This blog post specifically examines how to connect reading experiences, data classification habits, and library activities to demonstrate major suitability and career commitment when writing a Library and Information Science academic plan.
Writing About Academic Experience and Reflections
“Current Affairs Learning and Data Analysis Through Social Studies Courses”
In high school, I found studying social studies subjects more challenging than core subjects like language, math, and foreign languages. This was because social studies required not just analyzing past exam questions like the CSAT, but more importantly, developing data analysis skills and background knowledge related to each subject’s content. For example, in Social Culture, applying theoretical concepts to analyze actual passages and understanding unfamiliar terms in the questions were more crucial than the theoretical content itself. Recognizing my weakness in these areas and my relatively limited current affairs knowledge, I made concerted efforts to improve my Social Studies scores.
First, since I selected social science subjects like Social Culture, Economics, Law and Politics, and Ethics as my inquiry subjects, I undertook newspaper study to elevate my current affairs knowledge. Newspaper study literally means gathering newspapers, scraping important articles daily, reading editorials, and organizing the content. I didn’t do this alone; I found a study partner. Together, we discussed social phenomena using the same articles, highlighted important terms, and looked up their meanings. Doing this helped me understand recent economic trends, political issues, and terminology describing new social phenomena, which was very beneficial.
Especially when reading economic articles frequently, it improved my data analysis skills beyond just gaining current affairs knowledge, which was great. When articles covered topics like the major bank interest rate hike ratios over the past three years or banks receiving the highest ratings by category, I paid close attention to any graphs or tables presented to illustrate the content. Since these charts and graphs are actually applied in past mock exam questions as interpretation problems, I developed an eye for them. This meant I could easily recognize and interpret them without panicking when they appeared in actual tests. This approach not only benefited my economics studies but also sharpened my perspective when encountering social phenomena in social studies and cultural subjects, as well as legal precedents in law-related content. This enhanced insight significantly contributed to my academic improvement.
Major School Activities and Reflections
“Serving as vocalist for an acoustic band and writing lyrics.”
While I was primarily active in the library club during high school, I also joined the band club as a vocalist. Our club focused on acoustic music within the music clubs, operating with students playing acoustic guitars and a small number of vocalists. Since the club primarily focused on instrument playing and songwriting, vocals weren’t always needed, so I often participated as a guest vocalist. I became a vocalist partly because I enjoyed singing, and also because listening to and singing acoustic music unknowingly healed my heart and relieved a lot of stress. Especially during high school, with the stress of college entrance exams and worries about grades, I used music as a hobby and a way to soothe my mind.
Once, a friend who played acoustic guitar was composing a song and found writing lyrics difficult, so he asked me to help. I told him I enjoyed writing, especially poetry, and thought I might be good at it. Having never tried lyric writing before, I taught myself by reading books with guidelines and wrote some lyrics. Since the melody was gentle, I tried to write lyrics that would soothe the hearts of teenagers my age. Rather than over-embellishing, I aimed to put actual, felt emotions into words. The result was the song “The Time We Spend Together,” and I felt proud when the composing friend liked it.
After receiving positive feedback from my first lyric-writing experience, I became known as the self-proclaimed lyricist within the band club and started writing lyrics for various songs. Next, at the request of a friend who composed music, I wrote lyrics about love, and other times, I poured my worries about an uncertain future into the words. As I wrote lyrics, my own thoughts and experiences naturally seeped in without me realizing it. I found it satisfying because writing felt like healing for my heart and lessened my worries. As I developed this hobby of lyric writing, I created meaningful songs by connecting various titles like ‘Where My Heart Reaches’ and ‘Where My Heart Will Reach’.
After creating music like this, we had many original songs and a proper lineup of instrumentalists and vocalists, so we ended up performing five songs back-to-back at a festival. As the main vocalist, I practiced extensively to deliver the lyrics effectively. During each song, I shared the story behind it, weaving the performance together. I also shared the conversations the composer friend and I had while creating the songs, and talked about my own worries about the future, which resonated deeply with the audience. We received enthusiastic applause, and after the show, friends asked for the music files, saying the songs were amazing, so I recorded them and shared them. Through these diverse musical activities, my friends and I promised to keep the band going as a hobby even after entering university.
Examples of Consideration, Sharing, and Cooperation and My Reflections
“Guiding elementary students’ reading while participating in library club activities.”
I consistently participated in library club activities starting from my first year of high school. While I had aspirations to study Library and Information Science and become a librarian at the school library, the activities themselves were also enjoyable. So, while in the library club, I read many books and took an interest in participating in necessary tasks within the club. Most tasks involved helping with loans, organizing the collection, or managing the cataloging program, but occasionally, we would organize new events within the club. Our school library hosted events like film festivals or invited students from nearby elementary schools for reading guidance activities.
For the reading guidance activities, we completed the ‘High School Reading Instructor Program’ and then directly guided elementary students in reading learning. The instructor program was completed through our school’s Korean language teacher, totaling 40 hours over 10 weeks, with 4 hours per week. As a library club member, I participated in this program, completed the instructor course, and subsequently applied for the reading guidance activity, being assigned elementary school students. While I had been an elementary student myself, meeting the students I was assigned to was a new experience. They were incredibly cute and listened so well that I felt eager to teach them many things. I tried to select books I thought the students would enjoy, just as I had learned during the instructor training, and guided them using content that was as easy and interesting as possible. Beyond simply conveying and summarizing the book’s content, I guided them to enhance their creativity through activities like assigning roles for drama activities or continuing the story they had written.
In particular, the student I was guiding enjoyed reading short stories and then writing the continuation of the story, so I helped them write without difficulty.
After finishing their stories, we drew related illustrations together, laminated them, and attached them to the back of the storybook as a gift. Creating this tangible final product was great because it enriched the children’s imagination and sparked their interest in reading itself.
Efforts and Preparation Related to Motivation for Application and Career Plans
“I want to work as a public institution employee at a university library.”
My decision to major in Library and Information Science at Kyungpook National University stems from my family background. Both my parents were public servants, working diligently in administrative roles within the university. Witnessing their consistent work ethic made me appreciate the value of steady, dedicated effort. This inspired me to pursue a degree in Library and Information Science with the goal of working in a public institution like a university library. The specific reason I chose the role of a librarian teacher is that the practical skills and job characteristics of a librarian align well with my personality.
First, I believe the job characteristics of a librarian require a meticulous work attitude and involve consistently performing the same tasks in one place. Managing a large collection of books requires meticulousness to avoid mistakes, and repeating the same tasks like managing materials and lending them out daily requires a habitual tendency. During high school, I gained experience with basic librarian duties through library club activities. I found the work engaging, performed it accurately without mistakes, and received positive evaluations. Building on this foundation, I served as a reading instructor for elementary students within the library club and actively participated in planning and running various library events.
Furthermore, the practical skills required of a librarian include computer proficiency, data management, and classification abilities. Since high school, I have enjoyed reading books and have always liked reading and organizing documents like newspapers. When reading books, I didn’t just skim the content; I created reading lists by categorizing them by genre or subject. Similarly, when reading newspapers, I organized opinions and created separate reference materials. After classifying and categorizing materials, I would analyze them to assign meaning. This process of meaning-making allowed me to remember the information, enabling me to retrieve relevant materials anytime later. These habits will form the foundation for me to demonstrate professional practical skills when employed as a literature manager at a public library.
