Commencement Address

Libby Sarkis
Journal #3

2/17/14

English 102

I really enjoyed reading Commencement Address by Jon Stewart. It was witty and really put perspective on college students nowadays. The way Stewart makes his statement in a humor kind of way makes his advice so much more appealing to students, but also has his serious moments which makes the speech successful.  He really shows to the graduates that "College is something you complete, Life is something you experience." (Stewart 128). He tells them to do what they like and life will fall into place. 

He says that we have to ability to be whatever we want to. What is done in college doesn't define who we will become. It is the person we become after college and which way we go in life is what we become. He tells the graduates, 

                "So how do you know what is the right path to choose 

                 to get the result that you desire? The honest     

                 answer is this: you won't. And accepting that 

                 greatly eases the anxiety of your life experience"

                                                  (Stewart 127)

After reading this quote, I really started to think back to what my parents were telling me when I was applying to college. My mother made me believe that going to college and the major I choose freshman year will make my future happen. She makes me believe that I NEED to know exactly what I want to do with my life at eighteen. And in reality, I have no clue what I want to be. One day I want to be a lawyer so then i have to change my major, then I want to be in T.V. production, so that goes another major change. After reading this article I can finally see that college is here for the experience. Society wants me to be here. Now its what I become and do with myself after college that defines who I am. 

He states at the end that we will all be ok, and I believe him, with every word he says.