(Minghui.org) I am a freshman at Fei Tian College in Middletown, New York. I would like to share some of my experiences during my first year in college.

When I was a child, my parents often read Dafa books and did the exercises with me. I sometimes also went with them to distribute materials that clarifyied the truth about Falun Dafa.

I was preparing to go to a very good college in Chicago last summer. I had already finished choosing my classes for the fall, and was waiting for the term to start, when my father called me from New York. He had just bought a house there and asked me to go to New York for college.

Although he had initially agreed that I would attend college in Chicago, I knew my father wished for me to attend Fei Tian College because he did not want me to lose the environment for cultivation while attending an ordinary people's college. Quite frankly, I was not thrilled about going to New York.

When I arrived at Fei Tian College at Middletown, it was much better than I expected. I made a lot of new friends on my first day, and in fact everyone I met was very nice. Before I came to New York, I was worried about the school’s academic level, it being a fairly new college. However, I was soon impressed by the school.

When I started Calculus class, for the first few lessons I could not catch up. I had trouble with homework and I only scored 3 (out of 10) on my first quiz. I went to the professor's office to ask for help. The professor was very kind and spent about three hours explaining the material to me. After several office visits, my quiz scores increased to 11.

My classmates celebrated with me twice on my birthday. I was very touched. I liked my life at the new college more and more.

When I had settled in, I took some time and looked inward. I came to realize that over the years I had basically followed my parents in cultivation. Every day they supervised me as I read Dafa books and did the exercises. I never took the initiative and did not have a strong desire to cultivate from the bottom of my heart.

I said to myself, “I am no longer a child, I need to change and take the initiative for my own cultivation!”

From that day forward, I read the Dafa books every day, regardless of whether my parents reminded me to or not. I deleted all the electronic games which I used to be attached to.

Sometimes when I was very busy with my studies, I did not study the Fa very well. I knew that being busy was only an excuse and that I should make Fa study my first priority.

I was doing my homework one afternoon when I suddenly felt very tired and sleepy. I wanted to lie down in my bed, but I realized that it would be a waste of time and that I should instead do the exercises since I hadn't done them for a while. After doing the exercises, I felt filled with energy which lasted into the next day!

Master said:

“Have you ever thought of the fact that practicing cultivation is the best form of rest? You can obtain the kind of rest that can’t be obtained through sleeping. Nobody would say: 'The exercises are making me so tired that I can’t do anything today.' One would only say: 'The exercises are making my whole body relaxed and at ease. I don’t feel sleepy after a sleepless night. I feel full of energy. It doesn’t seem to bother me at all after a day’s work.' Isn’t this the case? So if someone who doesn’t come out to do the exercises says that he has no time or uses other excuses, I’d say that it’s completely because he doesn’t have a deep understanding of the Fa and lacks the will to make painstaking efforts.” (“Lecture at the First Conference in North America”)

I should pay more attention to doing the exercises.

Fei Tian College at Middletown is a Dafa practitioners' project. It has been such a wonderful opportunity for me to improve my cultivation. I should treasure it. In modern society, many young people, including some who practiced Dafa with their parents when they were young, are sliding further and further away from traditional values, especially after they enter college. Many of them have begun to accept communist ideas, corrupt male-female relationships, and homosexuality. There are no exceptions, even among the top colleges in the world.

Master said:

“And so that’s the role they play in this world, trying to steer and destroy humanity with modern thought, with all sorts of tactics that corrupt people, and with a variety of different approaches. Many people have really fallen for it, especially young people. The evil ones have made students, especially college students, their main target of attack.” (“Teaching the Fa in Washington D.C. in 2018”) (Team Yellow Translation)

College is a dividing point in one's life. One’s college environment has major implications for his or her future. I am now grateful that my father asked me to go to Fei Tian College at Middletown. I might be thinking very differently if I had gone to the school I had initially planned to attend.

I will study hard for the next few years, and be a good student. Meanwhile, I will cultivate more diligently and do better in Fa study and exercises. I wish to do well in the three things Master told us to do, and become a true Dafa disciple.

Thank you, Master! Thank you, teachers and fellow practitioners at school!