Commencement Speech Anyone?

It's that time of year, when young people across the country find the cure for their cases of "senioritis" by dressing in long robes and funny hats and sitting through long ceremonies to - in the end - receive a piece of paper. But we all know that that piece of paper is so much more than it seems. A diploma symbolizes years of study and serves as the culmination of a degree of achievement. It's worth sitting through the speeches to get it.

As graduations go, mine were all pretty standard. After a few "commencement really means the beginning" quips and a few jokes or anecdotes from the likes of Doris Roberts or David Gregory, I was walking across a stage and turning my tassel. Mostly, I remember being nervous about whether or not my stuff was packed back in the dorm or if I would hear back about a job application.

A few years out from my own graduations, I'm able to better appreciate the content of commencement speeches and pick out the truly wise nuggets of wisdom in them. So, for this Tuneage Tuesday, here are a couple of well-known commencement addresses from science-y folk to inspire you this graduation season.

From computer scientist, Randy Pausch to Carnegie Mellon's class of 2008.



To the Vassar class of 2010 from Lisa Kudrow, who received her degree in biology there in 1985.



Congratulations to all of our readers who have earned their diplomas this year. Drop us a line in the comments so we can celebrate with you!