CHOOSING YOUR FRIENDS

Before I begin this article, I’ll want you to know this:
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Be careful with your choice of friends, just like a pair of glasses, they have the power to sharpen or blur your mind.

Efzibarh.
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  If there’s one thing that makes schooling interesting, then it’s the cool friends we have. Friends we hang out with, sturdy with, do silly things with, laugh with, share our feelings with and sometimes fight with. They make the most of our memories. I can’t even imagine school life without friends.

  Since it's a basic fact that the friends we make directly or indirectly influence our actions, so care must be taken when choosing them.

  In this article, I’ll be giving you tips on how to choose friends in school.

“You’re on a three weeks suspension, that’s my decision and it’s final!”. These were the words of my School principal…

Flash back…

 Being a boarder in school, I easily made friends, that eventually, almost ruined school for me.

  It was on a Friday, Dave, one of my friends told us we’ll be sneaking tonight to Devi- a club-house not far from school. At first, I didn’t want to agree ‘cause it’s against the boarders rules, but after much persuasion from others, I reluctantly gave in.

  Unfortunately, in a bid to sneak out, we were sighted by the watchman, he flashed his touch and ordered us to stop, instead, my friends scattered into the dark but I, being of feeble mind stood still, immediately, I began to regret my actions,"I shouldn't have followed them" I lamented. 

I was locked up in a room then the next day, he unfolded all that happened to the Principal. All my friends that ran were expelled, and I was suspended. Admist tears, I learnt a valuable lesson.

-From an African teen.

 Do you wish to attain academic excellence? Do you wish to have a troubled-free life in school? Then your choice of friend is a determiner.

What to consider when choosing friends in school:

 Here’s what you should take note while choosing your friends in school;

• Choose that ones that have the same goal as you do:

  Birds of a feather they say, flock together, deductively, birds of a different feather will never flock together(you got the point?).

   In the same vein, before you try making anyone your friend, such person should have the same goal as you do, this makes reaching your goal much easier.

 For instance, if your goal is to graduate with a distinction, then your friend should be someone with the same mindset.

• Choose the ones that encourage you:

  This is an important aspect to consider while choosing your friends. Don’t just make anyone your friend, let them be those that support you, those that make you believe you can attain any height in life, those are the ones that should be your friends.

  I could remember while I was still a youngster, I had a couple of friends. whenever I’d say something like “hey, I want to build a car that can fly”, even though it’s obvious that it’s almost impossible, they’d encourage me with smiles in such a way that I feel, with them around, I can build an aircraft.

• Choose the ones that are proactive:

  Being proactive, according to Sean Covey in the 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens(I recommend you read this book if you haven’t), is the ability of one to always be in control, even during unpleasant situations. They think before that act. That is a good quality you should look at when choosing your friends.

  From the book:

  Reactive people make choices based on impulse. They are like a can of soda pop. If life shakes them a bit, the pressure builds and they suddenly explode. On the other hand, proactive people make choices based on values….Unlike reactive people who are full of carbonation, proactive people are like water. Shake them up all you want, take off the lid, and nothing. No fizzing, no bubbling, no pressure. They are calm, cool, and in control. 

• Choose the ones that are morally upright:

  From the shared experience of the African boy, the friends he chose were obviously immoral, they saw to it to break the boarder rules and the aftermath was nothing but trouble and regret.

  Of course, you don’t want that. So when choosing your friends be sure to avoid the ones that:

-Speak foul languages.

-Dress indecently.

-Bully others.

-Love wild parties.

-Are jealous of your success.

-Drink a lot.

-Do drugs.

-Sexually abuse.

-Display Gangsterism. Etc.

Instead, go for the ones that do the opposite.

• Choose the ones that are academically sound:

 To be academically sound is the primary aim of every student in school, every other activities are peripherals. Therefore, sturdy the brilliant and serious ones in class, make them your friends, this favours your academic life as they can assist you wherever you are weak in any subject.

  In conclusion, remember that to someone else, you are a friend, so be sure to also display all the virtues above. It’s like the Golden rule, what you expect from others is what you should do also.

To round off this article, I’ll want you to know this:
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Anything is possible when you have the right people there to support you. 

Misty Copeland. 
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