Every fall, college freshmen begin the familiar tradition of establishing friendships with classmates in their dormitories.

But little do they realize how much choosing the right friends—notably, ones with empathy—could be beneficial during stressful times, says a new Stanford study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

“The transition to college can be tumultuous,” said Jamil Zaki, an assistant professor of psychology at Stanford and co-author of the study. “Whom you end up making friendships with can play a significant role in how you’ll deal with the stress and hardship of freshman year.”

Stress is a natural reaction for college students, but knowing how to manage that stress is an important factor in a student’s success. A 2008 poll conducted by the Associated Press and mtvU found that 40 percent of college students said they felt stress regularly—and almost 1 in 5 seriously considered dropping out of school. To read more from MILENKO MARTINOVICH, click here.