In this blog post, I’ll discuss my study habits, school activities, experiences with empathy and collaboration, and how reading influenced my thinking and career path during high school.
Academic Experiences and Reflections
I enjoyed studying and found it rewarding, so I didn’t find it particularly difficult. However, I did have one concern: I found it harder than others to concentrate for long periods at a time. My friends often studied for two to three hours straight, and seeing them sit almost motionless while taking practice exams would sometimes shake my confidence. I wondered, “Will I be able to do well on the college entrance exams this way?” and “Will I be able to handle in-depth academic work in the future?” So I tried hard to change my study methods, but my concentration didn’t improve easily.
Then I realized that while I was weak at sustained concentration, I was strong at short-term learning. Even if studying for long stretches was difficult, I had the ability to memorize material thoroughly in short bursts and grasp concepts faster than others. So, rather than trying to fix my weaknesses, I decided to plan my studies around my strengths. I began breaking down all my subjects into 30-minute study blocks. I structured my routine by dividing my self-study time, as well as my mornings and evenings, into 30-minute segments: I’d go over language, math, and English twice before moving on to social studies.
Studying in 30-minute intervals naturally boosted my efficiency and made studying more enjoyable. Above all, I realized that understanding my own concentration patterns is the starting point for studying. Once I accepted that my attention span was short and applied methods tailored to that, both my memorization skills and comprehension improved; even now, I continue to study efficiently using the 30-minute study method.
Write about major school activities and your reflections
My involvement in the newspaper club was the school activity that brought about the greatest change in me. It helped me shed my tendency to be drawn only to things that were fast-paced and entertaining, and instead focus on what was meaningful; it taught me to read newspapers properly; and it cultivated a perspective for viewing local issues and various problems both within and outside the school. Through that process, I developed an awareness of what to pay attention to and which issues to think about deeply.
My initial reason for joining the newspaper club was quite ordinary: I wanted to build a portfolio and overcome my weaknesses in writing. However, as soon as I began writing my first articles, I realized this was an activity that couldn’t be handled by that simple goal alone. One of the tasks assigned to freshmen was to read major newspapers—such as Chosun, JoongAng, Dong-A, Kyunghyang, and Hankyoreh—select issues that would be helpful to students, and summarize them in a single A4-sized page. Reading an entire newspaper every day was unfamiliar to me, and deciding which issues to choose was harder than I had anticipated.
Rather than simply reading the newspapers, I made an effort to understand the context of the articles by researching the background and causes of events and comparing why different newspapers featured different stories on their front pages on the same day. Although writing summaries was challenging throughout my freshman year, that process taught me how to grasp political trends and the broader picture, and my interest in social issues gradually grew.
By my sophomore year, as I began actively contributing to the newspaper, I started to form my own opinions and developed a strong desire to study related topics in greater depth. This experience was one of the factors that led me to choose a career path in political science and international relations, and the process of diligently researching and writing articles for the newspaper club fostered a sense of responsibility and a spirit of inquiry within me.
Examples of Consideration, Sharing, and Cooperation, and My Reflections
During my time on the newspaper staff, I wrote an article on the theme of “Consideration for Students with Disabilities.” There were several students at our school with physical disabilities, and both the school administration and students were making various efforts to accommodate them. However, through my reporting, I discovered practical inconveniences that had been overlooked. Since the restrooms for students with disabilities were located only on the first floor, students using classrooms on the fourth floor were repeatedly arriving late to class when they had to use the restroom.
I believed they had the right to attend class on time and concluded that accessible restrooms were needed on every floor. So, I wrote an article and posted a large notice to inform the school and fellow students about the issue, then launched a campaign to raise funds for new restrooms by setting up a donation box. After about six months of consistent effort—promoting the cause daily with posters and writing feature articles—I was so deeply moved when I saw construction finally begin that I was brought to tears by a mix of sorrow and joy.
Seeing the friends who helped with the fundraiser and the people who were delighted to see the newly built restrooms filled me with a deep sense of pride, and this experience solidified my desire to engage in more welfare-related activities. The experience of bringing about tangible change gave me a strong sense of accomplishment and purpose, leading to a career resolution to continue raising awareness about social issues.
Efforts and Preparation Related to Motivation for Application and Career Plans
Through my involvement in the school newspaper, I developed a critical perspective on social issues and gained experience in bringing various problems to public attention through reporting and writing articles. In the process of discovering the voices of the socially vulnerable and advocating for solutions, I came to deeply appreciate the importance of politics and policy, which naturally led me to develop an interest in the field of political science and international relations. This interest evolved beyond mere curiosity into a career path, and I have consistently prepared by studying social issues and participating in discussions to broaden my knowledge in this area.
Furthermore, my experience of bringing about real change within the school community has honed the practical skills and collaborative abilities necessary in this field. Through writing articles and planning campaigns, I have practiced research skills, persuasive writing, and the practical ability to mobilize people; I believe these experiences will serve as a foundation for addressing public issues and seeking solutions in the field of politics and diplomacy in the future.
Moving forward, I intend to continue my undergraduate studies by bridging theory and reality, while simultaneously developing my ability to analyze current issues and propose policies. My experience on the newspaper staff and the activities I have undertaken have given concrete form to my career aspirations and motivated me to take on the role of raising awareness about and resolving social issues.
Academic Experience and Reflections
One of the books that deeply moved me was Eric-Emmanuel Schmitt’s novel ‘Letters to God’. This work, which reveals a young child’s attitude of loving his own life and those around him through the format of daily letters to God as he faces death, resonated deeply with me. The young protagonist’s positivity and affection for others taught me that, even amid the stress of exam preparation, I must love myself and view those around me with warmth.
Reading this novel multiple times led me to reflect on the value of a life lived with love and the importance of one’s daily attitude; as a result, it brought a sense of ease and humanity to the way I approach my studies and career path. I consider this book the work that has had the greatest influence on me, as it helped me cultivate an attitude that prioritizes maintaining a concern for people and society rather than chasing only exams and achievements.
