In this blog post, I will summarize my academic experiences, school activities, and examples of consideration and cooperation during high school, as well as the career preparation process that was shaped by these experiences.
Academic Experiences and Reflections
The high school I attended prioritized economics education as a core initiative, employing a relatively large number of economics teachers and actively running related programs. In particular, my class’s economics teacher introduced creative teaching methods to help students feel more comfortable with the subject. Recognizing that many students struggled with economics, the teacher moved away from exam-focused learning through performance-based assessments and emphasized practical, hands-on learning.
As the weight of performance-based assessments increased, our activities expanded beyond the classroom. Field-based lessons became frequent, including field trips to economic institutions such as the Ministry of Economy and Finance, visits to mobile phone retail stores, and tours of specialized economic education organizations. During class, we regularly read youth economic education magazines and economic news articles and wrote comments on them. In these activities, students who demonstrated an active attitude were rewarded with more opportunities and higher grades.
Although we started simply by reading articles and writing comments, we gradually progressed to assignments where we edited our own articles and organized our opinions around specific topics. For example, by selecting a topic such as “interest rate cuts,” collecting and editing related articles, and repeatedly blending facts with opinions to complete an article, we developed both our writing skills and our economic thinking. Through the teacher’s feedback, I learned what constitutes logical and persuasive writing and was able to gradually improve my articles.
Theory classes were also conducted creatively; for instance, we experienced the theory of scarcity through games and participated in hands-on activities such as stock investment simulations, exchange rate games, mock fund investments, and predicting the KOSPI index. Thanks to learning economic principles hands-on through various methods—including a simple experiment using a ballpoint pen to explain the effects of division of labor—I was able to easily grasp even abstract concepts. These experiences helped me view economics not as a subject requiring mere memorization, but as practical knowledge connected to daily life.
Major School Activities and Reflections
Since my freshman year of high school, I’ve harbored a vague dream of one day becoming a business owner running my own shop. Although I hadn’t decided on a specific product yet, after being told I had a knack for business management, I often brainstormed business ideas on my own. During this process, following a friend’s advice, I came up with the idea of incorporating my hobbies—flower arranging and needlework—into a business concept.
As I consistently learned flower arranging and needlework in after-school classes, I found great joy and a sense of stability in the creative process itself. The experience of using flowers to decorate planters and creating finished pieces through knitting or cross-stitching was far more immersive than studying, and I felt a deep sense of fulfillment from the reactions I received when sharing my creations with others. These experiences came together to form a concrete business concept: a “café-style shop combining flowers and handicrafts.”
In the school’s after-school program, we held a presentation open to the public once a semester, and I focused on creating works with this opportunity in mind. I spent over two months refining my pieces to enhance their artistic quality, such as creating long-lasting flower arrangements using dried flowers and recreating famous paintings through cross-stitch. Through the process of exhibiting and selling my work, I gained confidence in my business idea and developed practical skills for incorporating customer feedback into my products as I saw my pieces receive positive reviews and sell at high prices.
Through this activity, I learned how to plan and complete products from a business perspective, moving beyond a simple hobby. By experiencing small-scale business operations—from deciding on concepts that attract consumers to maintaining quality and developing exhibition and sales strategies—I was able to cultivate the sensibilities necessary for an entrepreneur.
Examples of Consideration, Sharing, and Collaboration, and My Reflections
Running a snack booth at the school festival was an activity that simultaneously required collaboration, conflict management, and creative problem-solving. With many classes selling snacks at the festival, we decided to develop a unique product to overcome the issue of scarcity. After several brainstorming sessions, we decided to sell ice cream that stood out in both concept and shape, making it perfect for summer.
We researched products that emphasized visual appeal—such as character-shaped ice cream, rose-shaped ice cream, and products with vibrant colors—and established a production process. While most competing booths sold fruit-flavored ice cream, our products garnered a great response due to their originality and fun elements, selling so well that the entire student body lined up to buy them.
Through this process, I deeply realized the importance of role division and communication within the team. Although there were disagreements at every stage—from product development to ingredient procurement and sales operations—we divided tasks based on each other’s strengths and resolved conflicts through open dialogue. Ultimately, we achieved our goal by generating high profits, gaining a sense of fulfillment from collaboration, leadership skills, and practical problem-solving abilities.
Additionally, my experience as a group leader in economics class, where I led my peers and organized extracurricular activities, served as an opportunity to learn about cooperation and consideration. As a group leader, I learned how to encourage participation and coordinate opinions among members, and I managed team motivation by giving more responsibility and opportunities to those who actively participated. These experiences taught me how to adjust individual roles and show consideration for the sake of a common goal.
Efforts and Preparation Related to Motivation for Application and Career Plans
The various economics courses and mock business management activities I experienced in high school instilled in me a firm interest in business management and entrepreneurship. My goal of becoming an entrepreneur who identifies my own business ideas and brings them to life naturally led me to major in business administration. I applied to the Department of Business Administration at Hongik University to build a solid foundation in business studies and acquire practical skills applicable in the workplace.
After graduating, I immediately entered the workforce and completed a course to obtain a florist certification. Within 10 months of finishing the training, I was deployed to the field and worked as a professional for over three years. I chose to postpone college to gain on-the-job experience because I wanted to acquire the practical skills required for actual business operations in advance. Although I considered attending college at my family’s suggestion, I prioritized the experience and financial opportunities I could gain through immediate hands-on work.
Through this hands-on experience, I was able to further refine my goal of running my own business that combines a flower shop with a café. The practical skills I gained in the field—such as inventory management, customer service, product development, and sales strategies—cultivated a sense of real-world business acumen that is difficult to acquire through theory alone. At university, I plan to systematically strengthen my business planning and management skills by integrating my major in Business Administration with knowledge of economics.
During my time at Hongik University, I plan to actively participate in hands-on projects, focusing on courses in marketing, finance, and entrepreneurship. Additionally, through on- and off-campus internships and participation in entrepreneurship clubs, I intend to validate business ideas. My short-term goal is to operate a florist café centered on the customer experience by combining the experience I gained as a florist with my business knowledge after graduation. In the long term, I aspire to become a business leader who contributes to the local community by growing the business into a sustainable brand.
Building on the interest I developed in high school and the practical experience I have gained in the field, I intend to further strengthen my capabilities as a prospective entrepreneur through a deeper academic foundation and diverse practical opportunities at the university. I promise to approach my university life with an enterprising and responsible attitude, combining practical experience with academic knowledge.
