[Translation from Japanese to English ] I made friends with different types of people in junior high, high school, an...

Original text

私は中学、高校、大学と色々な種類の人たちと友達になりました。その過程で、友達が自分の考え方や人生の目標を決めることに強く影響を与えていると感じました。
中学校の友達は、あまり勉強せずに遊んでいる人たちが多かったです。私はもともと勉強は好きだったのですが、気付くとほとんど勉強しないようになっていました。その時はそれが普通だと思い、それ以外の学生生活の送り方がうまく想像できなかったです。
その後、運よく高校は進学校に合格することができました。高校入学後は、状況がまったく変わりました。

Translation / English

I made friends with different types of people in junior high, high school, and college. During this process, I felt friends had a strong influence on my thoughts and decisions on life goals.
Most friends in junior high played instead of studying. I used to love to study, but I lost interest in studying then. I thought that was normal, and couldn’t think of any other way to spend my school days.
After that, luckily I was accepted into an academic high school. Once I entered high school, the situation changed drastically.

Translation / English

Through junior high, high school and college, I befriended various kinds of people. Through this experience, I strongly felt that friends impact my thoughts and life goals greatly.
Many of my friends in junior high did not study much and spent much time fooling around. I liked studying, but when I took a look at myself I realized I had stopped studying almost completely. At that time I thought that was the norm and could not imagine other form of lifestyle.
Luckily, I was able to enroll in a magnet high school. After entering 9th grade, my situation took a complete turn.

Translation / English

I made friends of all kinds of people from junior high, senior high and college. In the process of making the friends, I felt that the friends had strong influence in my ways of thinking and establishing a goal of my life. Many of the friends from junior high were not interested in studying so much but pursuing of pleasure. Although I originally liked to study, upon noticing myself, I hardly studied very much. At that time, I thought it was ordinary and I could not well imagine the other ways of student life. After then, I could pass the entrance exam, by good fortune, of a high-ranked senor high in terms of its educational offering. After graduating senior high, the situation changed completely.

Original text

新しく出来た友達はみんなよく勉強をする人たちでした。そうすると、私は勉強をするのが当たり前だと思うようになったのです。その結果、よい大学に入学することができました。もちろん勉強だけでなく、音楽や読む本なども影響を受けました。
人は環境になって変わると思いますが、もっとも影響を与える要因は友達だと思います。なので、自分を変える最良の方法は、自分がこうなりたいと思うような人たちと友達になることだと思います。

Translation / English

My new friends all studied heavily. When I saw this, I though studying was such a natural course of event. As a result, I was accepted to a promising university. Not only did studying have impact on me, but also type of music and books influenced me too.
I believe circumstances can change people, but more than anything friends are the greatest catalyst. Therefore, the best way to change is to surround yourself with admirable friends.

Translation / English

Those new friends studied a lot. It made me think studying hard is normal. As a result, I was able to get into a good college. Of course, not only studying, but also listening to music and reading influenced me a lot positively.
People tend to say an environment affects us, but I think what affect us the most are friends. Therefore, the best way to change yourself is to become friends with the people who you want to be.

Translation / English

All the newly made students were hardworking students. This had the positive effect for me to think that it was normal to be a hardworking student. As a result, I successfully passed the entrance exam of a high ranked college. Of course, I was influenced not only studying but also music and book for reading.
I think a person is influenced by surrounding environment, but the most influencing element, I think, is the friends.
So, the best way of changing oneself is to make friends with people who you would like to be.