The Best TED Talks for Back to School

OK, maybe not just any YouTube videos. I’m talking about TED talks. These awesome videos are dedicated to spreading ideas and teaching you something new, interesting and inspirational. There are thousands of speakers and subjects, but I’ve put together some great TED talks that will help you prepare for the upcoming school year and get the most out of your experience.

10 Ways to Have a Better Conversation

CELESTE HEADLEE

Whether you’re starting your first year of college or your last, the beginning of school brings plenty of opportunities to meet new people. While talking to strangers may be a daunting challenge, Celeste Headlee insists it’s not only simple but extremely important. With the invention of the cellphone, we don’t experience face-to-face communication as much as we used to. Headlee’s method for improving conversation will make meeting new people a much more productive and enjoyable experience.

Inside the Mind of a Master Procrastinator

TIM URBAN

We all know the struggles of procrastination. We have two months to finish a big paper and we won’t start until two days before it’s due, leading to some all-nighters and a finished paper that probably isn’t your best work. You may have wondered, like many of us often do, “Why do I keep doing this?” Well, Tim Urban seems to have it figured out. As a self-proclaimed master procrastinator, Urban breaks down what it’s like to live inside his mind. You’ll learn about rational decision-making, instant gratification monkeys, and the life-saving panic monster in his hilarious and deeply relatable talk.

The Skill of Self-Confidence

DR. IVAN JOSEPH

College is a time when self-confidence is a must. Believing in yourself is so important and will affect what you are able to accomplish. Dr. Ivan Joseph, athletic director and head coach of the varsity soccer team at Ryerson University, says he looks for self-confidence over anything else when recruiting students. He breaks down the key elements to building up your own self-confidence, insisting that it is a skill that can be learned, not something you’re simply born with.

Everyday Leadership

DREW DUDLEY

Would you consider yourself a leader? Drew Dudley believes more people should answer that question with a confident “yes.” However, as students, it can feel as though leadership is out of our reach. You can only be a “leader” if you are set out to change the world in some way. Dudley debunks this way of thinking and highlights the immense impact we have on other people’s lives without even knowing it. You can be a leader in any situation, whether you’re running a club on campus or chatting with a friend. Watch and see how he changed someone’s life, and in turn the world, with a simple act of everyday leadership.

Secrets of Success in 8 words, 3 minutes

RICHARD ST. JOHN

After a high school student asked him, “What leads to success?,” Richard St. John spent seven years researching the secrets of success. He did 500 interviews in all, talking to people like Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, media mogul Rupert Murdoch, actress Goldie Hawn, and Sherwin Nuland, a professor of surgery at Yale. His short, witty speech sums up the eight things he believes will lead to success in whatever you do.

This is What Happens When You Reply to Spam Email

JAMES VEITCH

Finally, when your homework has begun to pile up and after you’ve been frantically trying to finish an essay that’s due the next day (see procrastination TED talk above), you might need to take a break and relax your brain for a bit. James Veitch’s talk on his hilarious responses to spam mail is perfect for a quick study break or pick-me-up.