In this blog post, I’ll focus on my academic experiences and school activities during high school, examples of compassion, sharing, and collaboration, and my career preparation process.
Academic Experiences and Reflections
Through the career exploration program, I had the opportunity to reflect on myself and plan my future career path. Career classes consisted of self-discovery activities, psychological and aptitude tests, and group discussions—a process where we shared our thoughts and provided feedback to one another. It was a time to reflect on aspects of myself I hadn’t usually considered and to be inspired by hearing others’ career plans. Through this process, I moved beyond my initial vision of becoming a “school teacher” and decided on a career path as a lifelong education specialist, responsible for supporting individuals’ education throughout their entire lives.
Rather than having a preference for any specific subject, I tended to perform well across the board. My grades in core subjects generally remained at a Grade 2 level, and I paid particular attention to arts and physical education classes as well as a second foreign language. The reason I came to dream of becoming a lifelong education specialist was that I was drawn to designing and running educational programs related to culture and self-development, rather than teaching specific subjects within the framework of school education.
Accordingly, I actively participated in arts, physical education, and foreign language classes to develop my talents, aptitudes, and language skills. In art class, I honed my expressive abilities by copying masterpieces and working on projects like “Designing My Own House,” which helped me cultivate creative thinking and artistic sensibility. In physical education classes, I honed my physical coordination by learning the basics of golf and badminton, while in music class, I cultivated my musical sensibility and found inner peace through choir and recorder practice.
Through Chinese and Japanese classes, I experienced the joy of understanding the cultures and languages of other countries. The experience of communicating in unfamiliar languages broadened my ability to connect with others and helped me develop an attitude of understanding cultural differences. Unlike the exploration of knowledge centered on general academic subjects, arts, physical education, and foreign language classes were particularly meaningful to me because they helped me develop other abilities, such as sensitivity and expressiveness.
In the future, I would like to plan and provide such non-traditional educational programs—specifically, self-development-oriented lifelong learning programs that include the arts, physical education, and foreign languages. My goal is to design educational programs tailored to the needs of specific audiences based on my diverse experiences in school and to promote the value of lifelong learning.
Description of Major School Activities and Reflections
A debate class held during my first year of high school in Korean language class was a crucial experience that taught me how to organize my thoughts and express them. The class proceeded systematically, beginning with a meeting to select debate topics, followed by the assignment of moderators and debaters, research, and finally the video recording of the actual debate; this process was also incorporated into our performance-based assessment. Our class proposed a variety of topics, and I was drawn to topics with clear pros and cons, so I participated as a debater.
During the topic selection meeting, various topics such as animal testing, euthanasia, and the death penalty were discussed, and through a final vote, the issue of “curbing private tutoring” was selected as the debate topic. Since I’ve always been interested in this issue, I volunteered as a debater for the “in favor” side and participated in researching materials and organizing my arguments. Both sides gathered relevant materials to prepare their arguments and counterarguments, and I focused my remarks on the importance of public education and the negative effects of private tutoring.
The main points I prepared were as follows: First, excessive advanced learning undermines the effectiveness of public education; second, private tutoring focused solely on grades can harm character education and the school environment; third, it creates educational inequality and a sense of alienation due to the wealth gap; and fourth, it places a financial burden on families. I endeavored to systematically present my arguments centered on these points.
During the debate, the opposing side argued that previewing material improves students’ understanding of class content. In particular, they cited examples of students who had prepared in advance through cram schools finding the class material more engaging. In response, I refuted this by distinguishing between different types of advance preparation. I explained that while simple preparation can be helpful, studying material more than one grade ahead can actually make school classes feel boring; consequently, when teachers tailor their lessons to the average level, this can lead to educational imbalance.
After the debate concluded, the show of hands favored the pro side, and I felt a deep sense of fulfillment and accomplishment from my preparation. Through this experience, I developed the ability to logically gather evidence, counter opposing arguments, and persuade others, while also gaining the confidence to clearly express my thoughts in public. The debate class was a valuable experience that went beyond a simple learning activity, simultaneously fostering my critical thinking and communication skills.
Writing About Examples of Consideration, Sharing, and Cooperation and My Reflections
During my sophomore year of high school, as the head of the cleaning committee, I led the assignment of cleaning duties within my class. Due to the layout of the school building, our classroom was located in a corner, meaning our class was solely responsible for facilities such as the restroom and water fountain, which created a significant burden in terms of maintenance and cleaning. To address this issue, I devised a plan to manage cleaning duties fairly and efficiently.
First, I recruited volunteers and wrote the assigned areas on the blackboard so students could choose their preferred sections themselves. I indicated the number of students needed for each area—such as the restroom, water fountain, and lockers—and assigned students in the order they volunteered. If there were too many applicants for a specific area, we adjusted the numbers through internal discussion or a small lottery. For areas with insufficient volunteers, I asked those who hadn’t been selected to see if they’d volunteer, encouraging them to reassign themselves voluntarily.
I respected each student’s individual preferences because I believed that forcing them into cleaning duties would likely make them uncooperative. So, I did my best to let everyone take on the area they wanted to reduce their resistance to cleaning and allowed friends who wanted to work together to form teams. This helped transform cleaning time from a mere obligation into a time for voluntary participation.
As a result, participation in cleaning became much more active than before, and I felt a great sense of fulfillment as the head of the cleaning committee. In fact, while tidying up the area around our lockers with my friends, I experienced the joy of cooperation, and a sense of community grew as we took an interest in and tidied not only the spaces we used ourselves but also those of others. Through this experience, I came to realize that maintaining our shared spaces is, in itself, an act of consideration for one another.
Efforts and Preparation Related to Motivation for Application and Career Plans
My class had an exceptionally close-knit and cohesive atmosphere. Even when preparing for exams, we helped and cooperated with one another under the goal of raising the class’s overall grades to become the top-ranked class in the school, and a warm culture of mutual encouragement was established during sports festivals and other events. Within this class atmosphere, I naturally developed a sense of community and leadership.
To strengthen our bonds, we decided during a class meeting to hold a camping day during the school break. The plan was to hold a two-day, one-night camp on the school playground, featuring a short hike, a campfire, and games. To do this, we had to obtain permission from the school and comply with safety and cleanliness guidelines. Additionally, there was a condition that an adult chaperone had to accompany us in order to be allowed to have a campfire.
During the preparation process, we held several meetings to request permission to use the school grounds, and with the help of our homeroom teacher, we were able to obtain approval from the principal. For the practical arrangements, we decided to use one tent for every four students, and students who owned tents voluntarily brought their own equipment. Any missing equipment was either purchased or provided with the cooperation of our parents.
The necessary supplies included tents, lanterns, blankets, sleeping pads, firewood, and tools for the campfire. While students could bring their own lanterns and blankets, sleeping pads and specialized camping gear were costly, so we explained the situation at a parent meeting and received partial financial support. We also clearly defined each person’s role. The entertainment leader planned games and activities, while I was responsible for maintaining cleanliness and wrapping up the event, managing traffic flow and supervising cleanup.
As a result, we safely completed our two-day, one-night camping trip, running most of the activities independently without direct adult assistance and tidying up thoroughly afterward. During the nighttime hike, the Physical Education Leader briefed everyone on safety guidelines and had us move in pairs, ensuring the activity proceeded without any accidents. After the event, we received praise from our teachers, and most importantly, as intended by the plan, the friendships and sense of community among my classmates deepened.
Through this experience, I learned practical skills for preparing and managing community activities. By participating directly in everything from event planning to permit procedures, securing a budget, assigning roles, and managing safety, I improved my sense of responsibility and problem-solving skills. I became convinced that these organizational skills and sense of community will be major assets in the field of education, which I am considering as a career path.
