This blog post explores how the basic tax knowledge accumulated while preparing for a tax major can enhance credibility and persuasiveness within an academic plan. Discover strategies for incorporating a perspective that bridges practice and theory.
Writing About Academic Experience and Reflections
“Studying English: Practicing Listening and Speaking”
My English grades weren’t bad, but I felt a thirst for learning English beyond just solving problems. I wanted to break free from English study focused solely on listening and reading comprehension and cultivate the ability to ‘listen well and speak well’. So I invested more time to study: listening carefully to English spoken by foreigners and developing speaking skills that foreigners could understand well. That’s why I chose to engage in direct conversation with foreigners. Alongside extracurricular activities where I could meet foreigners, I studied ‘how to listen and speak in English’ through phone English lessons. The homestay program with foreign exchange students, conducted as a school activity, also provided a great opportunity to converse in English with foreign friends my age. By finding and experiencing various ways to converse with foreigners, I learned the actual conversations they use and, furthermore, developed the ability to converse directly in English myself. As my English conversation skills improved, my English grades also got better. Particularly in listening, which had been my weak point, I consistently scored perfect marks.
Through my experience of improving my English grades by mastering conversation, I realized that ‘studying’ isn’t just about preparing for tests; it’s meaningful when done to develop my own abilities. And that approach yields broader and deeper results. So, from then on, I shifted my approach to studying from being ‘test-focused’ to aiming for ‘skill development’. Studying with greater responsibility and depth not only improved my grades but also gave me the feeling of developing into a knowledgeable person whose mind felt full of understanding. Now, as a university student, I will strive to become a professional contributor to society by studying the fields I am most passionate about.
Major School Activities and Reflections
“Acting in English”
Our school has an English drama club. As a member, I participated actively. Driven by a passion to study English and a desire to speak it as well as native speakers, I applied to the club. After being accepted, I studied pronunciation and acting techniques with unmatched enthusiasm, striving to create the most polished performance possible. Acting in English means expressing emotions in English, requiring the ability to convey those emotions effectively. This ability depends on how naturally one can speak English. To achieve natural English acting, I studied ‘English pronunciation’. I watched American dramas and variety shows, carefully listening to English conversations. I repeatedly listened to the pronunciation of frequently used words and practiced using them exactly as heard. Through this pronunciation research and practice, my English acting skills improved, eventually leading to landing a lead role. I achieved two goals: building my English speaking ability and succeeding in the English drama club I passionately joined. This experience of “achieving results through passionate, dedicated effort” brought me great fulfillment. Having delved deeper into English to build my skills, I now want to further develop my linguistic abilities in college by studying English proficiently while also deeply exploring other foreign languages.
“Uniting with classmates for cultural activities”
I believed a school life focused solely on studying was meaningless. Thinking that true school life meant gaining rich experiences through seeing and hearing much, I enjoyed uniting with my classmates for cultural activities. My particular class had exceptional unity. As class president, I often proposed various activities to my friends, and the most popular idea was our ‘Cultural Exploration’ outings. Once a month on weekends, we engaged in diverse cultural activities like visiting art galleries, museums, attending plays, watching movies, going to festivals, or taking short trips to nearby suburbs. After each cultural outing, we always gathered to discuss and share our thoughts. We enjoyed sharing our thoughts and having fun while discussing our impressions of the artworks, plays, or films we had experienced. Engaging in cultural activities not only helped us build humanities-based knowledge but also comforted our study-weary minds, relieved stress, and fostered a more positive mindset. From my position leading the group, researching cultural activities and planning outings also helped me develop skills like leadership, responsibility, planning and execution, and gathering feedback. Upon entering the Global Hotel and Tourism Department at ○○○ University, I will continue these cultural activities consistently. I will deepen my humanities education while also accumulating experiences through overseas and domestic travel. Through diverse and meaningful experiences, I will broaden my worldview and the values I hold.
Examples of Consideration, Sharing, and Cooperation, and Reflections
“Organizing Study Notes for a Hospitalized Friend”
During my sophomore year of high school, a friend was hospitalized for a month after a traffic accident. This coincided with exam preparation time, causing my friend significant distress. Since we were such close friends, I thought about how I could help and decided to organize my study notes for him. I resolved to take more detailed notes during class, neatly organizing the teacher’s lectures and content to share with him. Focusing harder in class to capture more information for my friend, and then organizing what I wrote, naturally became my ‘review’ study. What I intended to do for my friend ended up being a huge help to me too, creating a mutually beneficial effect. My friend was deeply touched and also felt guilty seeing the study notes I shared. I reassured my apologetic friend, saying, “Organizing these notes to give to you meant I went through the review process again myself, which was a huge help.” Hearing this, my friend felt much less burdened and expressed immense gratitude. Later, my friend also shared their study notes with me, and we gradually built trust as mutually supportive individuals.
Through this experience, I realized that offering help under the condition that it doesn’t harm me reduces burden for both the giver and receiver, and helps build trust. Only when I can help without feeling burdened can I prepare assistance wholeheartedly and sincerely. And it must come from a place where I don’t feel annoyed or burdened for the help to be sincere. Sharing my study notes with my friend made me realize this. So, going forward, when helping someone, I decided to only help as much as I can manage. Rather than helping unconditionally, I want to build relationships where mutual feedback flows, benefiting both parties.
Motivation for Application and Future Career Plans
“I want to pursue studies that build experiences befitting a global talent.”
As a student in the Global Hotel and Tourism Department, I want to pursue studies that build experiences befitting a global talent. I believe the tourism industry is one that will continue to grow. In particular, domestic travel will increase, along with more people from other countries visiting Korea and more Koreans traveling abroad. To contribute to this tourism industry growth, I aim to gain diverse experiences to cultivate a mindset that understands and embraces cultural diversity. Beyond traveling abroad, I will immerse myself in various foreign cultures through study abroad or overseas training programs, internalizing these experiences to develop innovative ideas applicable to the tourism market. As a student of Global Hotel and Tourism Studies, I believe hands-on experience and direct engagement with the field are crucial. I will not only study my major deeply and diligently enough to earn scholarships but also actively participate in field internships to become a student recognized by professors and industry experts. I understand that ○○○ University actively cultivates global talent for the tourism industry through programs like fostering communication skills in one foreign language per student and global tourism industry initiatives. I will actively utilize the various programs the school offers to rapidly and deeply absorb tourism-related skills, becoming a standout talent. Since I aspire to a career in overseas travel, I plan to seek diverse opportunities to gain hands-on experience in the international tourism industry. After building a solid foundation of specialized knowledge, I will apply it through internships or part-time work at domestic and international travel agencies. I will passionately dedicate myself to gaining hands-on experience in the tourism industry through these activities, receiving systematic training to become a highly valuable asset in the field.
