Freshmen Focus: The Company You Keep

“Tell me about your friends”. 

You’ve probably heard somewhere that you’re only as good as the company you keep. While you’re eyeballing your buddies who may be sitting across the room or table from you right now, consider that – right now – you have the advantage of a “clean slate”. You can begin to choose your next group of friends.  In addition to shaping much of the next 4 years at Isenberg, these are people  who will be business partners and associates in a very short time….maybe next semester when you bring your cool new app idea to life!

Who you choose to call your friends is important to your success in many ways. These people will influence you – for good and bad – and contribute to your own story. You’ve known this since kindergarten, right? Stay away from the trouble maker because, inevitably, you’ll also be marked as a trouble maker. Hang with the motivated and ambitious people and these qualities can only rub off on you in a positive way.

“Tell me about your friends”. Some employers ask this question because of what answers reveal about people. As you continue to choose your new friends at Isenberg and UMASS, choose wisely. In this recent INC.com blog post, Paul Brown, a contributor to INC.com and author of several books including Own Your Future, reveals why he always asks this question.

Article By Kim Figueroa