In this blog post, I’ll summarize my academic attitude and study methods during high school, the school activities in which I meaningfully participated, and my experiences practicing consideration and cooperation.

Academic Experiences and Reflections

During high school, my friends often asked me for study tips. However, I didn’t have any special tricks to share. Instead, I would tell them to stick to the basics: listen attentively in class and never miss a homework assignment. Above all, the key that works for everyone is studying systematically, using the textbook as your guide. In particular, I often recommended a three-step study method centered on the textbook—preview, class, and review—to my friends.
The three-step study method is the most fundamental approach, consisting of preview, class, and review. During the preview stage, I would first check the learning objectives, table of contents, and units to get a sense of the overall flow. Going beyond simply skimming the material, I tried to grasp the core concepts and background by solving exploratory problems. For example, in math units, I would solve introductory problems and try to recall related formulas and definitions in advance.
During class, I tried to focus entirely on the lesson itself and did my best not to let my mind wander. When taking notes, rather than simply writing down everything that was said, I summarized the material using my own key words that I could later use as memory cues. I designed my note-taking method so that I could reconstruct the content—as if filling in the blanks—using those cues.
Review was the stage for gaining a deeper understanding of what I had learned and developing my ability to apply it. I focused on the textbook but used reference books as supplementary materials. Reference books helped broaden my understanding by providing in-depth content or alternative explanations not found in the textbook. When solving problems, I didn’t stop at simply getting the correct answer; I focused on analyzing the reasons behind my mistakes to ensure I wouldn’t repeat them.

Writing about Major School Activities and Reflections

With the goal of becoming a legal professional, I took an interest in law-related activities starting in high school and joined the mock trial club. At first, I thought that only judges, lawyers, prosecutors, and the parties involved participated in a trial, but I came to realize that many more people are actually involved in preparing and conducting a trial, and that there are also many outside observers. I also realized that a single trial is not merely a matter for the parties involved, but can affect legal professionals, related staff, observers, and, by extension, society as a whole.
This realization stemmed from my experience observing a real courtroom. While observing a trial with my club members, I was deeply impressed by the solemn atmosphere and the seriousness with which the case was handled. After that, we resolved to approach our mock trials not as mere imitations, but with the same seriousness, procedures, and demeanor as real trials.
To formally study and practice mock trials, we held a general meeting to decide on the issues we would address. Our advisor suggested that we use our mock trials to address various school issues, both major and minor, and we accepted this proposal. Although our rulings do not carry official disciplinary authority, we believed that using the outcomes of the trial process as a reference for student guidance could provide practical help in resolving school-related problems.
We decided to conduct mock trials on cases involving school violence, disciplinary actions, and suspensions. We divided roles among ourselves—including judges, defense attorneys, prosecutors, jurors, and a court clerk—and I took on the role of court clerk. The role of court clerk was not limited to simple record-keeping; it was a position of responsibility that involved overseeing the trial proceedings, accurately documenting procedures and statements as important evidence, and supporting the overall flow of the trial.
During the actual trials, we had the students involved attend in person. After conducting an initial mock trial among ourselves, we proceeded by hearing the perspectives of the parties involved. By having student jurors participate and influence the verdict, we fostered a sense of responsibility and empathy among the students. Instead of relying on the traditional approach of unconditional punishment, we prioritized reconciliation and restoration as part of our student guidance efforts. As a result, we were able to contribute to reducing the incidence of school violence and disciplinary cases through the student-run court.

Examples of Consideration, Sharing, and Cooperation, and Reflections

While operating the student-run court, we sought to restore relationships from the perspective that both the perpetrator and the victim are fellow students. We referred serious cases to experts but attempted to mediate and facilitate reconciliation on our own for cases that were relatively manageable. At times, we witnessed students shedding tears, apologizing to one another, and reconciling during the trials.
We strengthened our bonds with friends we met through the Student Court by participating in volunteer activities together outside of school. We regularly took part in a volunteer program to deliver coal briquettes. We went to a relatively remote village near the school to help the socially vulnerable; this activity was carried out with 4,000 coal briquettes provided by a welfare center.
Since coal briquettes are prone to breaking, they had to be handled with care, which made cooperation all the more important. First, we transported the briquettes to a nearby location using handcarts, and then began carrying them by hand from a point no more than 10 meters away from each house. One person would hold the cart, another would transfer the briquettes from the cart to the side, and the next person would catch them and move forward—and so on. This repetitive work, requiring us to move on to the next house as soon as we finished one, was grueling labor.
The recipients of the coal briquette deliveries were families facing financial hardship, such as those receiving basic livelihood assistance, elderly people living alone, low-income households, and grandparent-headed households. Although it was physically demanding work, seeing the gratitude of the elderly and families who received our help made us realize the true value of labor and service. Through this volunteer work, we learned the importance of cooperation and that a spirit of togetherness strengthens relationships.