This blog post examines how to structure your reading experiences, shifts in thinking, and the moments you began to understand others’ perspectives into a coherent narrative of intellectual curiosity and academic choice when writing your philosophy academic plan.
Writing about academic experiences and reflections
“Identify the root causes of weak areas and study them!”
While studying, I reached a point where I felt my grades weren’t improving, which was frustrating. However, I believed I had to study alone. Not wanting to burden my parents, I decided to overcome this hurdle by myself rather than ask someone for help. So, what I did during the winter break at the end of my first year was to systematically organize all the problems I got wrong. I bought a sketchbook and organized all the mock exams I’d taken by subject, cutting out and pasting the wrong answers. Then I took that sketchbook to the library to review the problems. What I realized was that I often got questions wrong because I surprisingly didn’t know the basics.
The language section was no different. Ultimately, when I thought about why I got a problem wrong, it was often because I didn’t know basic vocabulary well enough to grasp the meaning correctly. Math was the same. I hadn’t properly mastered functions or geometry concepts from 9th grade, so I couldn’t apply them. English was no different; I often forgot the basic grammar I had studied and couldn’t apply it. That’s why I decided to find the root of my weak areas and study them.
So what I did was identify the deficient units from my error logs. If it was middle school material, I bought the middle school textbook and studied it; if it was high school material, I bought the corresponding textbook and worked through it, striving to fill the gaps. I felt a bit anxious because there were so many areas I felt were lacking, but I suppressed that anxiety and calmly worked through the material, starting with the smallest units, gradually making them my own. For units I didn’t understand, I resorted to memorization to fill in the gaps in my theoretical knowledge.
Surprisingly, I could feel my grades improving as a result. Especially in math and language arts, studying those specific units definitely had a noticeable effect. Knowing the theory before solving problems versus tackling them blindly made a world of difference. By filling in those gaps, I’m still studying diligently today.
Writing about major school activities and reflections
“The diversity of thought experienced while participating in the Reading Discussion Club”
I loved reading books. Ever since elementary school, I had the habit of always seeking answers to my curiosities within books, so I naturally kept them close. Plus, books were genuinely fun. More than just thinking alone, reading books while thinking felt like having a map drawn for me, helping clarify my thoughts. So, honestly, when it came to reading itself, I believed I enjoyed it far more than other friends. That’s why, when I entered high school, the club I applied for was simply the ‘Reading Club’. However, the fact that it required more lunch time than I expected became a burden for me. So, by chance, I ended up choosing the ‘Reading Discussion Club’. I thought I could focus on reading books, so I joined it carelessly.
But from the very first meeting, it completely defied my expectations. First of all, discussion required a tremendous amount of preparation and effort. Confident in my ability to read and think, I went unprepared and was utterly crushed in the indiscriminate debate. That first discussion made me realize how naive and personal my thoughts truly were. And strangely, the more upset I felt during that debate, the more stubborn I became. I developed this peculiar stubbornness – a desire to convey my thoughts better to others, to make my ideas resonate more strongly.
It was an emotion I’d never felt before, and the first time I’d ever thought so intensely: ‘the moment I wanted to share my thoughts’. Because of that, I started reading books even more passionately to convey those thoughts.
And I began sharing that reading with others. For the first time, I asked people for their thoughts. Questions like, “How did you feel after reading ‘Demian’?” or “Why did Sinclair look at Demian’s face right until the very end?” And while I don’t know about other friends, the friends I did club activities with didn’t think my questions were silly; they took them seriously. And they shared their own thoughts. Hearing their perspectives truly surprised me. I hadn’t realized people could have such different ideas. So, through this activity, I learned how to understand people’s thoughts and how to listen. I discovered the joy of hearing not just my own thoughts, but those of others.
Moreover, through this diversity of thought, I was able to broaden my own perspective. It felt like seeing and experiencing a more interesting world, like traveling. Consequently, I actively participated in this club activity, sharing books and ideas. By listening to others’ thoughts, I became someone who could also come up with new ideas. If I had been somewhat closed off before, I gradually became someone oriented outward, toward a world beyond myself.
Examples of Consideration, Sharing, and Cooperation, and My Reflections
“Taking on the role of quietly helping from behind.”
My favorite ethics teacher once told us that to study philosophy, there are three essential books to read: the Bible, the Buddhist scriptures, and the Quran. I deeply respected that teacher, so I began reading the Bible following his advice. The part that resonated most deeply with me was the passage, ‘Let not your left hand know what your right hand is doing.’ This brought me a profound realization, and I began to take on the role of quietly helping behind the scenes.
Though I was neither class president nor vice president, I always arrived early in the morning to sweep the classroom. I wanted my friends to study energetically in a cleaner environment. I also regularly changed the flowers on the teacher’s desk and watered them well to keep them beautiful. I hoped that if anyone noticed these flowers, they would feel happy seeing them. And if there were friends falling behind in class, I always made sure to look out for them. Even if they didn’t express gratitude, I didn’t dwell on it and simply wanted to study and participate in activities alongside them.
Through my own efforts to help others, even alone, I realized that helping itself brings happiness. I had been mistaken all along. I only sought recognition from others and only did what others did. But discovering things I hadn’t done before, especially helping others, was incredibly joyful and became a factor that greatly benefited my life.
Feeling this, I became deeply focused on the joy of helping others. As a result, I started volunteering on weekends and worked to gradually expand the scope of my service. This allowed me to gain many new experiences. Especially, interacting and sharing thoughts with friends who also felt the joy of volunteering, and being able to embrace deeper perspectives from others, brought me great happiness. That’s why I continue to do it diligently even now in my senior year of high school.
Efforts and Preparation Related to Motivation for Application and Career Plans
“I want to study thought.”
Since entering high school, I’ve learned so much through volunteering and club activities. First, I realized my own thoughts aren’t the only ones that matter. In my favorite book, “Demian,” it says that each person has their own path leading to the source. When I first read that, I thought it simply meant people are different. But during these young and brief three years of high school, I came to feel the meaning of this much more deeply and broadly. People possess such different worldviews and values that it’s a miracle when we can truly communicate with one another. And what I understood during this time is certainly not the whole picture. I believe that learning about other people’s thoughts and worlds is truly an incredible thing.
That is why I decided to study ‘philosophy’. I want to study thinking in earnest. I am curious about what others are thinking, and I want to ponder what thoughts the greatest people in the world—the so-called literary figures and philosophers—actually held as I read their works. And what I ultimately want to understand through this process is ‘my own thoughts’. I used to believe my thoughts were incredibly clear. But the more I study, the more I realize, ‘Ah, I’m not clear at all,’ ‘What I think is just an illusion.’ That’s why I want to explore my own thoughts through proper study. To do that, I believe I must explore the thoughts of countless, countless people.
After exploring these thoughts, my ultimate career goal is to become a ‘psychologist’. Many have suggested I should major in psychology, but I believe that to properly study an academic discipline, one must first study the core discipline, not peripheral ones. I dream of becoming a scholar who first cultivates the ability to think and reason, and then pursues my own research.
