In this blog post, I will outline the content of a personal statement for applying to the Department of Mathematics at Kyung Hee University, focusing on academic efforts, campus activities, examples of consideration and cooperation, as well as the educational environment and career plans.

Academic Efforts and Learning Experiences

Typically, mock exams are administered once every three to four months. Midterm and final exams are also scheduled accordingly. However, I felt that studying in this manner caused me to become too complacent. Furthermore, I wasn’t satisfied with merely assessing my current level of proficiency. Therefore, I administered my own exams once a month to evaluate my progress and adjusted my study plan based on the results. This was because there were times when my math scores were higher than my Korean scores even though I had barely studied math, or when I studied science subjects but didn’t perform well—situations where my grades didn’t reflect the time I had invested in studying. In those situations, I believed it was crucial to quickly review my study plan and start over, which is exactly what I did. If I took a self-administered test and found that my English score wasn’t improving despite studying hard, it meant there was a problem with my English study method. At times like that, I would discuss my study methods with my teachers and ask for their advice to identify exactly where I was falling short. My teachers were always generous with their support, even though I wasn’t attending a cram school and was studying on my own by researching study methods. Additionally, for math, I would regularly assess my current level to determine what kind of problems I needed to solve. I also identified which units I was strong in and which I struggled with, adjusting my study approach for each unit accordingly. In English, in particular, after working hard on practice problems, I realized I was consistently getting fill-in-the-blank questions wrong. So, I focused exclusively on that question type for a month, and as a result, I mastered it and saw an overall improvement in my English skills. Self-assessing my weaknesses and studying accordingly had a positive impact on me; not only did it improve my learning outcomes, but it also boosted my confidence.

Extracurricular Activities

I joined the essay writing club because my writing skills were severely lacking. Since I’d been interested in math and science from a young age, I preferred solving applied math problems or engaging in science-oriented activities—such as inventing things or playing with molecules—rather than reading books. Because I didn’t read much, studying the language section was really difficult, and whenever I was assigned homework during school breaks—such as book reports—it took me twice as much effort to write them compared to others. As a result, while I could get by just by studying the language section for now, I had no idea how I would manage to write essays and complete assignments once I got to college. That’s why I decided I needed to start studying now and joined the essay writing club. Coincidentally, the Korean language teacher in charge of this club was highly respected throughout the school, so I felt motivated to join and study there. As a member, I wrote various types of essays and even participated in writing competitions. And through writing in the club, I was able to gain a much wider range of experiences than I had expected. First of all, I was able to broaden my horizons through discussions. In my freshman year, the seniors would usually prepare the discussion topics, the teacher would observe, and the underclassmen would debate based on those topics. During this time, I was able to develop my thinking by discussing various issues with my friends. The topic that left the deepest impression on me was one related to economic issues. Since it was an area I was already very interested in, it naturally caught my attention. I was able to hear others’ perspectives on questions such as: What do people think about the wealth gap? How do they view the current economic situation and the division of roles between large corporations and small and medium-sized enterprises? Will South Korea’s economy continue to grow in the future, or will it stagnate? Furthermore, as I listened to their views on these issues, I realized that my own perspective had been quite narrow and personal. Since both my parents are alive and actively working, and while we aren’t particularly wealthy, we also don’t lack for anything, I had always viewed the economy from a middle-of-the-road perspective. Listening to economic discussions from the perspectives of both my friends from affluent backgrounds and those struggling financially, I came to realize that Korea is a society composed of a diverse range of people, reflecting the variety of social issues that exist, and that the problems arising within it require consideration of multiple factors. Furthermore, putting these thoughts into writing helped me clarify my ideas, which led me to set a concrete goal of becoming a “Social Survey Analyst.” This, in turn, motivated me to apply to the Department of Mathematics at Kyung Hee University and dedicate myself to my studies. A Social Survey Analyst is a profession that examines various aspects of society, collects data, and uses the results to benefit businesses and the nation. As someone deeply interested in diverse social issues and their analysis, I chose to major in mathematics with this career in mind. This activity helped me develop my thinking so that I could combine my dreams with my aptitudes.

Examples of Consideration, Sharing, and Cooperation

Rather than taking the subject of math lightly, I actually enjoy it. Because of this, I loved solving problems, but quite a few of my friends found math difficult. Our math teacher created a system called “Math Buddies” to help those friends, and the teacher selected applicants from among the students who struggled with math and wanted to join the program, then asked students who were good at math to volunteer as mentors. Since I was the math club president at the time and enjoyed both solving math problems and working through them with others, I signed up and was paired with a classmate to study math together. The problem was that I was paired with the student who was struggling the most—someone who not only struggled with math but also lacked any motivation. As a “Math Buddy,” I felt a sense of responsibility to look out for him, but he was so unmotivated that he rarely even tried to solve math problems. That really upset me. So, I started taking care of him as if he were my own younger brother. When I tried to figure out why he lacked motivation, I realized it was because he lacked confidence. There were so many students who were naturally good at math, but since he wasn’t doing well and had no one beside him to boost his confidence, he was always intimidated, and that led to his apathy. I felt truly sorry for him. So, I started encouraging him right by his side. Even though there were things he was good at and things he wasn’t, I focused on the things he was good at and praised him enthusiastically for those areas. At times, simply seeing my friend so listless was exhausting in itself, but I didn’t give up. Then, my friend began to change and started studying hard. Through that experience, I learned that while helping others is difficult, it’s definitely possible if you persevere, and that praise is crucial. That’s why I still make a point of offering praise to others every day.

Educational Environment, Motivation for Application, and Post-Admission Plans

“If you work hard, you’ll definitely succeed.” For me, this statement was nothing short of a truth and a guiding principle. This is because the relatives around me, the older brothers and sisters I’ve known since childhood, and even my own parents—all of them reaped the rewards of their hard work and have lived their lives that way.
My father studied hard, earned many certifications, and now works as an expert in his field; my mother followed the same path. The older male relatives I know also started from scratch, but by dedicating themselves wholeheartedly to their chosen paths—often to the point of not even coming home—they successfully achieved what they set out to do. Growing up under and alongside such people, I believed it was only natural that hard work would be rewarded and that success was guaranteed. As a result, I always strived to work hard and lived with a positive outlook, convinced that I could achieve anything through effort. However, what I learned through discussions with friends in the essay writing club and what I witnessed while volunteering were very different from the world I had known. Take the example of one friend, for instance. This friend studies much more diligently than I do and is far more passionate about everything than I am. He excels academically, and since his career goal is in educational research, he has a deep interest in education. I naturally assumed he would get into a much better university than I did and pursue a career as an educator. However, what I heard from him during our essay and debate club discussions pointed in a completely different direction. For one thing, they had no intention of going to college. Instead, they were planning to go abroad—to countries like Vietnam or the Philippines—for three years to work manual labor jobs and earn money. I was surprised and asked them to explain their reasoning; they told me that simply making ends meet was so difficult that if they didn’t leave soon to earn money, their family would be in dire straits. Many of the people I met through volunteer work—including my friends—were also in situations where they had to give up everything because they didn’t have enough money to get by even the next day. Having never encountered such circumstances before, I was deeply shocked. Furthermore, I felt that my own overconfidence—my belief that “if you just work hard, you can do anything, so why can’t people make money?”—had become utterly pathetic. This led me to begin reflecting more deeply on this issue. I began to wonder why such extremes exist in society. Then, during a career guidance class, I learned about the profession of “Social Survey Analyst.” I realized that by majoring in mathematics—a subject I excel at—I could pursue this career path. To find the answer to my question, I decided to enroll in the Department of Mathematics at Kyung Hee University. I want to move toward my dream by diligently exploring the academic disciplines of mathematics—which form the foundation of this profession—while developing myself through diverse experiences and courses that open my eyes to various perspectives on society.