This blog post examines how that first aspiration shapes authenticity and direction in the essay, specifically outlining how the applicant’s experiences and values should be presented.
Writing about academic experiences and reflections
“Solve a balanced mix of basic, applied, and advanced problems to develop problem-solving types and application skills”
When studying, I focused most on alternating between solving basic, applied, and advanced problems. Why did I categorize and solve problems this way? Because once I memorized the theory and mastered the fundamentals, it felt like I had studied everything. However, by categorizing and studying this way, I could clearly identify what I had studied and what areas I hadn’t covered. Believing that getting a perfect score is the hardest thing in the world, I thought achieving flawless results on exams would be impossible without this structured approach to studying and reviewing. So, after memorizing the basic theory, I tried to solve as many problems as possible each day to solidify my understanding.
That’s why I divided my notes into three types for each subject. I had three sets of notes for Korean, English, Math, and Social Studies. These were the Basic, Application, and Advanced notebooks. I collected problems I got wrong from the Basic problems, problems I got wrong from the Application problems, and problems I got wrong from the Advanced problems. By collecting problems this way, I naturally created my own additional problem sets. After studying them once, I found that the frequency of these problems meant that collecting them over a semester usually resulted in about one full book’s worth. So, while attending school, I focused solely on studying and collecting the problems I got wrong. When vacation came, I focused on studying using the problem book I had collected. Since they were problems I had gotten wrong before, the error rate was still quite high when I attempted them again, making it a process that tested my patience. However, after enduring that hardship during vacation, I noticed a noticeable improvement in my grades.
Studying this way allowed me to realize once again the importance of strictly evaluating my own progress, organizing my wrong answers, and studying properly through those mistakes.
Writing about major school activities and reflections
“Finding ‘Rest’”
Ever since I was young, my dream was to become a doctor. I focused solely on that path, studied hard, and tried my best to diligently walk whatever road was laid out for me. However, upon entering high school, I became overwhelmed by grades and the intense pressure to study. I began questioning whether this path I was walking was truly one I could handle, and whether what I was doing was what I truly wanted. This was understandable, as everyone around me said it was impossible for someone from a school like ours to enter pre-med, and that even someone as studious as me would struggle. Moreover, many people around me questioned whether I could truly handle the financial demands and patience required to become a doctor. So, for the first time in my life, I found myself contemplating whether this path I was on was the right one. True to my nature, I decided not just to ponder but to take action. I joined a volunteer organization where many doctors were active and began volunteering.
What I felt during that time was a sense of ‘rest’ – the first real rest I’d experienced since birth. I’d always been consumed by the compulsion to study well, constantly feeling exhausted and weary. It was hard and difficult; even rest didn’t feel like rest. I was constantly burdened by the pressure to study harder and more. But seeing the positivity of the people I met through volunteering made me laugh at myself for thinking that way. Despite being unable to use their legs or arms properly, they were always joyful and full of hope. Even when faced with unbearable medical bills and countless challenges ahead, they didn’t give in. They simply enjoyed the sunlight of the moment, the meal of the moment, the tea of the moment. Seeing them allowed me to rest. I learned wisdom from them, learned about life, and learned positivity. And through that ease, I learned how to spend each day not in exhaustion, but with excitement and joy. And to help those who gave me such joy even more, I began running around diligently to clear away and clean even one more thing by their side.
“Gaining a ‘Friend’”
For me, a friend was both a good companion and a competitor. I don’t think there was ever a time they weren’t a competitor. I liked that friend and was happy to study together, but I always felt pressure to do better than them. However, with the friend I met through volunteer work, I didn’t feel that competition. Because he was 60 years older than me. He was a patient in the ward I regularly cleaned for, and he was a grandfather who shared many profound words of wisdom. I gradually learned about life from him. He was suffering from cancer and still enduring a difficult battle with the disease. I want to study even harder for him, to grow into a doctor who can treat him.
Examples of Consideration, Sharing, and Cooperation and My Reflections
“Helping friends who struggle with studies and studying together during vacations”
Through volunteering, I gained a sense of inner peace. Before that, I was so preoccupied with thoughts like, “What if someone smarter than me appears?” or “What if people more capable than me show up?” that I had no time to look around me. But volunteering made me realize life doesn’t have to be like that, so I started looking out for others. My biggest effort was organizing study groups every vacation during my sophomore year of high school to study with friends.
I ended up becoming the study leader, somewhat awkwardly, since I was supposedly the best student among us, and formed a team to study during the break. Most of the friends who wanted to study were either unable to afford cram schools or didn’t know how to study and were struggling to get a handle on it. I helped them figure out how to study during the break. Since they genuinely wanted to learn, they listened well to my advice. I checked the mock exams they’d taken over the past two years, identified the fundamentals they needed to grasp, and we started studying together. Sometimes I felt I couldn’t focus on my own studies because they asked so many questions, or that I wasn’t doing enough. But I kept studying calmly, consistently helping and teaching them without refusing their questions.
And when the second year ended, I’ll never forget the stack of letters they gave me. Fortunately, their grades improved significantly, and studying with me helped them get started. Helping them then, though it was a small thing, made me wish I could become someone who helps people like this, even just a little bit, going forward. That experience further confirmed and solidified my belief that the profession of medicine, which I had always dreamed of and wanted to pursue, was the right fit for me.
Motivation for Application and Future Career Plans
“I want to be someone who helps people.”
I reflected once more on why I wanted to become a doctor. My initial desire stemmed from wanting to help the grandmothers and grandfathers I’d always seen around me since childhood, who were so kind to me. Grandparents often complain about being sick. I disliked that, and so I wanted to become a doctor to cure their illnesses. Then, for a time, I lost sight of that heartfelt desire, swept up in the goal of simply becoming a doctor. But volunteering brought that realization back. I clearly wanted to become a doctor to help people, not to subject myself to the grind of studying. Clarifying that allowed me to reclaim my original dream, my goal: ‘to become someone who helps people.’ And now, to realize that goal, I’m running toward becoming a doctor. And the first step on that path is the Medical School at ○○○ University.
Upon entering ○○○ University, first, I will become someone who overcomes circumstances through diligence. My circumstances clearly require me to prepare tuition and admission fees myself and handle everything independently. If my family moves, I may need to set up a separate living space near the university. And I must manage all of this on my own. But I will not let such things test my resolve; I will become someone who pushes forward steadily and tenaciously. I will be someone who is unconditionally sincere and unconditionally hardworking. And I will be someone who actively experiences things. I will actively pursue every possible experience to grow into a doctor. Finally, I will succeed. I will grow into someone who does not falter in the face of academic challenges, financial hardship, fatigue, or any difficulty. Therefore, I will succeed in any exam, giving my absolute best intellectually, physically, and mentally to achieve my goals.
