In this blog post, I’ll summarize what I’ve learned and my preparation process based on my study habits, school activities, experiences showing consideration for others, and my motivation for applying to the Economics program during high school.
High School Experience
Academic Efforts
While studying, I focused most of my attention on “daily life” and “time management.” I realized that studying is a “habit,” and I believed that academic success depends not on being smarter than others or having a better memory, but on how well one cultivates those habits. I came to this realization by observing my older brother. Even though our bedtimes and wake-up times were similar, my brother did well in his studies because he had developed the habit of clearly setting aside specific times for studying and focusing. Wanting to emulate him, I began strictly adhering to my daily routine and schedule starting in my sophomore year of high school. First, I made sure to get six hours of sleep, and from 7:00 to 8:00 p.m., I went for a walk or did some light exercise. For the remaining time, I made a study plan by assigning specific subjects to each time slot and stuck to it. Even during exam periods, unless there was a special reason, I went to bed at midnight to maintain my sleep and exercise routines. For example, if I scheduled Korean from 8:00 to 9:00 p.m., I would finish my exercise quickly and be seated at my desk by 8:00 sharp, refraining from idle chatter or distracting thoughts and focusing entirely on my studies. As a result, I was able to increase my study load without significantly reducing my sleep time, and I was able to maintain my health and concentration. I believe this is what helped me endure the long period of exam preparation.
Editorial Board Activities
I joined the editorial board because I was deeply impressed by the school magazine I received on my first day of high school. That magazine captured the school’s unique character through lyrical essays, social analysis and criticism, moving stories, and reflections on academic challenges, and the editorial board logo at the end of the magazine looked impressive. The editorial board was a club with a heavy workload, including publishing the school magazine, assisting with the production of the school newspaper, and helping teachers compile teaching materials. There, I learned “how to write” and “how to read.” From my very first day, I naturally honed my writing skills by contributing to the school magazine; in the beginning, my writing felt awkward, so I consulted writing guides and sought advice from upperclassmen. As I made a conscious effort to write frequently, my ideas began to flow more quickly, and I developed a knack for refining my work. Furthermore, through the editing process—checking for typos and reviewing context—I developed a keen sense of spelling and context, and as my reading speed increased, my ability to comprehend a wide variety of texts improved. Discovering sentences and vocabulary in good books drew me into the charm of writing itself, and through reading and writing, I was able to relieve stress and find peace of mind, allowing me to navigate my life as a student preparing for college entrance exams with ease.
Consideration and Sharing
The cleaning lady at our school was a generous and diligent person. Since it was an all-boys school, the hallways would sometimes turn into a mess during sports festivals or art class, but she never complained about the hard work and always handled it with a cheerful attitude. One day, I started helping her take out the trash, and once I began, I kept doing it. Every morning, she would empty the trash cans, going up and down the stairs multiple times, but since my help reduced the number of trips she had to make, I started coming in a little earlier in the morning to assist her. Through my conversations with my aunt, I learned a great deal. For example, she often shared stories about what happened to the top two students in the school after graduation, telling me that studying isn’t everything—what matters is how you live your life. Hearing such words of wisdom and personal stories, I realized that people are what matter most, and I gained a valuable lesson from helping my aunt. Even now, I happily assist her out of deep respect.
Reasons for Applying
I believe South Korea is a country where capital plays a major role. In fact, due to the unique circumstances of military division, the country lacks abundant minerals and natural resources, so it has relied on capital to develop various industries. I want to become someone who can analyze the flow of capital and grow into a professional who contributes to South Korea. My dream is to become an economist who proposes solutions to economic crises. I aspire to be someone who examines the causes of the wealth gap, the sustainability of the current economic situation, and future trends—and who identifies both the root causes and the solutions. That is why I hope to be admitted to your university’s Department of Economics. To prepare for admission, I have studied diligently, built my general knowledge of current affairs by reading newspapers, and maintained disciplined daily habits to consistently improve my grades. Furthermore, I make a point of keeping up with current economic trends through newspapers, and once I enter college, I will devote myself entirely to my major, studying step by step from the basics. By attending lectures by economists to gain insights, and by engaging in various volunteer activities and experiences alongside my studies, I aim to become a scholar who directly observes, listens to, and reflects on the diverse facets of society.
