In this blog post, I’ll focus on the academic efforts I made and the school activities I participated in during high school, as well as the lessons I learned through practicing consideration and cooperation.

Academic Experiences and Reflections

I was originally a student who preferred track and field or physical education over studying. However, as I developed an interest in Korean history and anthropology, I naturally set a goal to study those fields in college, and from that point on, I resolved to study in earnest. Because my foundation was weak, there was a lot to memorize, and the sheer volume of material to cover left me feeling quite exhausted at first.
At that time, my main focus was on convincing myself that studying was “fun.” When studying subjects like Korean Geography, Korean History, and World History, I motivated myself by asking why I was studying them. For example, I encouraged myself with thoughts like, “Knowing this will help me understand modern society,” “Knowing Korean history will be advantageous for studying anthropology,” and “This will serve as a foundation for deeper study in college.”
Once I shifted my mindset in this way, studying became something I genuinely wanted to do, rather than just mechanical memorization for the exam. When studying historical figures, I tried to empathize with them, and as I understood events from their perspective, memorization came naturally. This study method—recalling, associating, and empathizing—also had a positive impact on my preparation for the language section.
I believe the language section is not about simple memorization but rather about comprehension. As my comprehension improved through studying history, my ability to interpret non-fiction passages grew, and as I expanded my reading scope to include literature, my language section scores rose significantly. Applying this comprehension-based study method to other subjects made studying increasingly enjoyable.
As a result, I began studying by focusing on subjects I enjoyed and learned how to move away from a memorization-based approach by relying on empathy and understanding. Enjoying my studies led to improved grades, and I came to view studying not as a mere obligation but as a habit that a well-rounded person should naturally internalize.

Major Extracurricular Activities and Reflections

Among my school activities, the one I valued most was my participation in the Geography Club. Under the guidance of two teachers, the club centered its activities around an annual field trip. After joining the club, we invested a significant amount of time over the course of the year preparing for this field trip.
First, we researched locations within Korea where we could find relatively unique topography or rock formations to select our field trip destination. Each student researched a location they wanted to visit, organized the information into a PowerPoint presentation, and we decided on the destination fairly through a vote. Since the teachers mainly checked whether assignments were completed and the activities were student-centered, it became a highly responsible experience.
Before deciding on the field sites, we thought carefully about what we needed to study and prepare. We divided the fieldwork content into chapters, assigned roles, and spent the entire semester organizing materials and presenting them to our classmates. We also saved up our pocket money to cover the field trip expenses and made a detailed list of necessary items, which we kept neatly in a corner of the club room, ensuring thorough practical preparation.
The reason I enjoyed this activity was that it offered many opportunities for active participation. Unlike activities assigned by others, the process of independently researching and preparing required a great deal of responsibility, but it brought an equal amount of satisfaction. Moving beyond being a student who merely studied under a teacher’s guidance to experiencing the joy of seeking out and exploring things on my own was incredibly valuable to me.
Through club activities, my interest in Korean geography and history deepened, and I naturally developed a career interest in related fields. In particular, serving as the club president allowed me to demonstrate leadership while guiding younger members and preparing for field trips. Exploring new places with others and reflecting together on their historical significance was deeply rewarding, and these club activities further solidified my dream of becoming a “Korean history expert.”

Writing about examples of consideration, sharing, and cooperation, along with my reflections

Collecting money from students for field trips was a sensitive issue. Since everyone’s financial situation was different, raising the total amount fairly required careful consideration. I was able to save up from my allowance, but some friends had no allowance or couldn’t rely on their parents’ support.
One of my friends was working a part-time job secretly to cover living expenses; however, since that money was used not only for personal needs but also for the family’s household expenses, it wasn’t enough to cover the field trip costs. Upon learning of her situation, I decided to help her, and I pitched in by working part-time with her to raise the funds for the field trip.
We carved out time from our cram school and study schedules to take on short-term part-time jobs like handing out flyers and doing odd jobs at the market. Even distributing flyers in the cold weather—something that would have been hard to endure alone—became manageable because we encouraged each other and worked together. By working together, we shared the burden and were able to keep up with our part-time jobs consistently.
Through this experience, I learned firsthand that “anything is possible when we work together.” Difficult tasks can be shared when we work together, and even the most exhausting moments can be endured when we’re in it together. Furthermore, I realized that empathizing with others’ situations and offering practical help is the true essence of cooperation, and I felt that this experience would serve as an important foundation for working and learning with others in the future.