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.
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To All Examinees! A Collection of Quotes That Become Profound and Fascinating Once You Understand Their Meaning (1–10)
Effort can lie, but it never goes to waste.Yuzuru Hanyu

Yuzuru Hanyu, who has excelled as a figure skater, drew attention by achieving strong results in numerous competitions, including the Olympics.
Here is a famous quote from this great figure skater—whose many accomplishments continue to be celebrated—about how effort connects to results.
He acknowledges the reality that sometimes effort doesn’t lead to outcomes, while also conveying that such experiences, too, become valuable lessons that will serve us in the future.
These are words to remember especially when it’s hard and results aren’t coming as hoped—words that give us the courage to push just a little further.
If we were just one minute earlier, we could save one more person.Calvin Coolidge
Let me introduce a powerful quote from Calvin Coolidge: “If you are one minute early, you can save one more person.” Calvin Coolidge was an American politician who also served as President.
This saying—“If you are one minute early, you can save one more person”—was apparently an American firefighting slogan that was introduced to Japan when the American Red Cross used it in 1923 (Taisho 12) to appeal for aid following the Great Kanto Earthquake.
These powerful words that crossed the ocean truly strike a chord, don’t they?
If you think you can, you can; if you think you can’t, you can’t. This is an unshakable, absolute law.Pablo Picasso

Pablo Picasso, who was active primarily in France, is an artist whose ideas embedded in his paintings and shifts in style have drawn great attention.
This quote, left by the great artist who is remembered from many perspectives, speaks to the importance of your mindset when taking on a challenge.
He tells us that believing you can is essential to accomplishing anything; without that belief, your efforts won’t lead to results.
These words are simple yet powerful, reminding us to believe in ourselves and to hold on to a strong determination to seize success.
Feeling pressure means you’re confident you can pass.Mr. Tsubota 'Biri Gyaru' (also known in English as 'The Girl Who Leapt Through Exams' or 'Biri Gal')
They also developed films based on nonfiction works, drawing attention not only to the story but also to study methods.
This is a famous quote about pressure from Mr.
Tsubota, the teacher who nurtured the student once called “Biri Gyaru.” He says that feeling pressure is proof that you’ve been putting in the effort, and that you feel it precisely because you’re getting closer to the result.
When you’re nowhere near the outcome, you don’t feel pressure at all—so these words seem likely to turn pressure into confidence.
If you work hard, will you be rewarded? That’s not it. You keep working hard until you’re rewarded.Lionel Messi
Lionel Messi, who has excelled as a footballer and is known for representing Argentina, is remembered as one of the greatest players of all time.
Here is a famous quote from this legendary player that expresses his attitude toward steadily putting in the work.
It questions the gentle notion that “effort is rewarded,” instead conveying a strong will: what matters is continuing to make an effort until it pays off.
Precisely because these are the words of someone who has delivered results, we can truly feel the importance of accumulating effort.
Accumulating small things is the only path to reach unbelievable places.Ichiro (Suzuki Ichiro)
Ichiro didn’t just shine in Japan—he made his mark on the world stage, and the many records he set are firmly etched into baseball history.
Because he consistently produced such results, his words carry a special weight, expressing the importance of steady, cumulative effort.
He reminds us that even small efforts, built up over time, matter most, and that this accumulation of experience will one day lead to major results.
These are words to recall especially when you feel uncertain about whether you can achieve your goals—words that can prompt you to look back on your own steady progress.
Fools think things will somehow work out tomorrow. Even today is already too late; the wise have finished it yesterday.Charles Cooley
Charles Cooley, an American sociologist, is also known for proposing the concept of the “looking-glass self.” Because he studied human consciousness, his words about the timing of effort carry particular weight.
This famous quote admonishes those who think, “Tomorrow will work out somehow,” confronting them with the reality that truly capable people finish things by yesterday.
It powerfully conveys the importance of tackling tasks early and the fact that putting things off leads to regret.


