In this blog post, I’ll summarize my study methods and school activities during high school, my experiences with empathy and collaboration, and my motivation for majoring in child welfare along with my preparation process.

Writing About My Academic Experiences and Reflections

You can make a mistake once, but you won’t make the same mistake twice. Throughout high school, rather than buying many workbooks and dabbling in various topics, I studied by selecting exactly one workbook per subject area—Language Arts, Foreign Languages, Mathematics, and Social Studies—each quarter, and working through it thoroughly from start to finish. I adopted this approach after a small epiphany during my first-year winter break.
At first, I thought my skills would improve only by solving many workbooks, and I followed along because others were doing the same. However, while grading my work, I realized I was repeatedly getting the same question types or specific parts wrong, and that’s when I began systematically reviewing my mistakes. I came to understand that it was more efficient to record and analyze exactly which questions I was making mistakes on and in what situations those mistakes kept recurring, rather than simply solving a large number of problems.
I didn’t just blindly keep taking practice exams; instead, I approached them by repeatedly reviewing the questions and question types I had previously gotten wrong. After solving a set of problems and grading them, I would write down the incorrect answers in my notebook and solve them again; about half of them I got right the next time. For the remaining problems, I copied them into my notebook and repeated them over and over—almost as if memorizing them by heart—to ensure I fully understood them.
I saw my grades improve as a result of reviewing my mistakes, and above all, I learned the importance of prioritization and focus. Reviewing my wrong answers was a tedious and repetitive task, so I was often tempted to solve new problems instead, but I kept my goal in mind and didn’t give up. As a result, I stopped making the same mistakes on similar types of problems and was able to achieve significant results in the areas where I focused my efforts.

Writing about Major School Activities and Reflections

I believed that knowing how to write is important no matter what you do. I was deeply impressed by Representative Ahn Cheol-soo’s lectures and writings, in which he emphasized that writing is a great help in organizing and clarifying one’s thoughts; influenced by this, I applied to join the school newspaper club. While my essay writing classes in middle school felt tedious because they were part of college entrance exam preparation, I found the newspaper club appealing because it offered training in reporting, article writing, and understanding others’ perspectives—rather than just summarizing.
The school newspaper club allowed me to experience not only writing but the entire process of reporting, and I devoted myself to club activities with as much passion as I did to my studies until my senior year of high school. In the beginning, I wrote investigative articles about issues within the school, conducted facility inspections, and produced informational pieces highlighting items or spaces that students were unaware of or failed to utilize, all in an effort to improve the students’ learning environment.
Then, I had the opportunity to cover a segment featuring teachers’ personal stories, and that experience broadened my horizons. I realized that the world beyond school—which I had previously viewed solely from a student’s perspective—was connected to the daily lives and volunteer work of my teachers. I was deeply moved by meeting teachers who performed unseen acts of service, such as tending the playground lawn or cleaning up the trash area, as well as those who formed clubs to provide regular educational volunteer work at orphanages.
In particular, the story about volunteering at an orphanage—which I learned about while reporting on a school-related story—was a major turning point for me. As I covered the teachers and volunteers caring for children in grades 1 through 3, I began volunteering there on my own initiative and continued to help care for the children alongside the teachers. When I featured this activity in a newspaper article, it sparked interest among my fellow students, and I felt a deep sense of pride knowing that I had set a small example for them.
Through my involvement in the newspaper club, I not only developed my writing and reporting skills but also discovered an interest in child welfare. These experiences led me to decide on a career as a child welfare worker, and even after entering college, I plan to study diligently and gain practical experience to become a professional who provides the necessary welfare services to children.

Writing About Examples of Compassion, Sharing, and Cooperation, and My Reflections

In my second year, while preparing for a class-wide volunteer activity, I was in charge of selecting the location and activity as class president. Wanting to organize a special and memorable volunteer experience, I proposed painting a mural at a senior center. After obtaining approval from my classmates and teacher, we finalized the plan. However, the problem was that most of us had never painted a mural before and needed time to practice.
Since we were unfamiliar with everything from how to hold a brush to mixing colors, we continued practicing after school. We also faced practical difficulties, such as budget issues—including transportation costs—which required us to collect additional funds among ourselves beyond the school’s grant. At first, everyone was full of anticipation, but as time went on, complaints and grumbling began to surface. Eventually, on the day of the volunteer activity, a conflict arose between classmates who weren’t actively participating and those who were working hard. The atmosphere was gloomy the entire bus ride there, and as class president, I agonized over how to resolve the situation.
The approach I chose was to lead by example rather than point fingers or scold anyone. Instead of worrying about who wasn’t doing their part, I decided to do whatever I could first, so I carried the paints, mixed the colors, and began painting. As I painted step by step, asking the guest instructor for guidance, the elderly residents came out to praise me and even expressed their gratitude by giving me snacks like corn. Seeing this naturally lightened the mood, and the classmates who had been hesitant to participate began to join in one by one.
In the end, we joined forces to complete the mural, and the volunteer activity concluded successfully. Through this experience, I learned how important it is to lead by example in conflict situations. I realized firsthand that setting an example can sometimes have a more powerful impact than trying to persuade others with words.

Efforts and Preparation Related to Motivation for Application and Career Plans

What led me to decide to major in Child Welfare was what I witnessed at a child welfare center during a reporting assignment for the school newspaper. There, I saw a girl, about in third grade, taking care of first-graders—feeding them and looking after them like a mother. That scene had a profound impact on me and left me wondering, “Why does that child have to shoulder so much responsibility at such a young age?” That question wouldn’t go away, and eventually, I decided to enroll in the Department of Child Welfare at Sookmyung Women’s University to find the answer.
Although I do not yet know exactly what specific knowledge and skills I need to learn to help those children, I believe that is precisely why I must study and learn. Through my university studies and fieldwork, I aim to build the necessary competencies to become a child welfare worker who can make a real difference. To this end, ever since high school, I have made a consistent effort to reflect on my thoughts, words, and actions.
Specifically, I disciplined myself strictly when I was emotional, and even when I was exhausted from studying, I maintained the habit of reflecting and self-evaluating through journaling. I always tried to speak and act appropriately, and I approached even small tasks at school—such as my attitude in class or routine responsibilities like cleaning—with honesty and a sense of responsibility. I believe these habits are not merely a matter of refining my character, but a process of cultivating the attitude and consistency necessary for working with children in the future.
Correcting one’s habits is by no means an easy task, but I believe consistent practice is key. To become a person who does not disappoint my dreams, I will continue to study diligently and gain experience so that I can become a professional who makes a tangible contribution to the well-being of children.