This blog post explores how to connect foreign literature reading experience, creative writing activities, and literary discussions in an English Literature major academic plan—not merely as personal interests, but as evidence of major suitability and academic capability.
Writing about academic experiences and reflections
“A student who loves literature and wants to excel in English”
Since childhood, I have consistently engaged in solitary writing, nurturing my dream of becoming a novelist through extensive literary composition. In middle school, I won multiple awards in school literary contests, and during high school, I honed my skills by participating in the High School New Year Literary Contest. However, many literary contests in Korea often require realistic content and style related to modern and contemporary literature, which didn’t align well with my sensibilities. The content I enjoyed reading and frequently wrote about was mostly related to foreign literature, often employing a style rich in description and imagination rather than a realistic, factual tone.
Therefore, I read many modern novels created in the United States and primarily wrote travelogues centered on adventure and challenge. Even when studying language subjects, I was more impressed by foreign literature like ‘Maupassant,’ which was rarely featured in textbooks. Similarly, in poetry, I found the styles of foreign poets like Frost’s “The Road Not Taken” more captivating. Frequent exposure to foreign literature sparked my interest in English classes, making me want to elevate my English skills beyond my current level to freely compose English writing. This desire to create English novels like the “Harry Potter series” motivated me to diligently study English reading comprehension and writing.
When studying English, I focused more on sentences and words from English novels than on textbooks. Naturally, I spent more time on subjects that interested me, so I could practice reading comprehension through enjoyable novels without noticing the time passing. In reality, when I encountered mock exams or school English tests, the sentences didn’t appear verbatim from novels, nor were the topics directly related. However, there was significant overlap in commonly used everyday vocabulary, which proved very helpful. Furthermore, reading many novels often involved sentences connected contextually, so I developed particular strength in mock exam question types like ‘selecting unrelated sentences’ and ‘sentence sequencing’.
Writing about major school activities and reflections
“Nurturing My Dream Through Literary Debate Club Activities.”
My dream was to become an English literary creator, specifically a novelist writing famous English novels. To achieve this dream, I didn’t think writing sentences in English right away was the most important thing. I believed I first needed to immerse myself in foreign literature related to my desired genre and, crucially, naturally master Korean literature by writing in Korean first. That’s why I joined the Literature Discussion Club to develop a deeper understanding of literature. Fortunately, the club I joined didn’t have a strict rule requiring us to focus solely on Korean literature, giving me the opportunity to engage with diverse literary works, which was very beneficial.
In our club, we first selected one literary work to read together and encouraged everyone to read one book per week. Even if you couldn’t finish the entire book, you were required to read the sections relevant to the discussion topic. The discussion topic was either decided through a meeting or proposed by the person who recommended the book. When conducting the literary discussion, we used a brainstorming approach that respected diverse opinions to prevent the atmosphere from becoming too rigid. A key strength of our club was the freedom to express diverse opinions—whether disliking or liking a work, or sharing thoughts on an author’s personal life.
Among the books we selected, the most memorable were ‘The Yalu River Flows’ and the ‘Harry Potter series’. First, ‘The Yalu River Flows’ is a work by Lee Mi-ryeok, a Korean literary figure who lived in Germany. It’s a valuable book that not only depicts our history during the Japanese colonial period but also shows how Korea was viewed from abroad. We discussed how this novel reflects the sensibilities of Easterners and how the novelist is regarded as having served as a cultural ambassador. I stated that the term ‘cultural ambassador’ is somewhat a critique interpreted from our perspective. Rather, I presented that it resonated with Germans because it beautifully captured the humanism and philanthropy of the Cold War era that touched the hearts of all humanity.
Regarding the Harry Potter series, I recommended it because it’s the most enjoyable foreign novel I’ve read, and the type of novel or genre I aspire to write later is also this adventure genre. Many other friends recommended it simultaneously, leading to its selection as our discussion book. Various opinions emerged during the topic selection process. Consequently, we decided not to set a specific theme for this series and simply discuss whatever we wanted without a fixed topic. Thus, we primarily talked about J.K. Rowling’s success story and the environment that enabled her to write such works. We also had heated debates over whether the most enjoyable part of the series was the Goblet of Fire or the Philosopher’s Stone. I particularly found it fascinating how she made the stifling space of school interesting by using the theme of wizards, and I praised the incredible imagination behind the idea of riding broomsticks and playing Quidditch. I added that I too wanted to write creative works that stimulate a sense of adventure and imagination later on.
Examples of Consideration, Sharing, and Cooperation and Reflections
“Actively Participating in the School’s Swap and Share Movement”
Our school held a Swap and Share Movement twice per semester, aimed at sharing, exchanging, and reusing items. Students who signed up for the movement gathered unused secondhand items from home to set up a market stall on the day, or bargained to exchange items at stalls set up by others. I enjoyed this event and signed up to participate every time it was held. I mainly practiced clothing exchanges and book sharing.
For books, I brought in last semester’s workbooks with a few pages untouched or reference books I used a year prior, offering them at low prices or simply giving them away. When juniors came asking for books, I usually just gave them away, encouraging them to study hard. For very large books or popular titles many people wanted, I traded them for other items. My first-year reference books for school exams were especially popular; many people wanted to buy or trade for them. One friend offered a backpack I needed, so we swapped and used each other’s items.
For clothing, swapping was more common than just giving things away. I suddenly grew a lot in high school, becoming tall and big, so I couldn’t wear the smaller sizes I used to. That’s why I started a swap meet. The fun part about running a swap meet was realizing how tricky it actually was to trade things. I mostly needed accessories like bags or wallets instead of clothes, but friends who had those wouldn’t trade just a few pieces of clothing. So I teamed up with other friends. I asked the friend I was trading a wallet with what kind of clothes they needed, but they said they wanted a large doll instead of clothes. So, I searched the market to find a doll. I gathered the clothes I had, bargained for the doll, and then traded that doll for the wallet. This way, I obtained the items I needed. Participating in these negotiations was fun because everyone wanted different things, and the process of collaborating to get what we needed was also interesting.
Efforts and Preparation Related to Motivation and Career Plans
“To grow into an English literature novelist like J.K. Rowling”
My dream, in a word, is to write a best-selling novel. While becoming a novelist in Korea is often thought to mean writing modern literary works, I don’t limit my publishing market to Korea. Taking J.K. Rowling, who wrote Harry Potter, as my role model, I aspire to write a novel loved worldwide. While this dream may seem vague at first glance, it is by no means unrealistic. I doubt J.K. Rowling herself expected Harry Potter to be an instant smash hit from the start. I believe the masterpiece Harry Potter could only be born through her diverse experiences and imaginative scenarios, supported by collaborators and readers who helped develop those ideas.
Rather than declaring I’ll write a great work immediately, I will prepare by accumulating diverse experiences and building a solid foundation of knowledge. That’s why I applied to the English Language and Literature Department at Kyungpook National University. After entering university, I will thoroughly master the fundamentals of English literature and invest significant time in studying English writing. Since high school, I have consistently studied English reading comprehension and writing, using actual English novels for my English studies. I joined a literary discussion club, actively recommending foreign novels for discussion. While other friends read translations, I wrestled with the original texts.
The English novels I aspire to write are specifically in the adventure and fantasy genres. I love stories where the protagonist grows through diverse life experiences, travels, and unimaginable adventures. To achieve this, I believe I, as the author, must first take on many challenges myself. Therefore, after entering university, I will strive to gain extensive external experiences. I’ll spontaneously backpack abroad, visit the real-life settings that inspired foreign novels like Harry Potter, and plan hitchhiking trips with friends to build memories. I see all of this as life’s lessons and the seeds of my novel. Through these challenges, I’ll take one step closer to my dream.
