No matter how much knowledge one acquires, becoming omniscient and omnipotent is impossible; however, there will be a vast gulf between such a person and those who do not study.Plato

When you keep studying for entrance exams, there may be times when you feel like throwing it all away, thinking, “What’s the point of this…?” In those moments, these words will surely support you.

Even if you can’t become all-knowing and all-powerful, there will be a world of difference between you and someone who doesn’t study at all—indeed, that’s true.

Exam prep, where you relentlessly face yourself, is tough, but there must be a view that only those who overcome it can see.

Don’t give up—run all the way through until the day of the exam.

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Hane Keisuke

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There is always plenty of time—if only you use it well.Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Here is a quote by the German poet Johann Wolfgang von Goethe.

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe was also a playwright and novelist, and is one of Germany’s most celebrated literary figures.

He produced works across a wide range of genres, including the novel The Sorrows of Young Werther, the novel Wilhelm Meister’s Apprenticeship, the epic poem Hermann and Dorothea, and the verse drama Faust.

In everyday life, have you ever thought, “I’ll do it when I have time”? In reality, that “someday” never comes.

As Goethe suggests, if you keep close track of your own schedule, you may find that you actually “have plenty of time.”

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kepiko

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Human! Stumbling isn’t something to be ashamed of! Not getting back up… that’s what’s shameful!Kankichi Ryotsu, "KochiKame: The Police Station in Front of Kameari Park in Katsushika Ward"

This is a line said by Kankichi Ryotsu, the protagonist of “Kochira Katsushika-ku Kameari Kōen-mae Hashutsujo,” but it’s said to have originally come from the writer Ayako Miura.

Stumbling itself isn’t embarrassing at all; what’s truly embarrassing is dragging it out forever or giving up right there.

You may experience setbacks while preparing for exams, but please overcome those difficult times and start running toward success again.

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Hane Keisuke

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“It’s impossible anyway” is just an excuse to take the easy way out.Tsutomu Uematsu

Tsutomu Uematsu—president of Uematsu Electric and a board member of the Hokkaido Space and Aeronautics Technology Research Center—has a saying that gives me a jolt whenever I feel like giving up on entrance exam studies.

Even if you’re aiming for a top-level school, there are times when results don’t come and you start to think, “It’s hopeless anyway,” and feel like quitting.

But in his view, saying “It’s hopeless anyway” is just an excuse to take the easy way out.

With plain, direct words, he cuts through that throwaway attitude, making it easier to snap out of it and reset your determination, thinking, “I can’t let it end like this.”

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SAKI

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Anyone can do it when they’re motivated. True winners do it even when they’re not.Phil McGraw

Phil McGraw, a television host active in the United States, has helped people through talks grounded in psychology.

This quote from a host with such charismatic popularity focuses on the relationship between motivation and success.

Everyone tackles things when they feel motivated, but he says that those who achieve great success keep working even when they don’t feel motivated.

Rather than being swayed by your own motivation, facing things earnestly at all times is what makes you realize the path to success.

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kappamaki

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In conclusion

Quotes that become amusing once you understand their meaning—and that cheer you on during exams—have a mysterious power to lighten your heart with a laugh.

When you feel crushed by pressure, a phrase you suddenly recall can help you relax your shoulders.

May the words we shared today gently stay by the side of those who are doing their best.