In this blog post, I will summarize my academic efforts and school activities during high school, examples of how I practiced compassion and generosity, as well as my motivation for applying to Handong Global University and my career plans.
Academic Experience and Reflections
In high school, I had a habit of looking for global news first whenever I read newspapers or watched the news. As I focused on the social and political sections of world news, I naturally developed an interest in understanding the international landscape, and through that process, I came to realize that political trends in my own country are also influenced by the international situation. Fascinated by this experience, I decided to study international politics more deeply, and I discovered that focusing on law, politics, and world history in my coursework suited my aptitude.
While studying law and politics, I consistently built up my general knowledge of current affairs and political terminology. As my knowledge of terms and concepts grew, I noticed that my comprehension of related articles improved. For example, when I first encountered terms like “economic liberalization” under neoliberalism or “New Round,” which refers to multilateral negotiations, in my textbooks, I was able to understand articles and commentaries featuring those terms much more easily.
When studying politics, rather than simply memorizing concepts in isolation, I connected them to world history. Studying world history allowed me to examine the political and economic histories of neighboring countries, and grasping these connections was a great help in understanding the international political landscape. In particular, I used note-taking to efficiently consolidate my material into a single notebook; instead of organizing by chapter, I grouped information by key CSAT keywords so that my notes would directly aid in solving exam questions.
When prioritizing my study plan, I considered the frequency of exam questions and focused most heavily on China and Europe, followed by West Asia and India, and finally Southeast Asia and Japan. Units with a high weighting required a large volume of material, so efficient categorization was essential. I grouped content that could be tied to a single theme or sections with clear similarities and differences into the same notes to ensure my studying aligned with the exam’s intent.
Writing About Major School Activities and Reflections
In my freshman year of high school, I organized a history study group to share my interest in world history, politics, and international affairs with my friends. The purpose of the study group was career exploration and information sharing; since most members aspired to study international relations or international regional studies, we combined our college entrance exam preparation with our regular studies. As time went on, the number of participants grew, so we applied to upgrade the group to an official club. I served as the club president and, together with the founding members, appointed group leaders for each activity.
The club’s first core activity was studying history. Focusing on the world history curriculum, we used an additional in-depth textbook alongside it. We combined the chapters from both textbooks to create presentation materials, and during club meetings, each member presented their assigned section before deepening our understanding through a question-and-answer session. This approach greatly helped us enhance our understanding during the presentation preparation process and exposed us to diverse perspectives through discussion.
The second activity was the study of international affairs and relations. I typically used news clippings and newspaper articles for my studies, and in the club, we would each collect a set amount of political and social news articles from our assigned countries over the course of a week to use as discussion topics. For example, I would compile articles on the Middle East—the region I was responsible for—summarize the causes and developments, and then lead discussions based on that content to coordinate our opinions.
The third activity was a practical history project. Based on what we had studied, we planned various activities, such as a “Understanding History Correctly” campaign and a world history exhibition held during a festival. In particular, through an exchange program with Chinese high school students, we engaged in cultural experiences and discussions on history and politics together. The process of sharing ideas with students from other countries and introducing our culture expanded the significance of our club activities.
Writing About Examples of Consideration, Sharing, and Cooperation, and My Reflections
Through my history club activities, I formed a bond with high school students from Inner Mongolia, China. They visited our school as part of a Korea-China exchange program, and we spent time sharing our thoughts while participating in homestays and discussion activities together. Later, when we traveled to China for a cultural exchange, we planned activities that went beyond a simple cultural tour to include working together to address and solve environmental issues.
The environmental activity we chose was tree planting to prevent desertification in a region of China. As we discussed how worsening desertification in China could lead to increased damage from yellow dust storms in our country, we reached a consensus to go to the site ourselves and participate in the tree-planting effort. At first, I wondered if planting just a few trees could really create a forest, but after learning about cases where deserts had been restored to forests in just one year, I came to believe in the value of this activity.
We participated in an anti-desertification campaign, working together through the arduous process of transporting saplings multiple times and carrying water in buckets to plant the trees. Although it required the same level of effort as reclaiming barren land, we felt great joy and wonder as we watched new life grow in collaboration with Chinese students. Through this experience, I learned that it is not only important to take an interest in international relations but also to translate that interest into concrete action and work together to solve problems.
Efforts and Preparation Related to My Motivation for Application and Career Plans
My dream is to become a scholar specializing in comparative politics based on international relations. I set my sights on attending college with the goal of becoming a pioneer who presents original research in the fields of comparative politics and international relations, and I have been working toward this since high school. Through the history club, I studied world history in depth and engaged in current affairs debates, while gaining practical field experience and cultural sensitivity through international exchange programs.
These experiences gave me confidence and led me to decide to apply to Handong Global University’s Department of International and Regional Studies. After admission, I plan to build a solid foundation in political science, regional studies, and international relations during my undergraduate studies to acquire introductory knowledge in my first year. In my second year, I intend to broaden my regional background knowledge by taking courses on the society and history of China, Japan, the Middle East, and Europe.
In my junior year, I plan to participate in practical international exchange programs organized by student clubs to gain diverse perspectives through interactions with international students. At the same time, I intend to thoroughly complete major courses in politics and economics to strengthen my theoretical foundation. In my senior year, I will define a research topic centered on Northeast Asian international relations—my area of interest—and develop practical skills through internships that allow me to apply this research. This will prepare me for both academic and professional paths after graduation.
