These reference groups helped shape us by providing us with the means to behave appropriately in group settings, communicate between people of all social classes, and give us the ability to identify other social groups norms. My friends and their families taught me soft skills that I hadn't been exposed to within my family. “Soft skills are the difficult-to-teach character traits and interpersonal skills that characterize a person's relationships with other people. Soft skills have more to do with who we are than what we know. As such, soft skills encompass the character traits that decide how well one interacts with others and are usually a defined part of one's personality (www.investopedia.com).” “Soft skills are things like knowing how to dress, act, and present yourself or the ability to work well with other people (Manza Pg. 417).” For example, I learned proper table etiquette, such as not starting to eat before everyone was served. This was not something that was taught in my home. I learned the appropriate attire based on the occasion and/or different adult environments. The benefits of these soft skills became invaluable later and in adulthood, helping me in the real world. I learned what to say and when to say it in conversational circumstances that I might otherwise have been unprepared for were now familiar to me. This allowed me to carry on conversations and