In this blog post, I will summarize my academic efforts and school activities during high school, examples of how I practiced kindness and generosity, as well as my motivation for applying and my career plans.
Academic Experiences and Reflections
The most difficult moments while studying were when I encountered problems I simply couldn’t understand, no matter how hard I tried. As this confusion persisted, time grew short and I became increasingly anxious. I felt pressure as the college entrance exam approached, and I often blamed myself when I saw my friends grasping the material more easily. The reality that I couldn’t attend cram schools due to my family’s financial situation only added to that frustration. Sometimes, I resented my circumstances. I often agonized over the thought, “Why can’t I have the same opportunities as my friends?”
One day, watching my father’s back as he returned home after a hard day’s work, my mindset shifted. I realized I couldn’t blame my parents, as they were the ones striving for my hopes and dreams. So, I pulled myself together and wrote “One Week” on a piece of paper, which I stuck to my desk. Rather than getting frustrated over problems I couldn’t understand overnight, I decided to take a week to examine them step by step.
The practical application of that resolution was the “One-Week Error Notebook.” I wrote down the solution process for the problems I got wrong, along with related grammar and concepts, and reviewed them repeatedly for a week. Doing so made me feel surprisingly at ease. When I encountered a problem I didn’t know, I began to see it not as a source of “frustration” but as an “opportunity to learn over the course of a week,” and sure enough, after studying it consistently for a few days, I started to understand it. By reviewing the problems I got wrong repeatedly over the week, I was able to identify which areas I struggled with, and as I filled in those gaps, my skills gradually improved. Most importantly, as my anxiety about studying diminished, studying itself began to feel enjoyable.
Major School Activities and Reflections
The school activity I found most meaningful was my involvement in the Student Council. I joined the club at the suggestion of my older brother, whom I’ve known since childhood. At first, I joined with mixed feelings—partly hopeful but also skeptical, thinking, “All high school students study anyway, so what’s so special about this?” However, once I started participating, I became deeply immersed in it, contrary to my expectations, and realized that this activity had given me so much.
The Student Council plays a central role in helping administrative tasks and school discipline run smoothly, with students taking the lead alongside teachers. At our school, students in the Student Council received active support through scholarship programs and various forms of assistance. This is because the Student Council directly handles various school duties, including helping students adhere to and managing daily routines such as arrival, dismissal, and lunch periods. We play a role in monitoring and supporting the maintenance of rules established by the students themselves, thereby contributing to the orderly operation of school life.
In the beginning, there were many inconveniences in my personal life, such as having to arrive at school early and eat quickly, and it pained me when I had to give harsh words or issue demerit cards to classmates in my own grade. Sometimes I was resented, and I felt hurt. However, as I continued with the activity, I came to understand the importance of structure. A system helps members adapt to the group and guides them toward a common goal. After about six months of student council activities, I witnessed the system take shape and school life become more organized. Seeing students devote themselves more to their studies—such as focusing solely during study hall and strictly adhering to evening schedules—I truly felt the value of a “good system” firsthand.
This experience naturally sparked my interest in business administration. I began reading books and newspapers to understand why organizations function and how to create efficient and fair systems. Ultimately, I developed a dream of becoming someone who leads groups in a positive direction, and my student council activities were the very experience that gave me that insight and goal.
Examples of Consideration, Sharing, and Cooperation, and My Reflections
While serving in the student council’s Beautification Department, I deeply understood the values of consideration, sharing, and cooperation.
I was active in the cleaning department during my first and second years, and in my second year, I served as the head of the department, taking charge of campus cleaning duties. These duties included a variety of tasks, such as decorating bulletin boards and classrooms, cleaning, and managing the trash areas. While such activities often end with simply distributing supplies and conducting monthly trash area inspections, I refused to let my involvement remain a mere formality.
I took charge of organizing and cleaning the trash areas once a week, going out frequently, and actively lent a hand wherever cleaning was needed, helping out in areas where staff were short-handed. Through this process, I grew close to the cleaning ladies who work hard every day at the school. They always went out of their way for the students and never lost their smiles, even when arriving early in the morning. Naturally, I began calling them “aunties” as we cleaned together, and I came to hear about their lives and stories.
Listening to the stories of the cleaning staff, I learned that there are truly many people in the world who struggle. Contrasting with my own personal experience—where, despite my family’s financial difficulties, my parents cared for me devotedly so I never lacked love—I often cried when hearing the stories of those who struggle to make ends meet. This experience humbled me and made me grateful for my current circumstances. The small act of getting up a little earlier in the morning to clean became a turning point that changed my outlook on life.
Efforts and Preparation Related to Motivation for Application and Career Plans
Through my extracurricular activities, I took on management and responsibility roles, which sparked my interest in “leading people.” Based on the recommendations of my seniors and the feedback from those around me, I chose business administration as my career path. I had a vague dream of becoming a CEO and starting a new business, but for a long time, I hadn’t decided exactly what kind of business it would be. The only thing that was clear was my hope that it would be a business that does “work that people need.”
Through conversations with the aunties, I realized that there are many people in the world who need help for various reasons, yet there are few people who can meet those needs. This experience was the decisive turning point that sparked my interest in social needs. Although I haven’t yet determined a specific business model, I believe that “a way for everyone to help one another and find happiness together” is possible. Since there are many poor people as well as many wealthy people, I believe that positive change will occur if we create a system that allows for sharing and interaction in an appropriate manner.
Based on this belief, I have decided to apply to the Department of Business Administration at the University of Seoul. I want to learn how to design frameworks and systems through business administration, grow into a manager with sound values, and run a business that meets the needs of diverse people. Although I still have much to learn, I aspire to become someone who contributes to making the world a little brighter and happier by devising and implementing warm, practical systems.
