This blog post explores how applicants to the Department of Life Sciences can effectively demonstrate their suitability for the major and their sincerity by articulating their passion for inquiry through concrete experiences and goals within their academic plan.
Reasons for Pursuing This Major
My time at ○○ Science High School, a leading institution for science and engineering in Korea, was a crucial opportunity and catalyst that drove me to dedicate myself to scientific study. Notably, during my sophomore year, I participated in the student science fair’s industrial category with the project “Is there a way to beautifully color aluminum plates?” and won a special award.
After much trial and error, I felt immense joy when I first created aluminum that emitted a blue light. As my experimental methods became more refined and sophisticated, I could increase the accuracy of my data. When I finally achieved the ability to directly create the desired color based on specific conditions, I experienced a sense of fulfillment unlike any other. It was also an invaluable time where I gained precious experiences, such as learning how to effectively present research and developing teamwork skills.
That pure passion ignited a desire to continue studying, ultimately leading me to apply to the Department of Life Sciences. I applied because I want to achieve my dream in your department, where I believe I can grow into a top expert without needing to study abroad.
Academic Plan and Goals
Life sciences are a fascinating field that explores and discovers the principles of life, but I also recognize it as a physically demanding field requiring constant time spent at the lab bench. Therefore, to maintain the health necessary to patiently continue experiments, I will first build my stamina by swimming three times a week.
If I am accepted into your university’s laboratory, I will thoroughly review previously published research findings. Considering various factors, I will meticulously plan and execute the most optimal experiments. Even if results differ from expectations, I will not be discouraged. Instead, I will maintain an open mind, allowing myself the flexibility to infer alternative scenarios that challenge my initial hypotheses. I plan to pursue my major studies diligently, driven by a deep reverence for life and an insatiable curiosity to uncover its mysteries. The unexplored frontiers of life science are endless, and countless mysteries of life remain undiscovered. I dream of venturing step by step into uncharted territories where no one has gone before, unraveling the unsolved riddles of life.
Post-Graduation Plans
The field of ‘engineering,’ which captivated me since high school, has now become inseparable from my life. My high school lab class planted the seed of my engineering dream and nurtured my belief in it. When others spoke of the crisis in STEM fields, it was the university lab that steadfastly reinforced that belief. It was the school lab that enabled me to fulfill the dream of becoming an engineer I’d held since childhood.
I aspire to return to my alma mater as a professor someday to teach the next generation. This is because I believe that in a country with limited material resources, a small landmass, and an economy heavily dependent on exports, the most crucial resource is the cultivation of human capital. The very thought of returning here, teaching juniors in the same spaces where I learned, and helping shape the talent that will lead the future of Korea already fills my heart with pride. I will do my utmost to give back to Korea the knowledge I have gained, contributing to building a nation strong in science and technology.
Self-Introduction (Life Philosophy, Values)
The person I respect most is physicist Richard Feynman. Since first encountering his book in my first year of middle school, I became deeply immersed in his outlook on life and his beloved science. I was captivated by his attitude toward scholarship—proactively delving into subjects he genuinely loved, unbound by scholarly obligations or prestige; his spirit of constantly challenging himself with curiosity across diverse fields of life, including music and painting; and above all, his open-minded approach to everything in the world.
From him, I learned to approach scholarship with joy and passion, and realized that learning doesn’t stop at knowledge itself but can extend into infinite possibilities. It is said that to truly master expertise in any field, even with the most fervent dedication, requires at least ten years of consistent effort. To achieve a creative leap, one must master the knowledge accepted within their field. Precisely for this reason, it is said that without about ten years of consistent effort, a meaningful leap cannot be achieved. Moving forward, I too wish to passionately dedicate myself to scholarship for at least ten years or more, finding intellectual pleasure through diverse reading and deep specialized study.
