In this blog post, I will reflect on my academic work, school activities, and examples of compassion, generosity, and cooperation during my high school years, and summarize how they have shaped my career path and attitude.

Academic Experiences and Reflections

I wasn’t really the type who enjoyed studying. I valued my friendships above all else, and because of that, there was a long period when I relatively neglected my studies. I thought that hanging out with friends was the only way to build friendships, so I didn’t pay much attention to my studies.
It wasn’t until I faced college entrance exams that I realized friendship and academics aren’t mutually exclusive. I learned that spending time studying together, reading books, or watching movies—rather than playing games or going to comic book cafes—can also be a meaningful way to build friendships. Furthermore, I was particularly struck by the fact that such time together serves as a driving force for each other’s growth.
So, instead of choosing to hang out with my friends, I chose to study with them. However, at first, I didn’t see much progress, and the more I studied, the more obvious my lack of ability became, which made me very upset. My self-esteem wavered, and there were times when I fell into a sense of frustration, wondering, “Am I just someone who can’t do anything right?”
During those times, my friends were there to encourage me. The words, “Let’s enjoy studying together,” gave me great strength, and I decided to try to enjoy the act of studying itself. Instead of getting discouraged when I couldn’t solve problems that others found easy, I tried to enjoy the process of solving one problem at a time, at my own pace.
As I began to feel the joy of learning step by step, studying gradually became more fun, and my grades improved noticeably. Only then did I truly understand the saying, “Enjoyment is the best,” and that joy became the driving force that allowed me to approach my studies more actively.

Major School Activities and Reflections

Having loved tinkering with and assembling robots since childhood, I naturally dreamed of becoming a technician or an engineer. Since I was good at hands-on work, I considered attending a vocational high school, but after entering a general high school at my parents’ suggestion, I struggled with confusion about my career path for a while. Fortunately, I was able to nurture my dream again after joining the Invention and Engineering Club in high school.
Although there were many academically gifted students in the club, they did not view studying as the be-all and end-all of life. Instead, they were genuinely passionate about inventing and valued their creations and ideas above all else. Seeing this, I decided to let go of the mental burden I had felt about not being suited for the field and actively participate in the club.
Through club activities, I assembled and completed various projects, which were displayed in school exhibitions, and I also participated in external exhibitions whenever the opportunity arose. By attending invention-related forums together, I expanded my technical knowledge, and above all, I was able to build deep bonds and create precious memories through the process of creating something with my friends.
In particular, the major projects and competition preparations I undertook with the club had a decisive influence on my career choice. Ahead of a competition, we set out to build a large character-style robot, confident that we could succeed as long as we followed the design. However, our technical capabilities fell short, and we hit a wall midway through the project. Ultimately, we had no choice but to submit a robot much smaller than our original goal.
That failure was extremely painful. We had prided ourselves on being a club with strong teamwork and skill, but the reality was full of shortcomings, and we felt acutely that we still had much to learn. This setback motivated me to resolve to learn technology systematically in college, and I began studying in earnest with the goal of majoring in Mechanical Engineering.

Write about examples of consideration, sharing, and cooperation, along with your reflections

Since I was young, I often heard phrases like, “Sit up straight in class.” At the time, I didn’t understand why those words were important, and I just wanted to be comfortable during class.

However, as I began my studies, I realized firsthand that sitting with proper posture significantly improved my concentration and memory retention.
Based on this realization, I started taking the initiative to organize the classroom environment. Before and after every class, I would wipe the blackboard clean and sweep and mop the front of the room so that my teacher and classmates could learn in a more pleasant environment. I believed that a tidy classroom had a positive impact on the quality and atmosphere of the lessons.
As a result, an environment was created where my classmates and teachers could participate in class more comfortably, and surprisingly, more students began to follow my example. These small actions accumulated, transforming the classroom atmosphere, and our class established itself as one known for its good classroom behavior and tidiness.
Through this experience, I learned that being the first to practice good behavior has a positive influence on others. I also deeply realized that small actions rooted in consideration and responsibility can change the attitude and performance of a community.

Efforts and Preparation Related to Motivation and Career Plans

Having enjoyed assembling robots and tinkering with machines since childhood, I have long harbored the dream of becoming an engineer. Through my participation in the Invention Engineering Club during high school, that dream solidified into a concrete career path. Various club activities and projects, as well as participation in external exhibitions and forums, solidified my commitment to this career path.
My experience of failure in competitions actually served as a turning point that helped me grow. After acutely feeling my shortcomings, I decided to attend college to systematically learn technology, moving beyond the level of simply building things by hand. After setting my goal of majoring in Mechanical Engineering, I focused more on my studies and developed the habit of self-study to strengthen my technical foundation.
The collaborative experience gained through club activities and the practical skills acquired through hands-on creation served as a crucial foundation for determining my future academic direction in college. My goal is to systematically study both theory and practice in college and eventually become an engineer capable of designing and implementing projects on my own. To achieve this goal, I plan to approach my studies with dedication and continuously develop my technical capabilities.