TED Talks: Popular Among College Students

Ted Talks have been loved for years helping to motivate you, inspire, and educate your world. But Ted Talks in the eyes of college students is a true treasure of learning. So much so that in some colleges, TED Talks were added inside the classroom as part of the students learning process. Continue reading and find out how and why TED Talks are so popular amongst college students.

Why Are TED Talks So Popular?

They Are Available Online for Free

College students need to soak up as much information as possible, and one of the best things about TED Talks is that there are talks on almost anything and everything and they are free. The executives of TED decided to put all of TED’s archived talks online for free in 2006. Surprisingly enough, the reaction was not fewer attendees at the in-person conferences. Waitlists actually grew longer and the organization was able to increase ticket prices. The presentations finally became accessible to millennials that are on a budget, and these videos blew up online especially when using a format that could relate particularly well to the younger crowd.

They Go Beyond the Classroom and Office

When in college, I know a lot of students who strive to get the absolute most out of their college career. But its sometimes hard to stay focused, inspired, and motivated outside of the classroom. Students don’t always take advantage of opportunities to explore new subjects during school. These TED videos help to challenge students to think about critical complex ideas. And maybe they might inspire and motivate new doors to open up that they never knew they could open.

They Go Beyond the Classroom and Office

When in college, I know a lot of students who strive to get the absolute most out of their college career. But its sometimes hard to stay focused, inspired, and motivated outside of the classroom. Students don’t always take advantage of opportunities to explore new subjects during school. These TED videos help to challenge students to think about critical complex ideas. And maybe they might inspire and motivate new doors to open up that they never knew they could open

They Are Focused

Ted Talks are super focused on everything from the speech to the speakers and even to the stage design. One speaker drives each talk. The panel discussion, audience participation, and Q&A segments don’t drag down the narrative. TED speeches are more like scripted stories meant to draw the listener in. So every little detail counts.

They Are Short, Almost Like Small Movies

These videos are fun to watch. It would seem that TED’s videographers take the same cues used by crews shooting Netflix programs and blockbuster movies. The lighting set design and visual graphics are used to build drama. Then the TED videos are edited between several camera angles to shine a light on these characteristics. So, overall watching a TED Talk video is like getting a small explosion and inspiration of knowledge in short amounts of time.

What Are Some Of The Best TED Talk Speeches For College Students?

  • The Key to Success? Grit By Angela Lee Duckworth: In this most inspiring Ted talk, Angela Lee Duckworth talks about exactly this,  that If you have gotten into your dream college after a lot of sleepless nights, should you ensure that you are trying to be the best and stand out? So that you make the most of this opportunity that was given to you.
  • Secrets of Success in 8 Words, 3 Minutes By Richard St. John: Richard St. John will tell you the simple secrets of success his popular Ted talk. In only eight words and you can carry on these words right through your life.
  • How to Graduate College With a Job You Love and Less Debt By Jullien Gordon: In this TED Talk, Jullien Gordon put college costs in perspective for prospective students and explained the importance of making the most of everything college has to offer while avoiding unnecessary student debt.
  • David Kelley: How to Build Your Creative Confidence: The founder, chairman, and managing partner of the design firm IDEO and a professor at Stanford University, David Kelly talks of phobias and treatment for fear of snakes. That had been implemented by Albert Bandura (described by David as the fourth greatest psychologist of history).

History of TED Talks

If you really want to soak up as much knowledge as you can about Ted Talks, well the first thing you should probably read is the wonderful history of TED. TED was created in 1984. Inside of  Richard Saul Wurman’s observation of a powerful convergence among three fields: technology, entertainment, and design. Even though the very first TED line up was an amazing selection, the first TED talk flopped and the event had lost money. But Wurman and Marks kept trying.

In 1990, the world was ready. The TED Conference became an annual event in Monterey, California. This event attracted a growing and influential audience from many different disciplines joined together by their curiosity and open-mindedness.

Accordingly, the years 2001–2006 saw three major additions to the TED family:

  • a sister conference, TEDGlobal, held in locations around the world
  • the TED Prize, which grants its winners one wish to change the world
  • an audio and video podcast series, and TED Talks. The best TED content is released free online.

Become A TED Talk Speaker NOW!

Anyone can be a TED Talk speaker. Being able to share your ideas with the world is something we here at TEDx Winter Park love to see. If you want to see what you need to do to become a speaker for TEDx Winter Park,  Click here to send us an email.