LIFE IS A JOURNEY 311
Life Is a Journey
1 There’s an old saying: “Life is a journey, not a destination.” That’s certainly been true for
me. My journey back to school has been long and winding, full of twists and turns. I often think
to myself, what am I doing here? Let me try to answer that in a way that will give you a glimpse
into my life.
2 I started college right after high school, but it turned out that I wasn’t really ready. I
lacked focus and I spent more time with friends than I did studying. So I decided to take some
time off and return to school in a couple years.
3 Now, eight years later, I’m finally back in school. Mostly, I worked in retail—selling
shoes, selling electronics. I even tried selling cars for a while. Some of the jobs were okay, some
not so much. But along the way I learned responsibility, and I developed a strong work ethic. I
also realized that to have a rewarding career, I needed to go back to school. That’s one reason I’m
here today.
312 INTRODUCTORY SPEECHES FOR ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION
Life Is a Journey
Commentary
Nontraditional students, often defined as students over the age of 24 who return to school after a lengthy
absence, constitute a significant portion of the undergraduate student population (some estimates put the
number at well over one million). In this speech, a nontraditional student introduces himself to his class-
mates by using his nontraditional status as an organizing theme. A video of the speech is available online
and on the DVD of student speeches that accompanies this edition of The Art of Public Speaking. Here is
a synopsis of the speech.
Specific Purpose: To introduce myself to the audience by explaining my journey to the college classroom.
Central Idea: My journey back to college has shaped my outlook on life.
Method of Organization: Topical
Introduction: The introduction consists of the first paragraph. The speaker begins by quoting a familiar
saying (“Life is a journey”), which helps draw the audience into the speech. After noting that the
saying applies to his life, he orients the audience and gives them a clear sense of his topic and
purpose.
Body: Paragraphs 2–6 make up the body of the speech. In paragraphs 2 and 3, the speaker deals with
the first main point of his speech—the lessons he learned between graduating from high school
and returning to college. Further developing an idea from the introduction, he mentions many of