In this blog post, I’ll discuss why I want to become a computer educator—based on my high school academic experiences, club activities, and examples of consideration and cooperation—as well as my academic and career plans after college.
Academic Experience
“A Desperate Effort to Keep a Promise to Myself!”
Personally, I believe that studying is all about keeping a promise. And I believe that promise is all about perseverance. For example, anyone can make a plan. In fact, many of my friends do set proper plans. When I see them looking at their study schedules—vowing to study in a certain way from one date to another and to improve their grades by a specific amount—it feels like it’s only a matter of time before their grades go up. However, few friends actually see their grades improve as much as they expect. Since very few friends stick to their plans, very few end up achieving high grades. I used to believe that if I kept the promises I made to myself—as if my life depended on it—I would surely see results to match. Because I thought this way about studying, for me, studying was a battle to keep my promises to myself. I loved computers and video games so much that I wasn’t the type to focus on other subjects. As a result, it’s true that I neglected my studies until my freshman year. I thought, “I just need to work hard in the fields I enjoy,” so I immersed myself solely in computers and programming. However, I suddenly realized that I wouldn’t be able to pursue what I truly loved by continuing that way, so from that point on, I focused on my studies. And when I started studying in earnest again, the thing I worked hardest on was sticking to the plan I had set. I studied language, math, and foreign languages every single day without fail, and I rotated through the other subjects, studying them every other day. My plan was to study for two hours straight every day without fail. And I worked hard to stick to that study plan. Far from being a case of “three days of resolve,” it was more like “three hours of resolve.” As morning turned to noon and then to evening, I was constantly tempted to play—the urge was overwhelming—but I held back and worked diligently. And even now, I continue to strive every day with the mindset of faithfully keeping my promises.
Extracurricular Activities
“Developing an interest in computers—not just games—through the Game Programming Club.”
To be honest, what interested me most was “games.” I especially loved strategy games, and back when I was really into them, I was so immersed that my parents worried about me. Staying up all night was the norm, and I was so engrossed in gaming that I couldn’t understand why people said it was bad to play games instead of studying. As a result, my grades naturally hit rock bottom, and at school, I was considered a student who caused a lot of concern for my teachers due to my extremely lackluster attitude toward class. The turning point for me came when I joined a gaming club made up of friends preparing to become game programmers. To be honest, my reason for joining that club was to seriously prepare to become a programmer myself. I wanted to train hard and become a gamer who would amaze the world. However, what I realized after joining was a sense of frustration. In short, I came to realize that I was a “frog in a well.” There were plenty of friends who were better than me, and many who took gaming very seriously. After participating in a small tournament for high school students and returning with a score that didn’t even make it past the preliminaries, I shed tears on the way home and realized just how inadequate I was—that I was a person who wasn’t quite this or that. That led to a slump, and I stopped playing games for a while. However, since I’d spent a lot of time working with computers while gaming, I often used my general knowledge to fix the laptops and computers in the club. I didn’t consider that a talent. It wasn’t until I had a conversation with the club advisor that I realized I was interested in computers and was better at them than my peers. Through those conversations, I came to recognize my strengths: I picked up computer skills quickly, was good at explaining things, and could resolve computer-related issues efficiently. Receiving praise made me feel good, and before I knew it, I had become the person in charge of computer repairs within the club and the one who explained problems when they arose. I felt that passion again and realized that I was someone who was needed for this work. As a result, another dream blossomed within me without me even realizing it. Specifically, I dreamed of becoming an educator who uses my comprehensive knowledge of computers to teach students and the general public. This made me realize I needed to study again and dedicate myself more fully to my club activities. So, during the latter half of my time in the club, I completely shook off the lethargy I’d previously felt and threw myself into my work with renewed vigor. During this time, I held the position of “Vice President.” First and foremost, I was responsible for repairing the computers in the club room. I also explained the club rules to underclassmen and offered encouragement to my peers who were working hard to prepare for competitions. Additionally, whenever issues arose within the club, I spoke with the teachers to mediate and resolve them, striving to ensure the club ran as smoothly and effectively as possible.
Examples of Consideration and Cooperation
“I’ll Take Care of All the School’s Computers”
When I think about the activity where I worked hardest for others during my time in school, it has to be the work I did with the computer teacher to inspect the computers in the school’s computer lab. I was very close to the computer teacher because he was the one who recognized my strengths and supported me. He helped me, who had no dreams at the time, discover what I was good at and guided me on how to improve. So, because I wanted to spend even a little more time with him and work alongside him, I stayed after school to help with his work. I learned a lot in the process and picked things up quickly, so I helped take care of the school’s computers. At first, there were many errors I couldn’t fix, but as I kept trying and gradually became able to handle more tasks, I gained confidence and worked even harder. I even established regular inspection days, during which I would check the computers in my assigned area and fix any errors on my own. To me, it was like playing a game. It was fun and exciting. It was even more fun when I explained how to fix errors to my friends, and I was happy knowing there would be even more I could do in the future. As a result, by diligently helping others and fixing computers, I was able to cultivate an interest in computers. Through this experience, I discovered the joy of helping others. I also realized my own limitations in helping. That joy is, quite literally, a sense of pride. It was rewarding to help people based on what I could do and to see them carry out their own tasks with the support I provided; I often felt grateful simply because they came to me whenever something came up. As for the sense of inadequacy, it came when I felt my own skills were lacking. Whenever I encountered problems I couldn’t handle, I felt the need to work even harder to improve my skills. That’s why I’m looking forward to the day I can go to college as soon as possible and receive professional training.
Academic and Career Paths After College
“I will become someone who works with and teaches the machines that lead the era.”
I don’t think that just because it’s the Department of Computer Education, I’ll be someone who only deals with, works on, and teaches computers. I believe I shouldn’t view myself as someone who teaches only computers. The boundaries between computers and cell phones are now blurring, and with the advent of tablets, all boundaries are being broken down. Therefore, if I’m admitted to college, I believe I need to properly understand and learn about all of these things. I believe it is essential to be able to read the trends of this changing era. Although I can currently only use PCs and Macs, I want to properly learn all these aspects once I enter college. I also have a strong desire to master the teaching methods used to instruct others in these areas. I am eager to learn how to communicate and convey information more effectively. Therefore, my academic plan after entering college is, first and foremost, to approach my studies with diligence.
I want to participate diligently in classes and work hard to absorb comprehensive knowledge related to computers, as well as learn about teaching methods. I am particularly interested in teaching methods. By learning and mastering various teaching methods, I intend to train myself to find the approach that suits me best and become someone who can convey information effectively. I also plan to participate in a lot of community volunteer work. My computer science teacher—who serves as both my mentor and role model—told me that there are still many young people in the community who lack basic computer skills. He explained that while education for these students is urgently needed, the government is failing to provide adequate support. Upon hearing that there is a need for volunteers to go out and serve in these communities, I felt compelled to take on this role myself. I am eager to study hard and master my skills so that I can put them to use for those who need my help through volunteer work. By balancing my studies with these activities, I aspire to become a versatile professional who meets the needs of our time—a teacher of broad-mindedness and virtue. I look forward to your support.
