In this blog post, I’ll summarize what I learned and felt, focusing on my academic experiences and school activities during high school, as well as examples of how I practiced consideration, sharing, and cooperation.
Academic Experiences and Reflections
I really enjoyed the social studies courses in high school. While I sometimes felt obligated to study core subjects like Korean, English, and math just to maintain my grades, I found social studies genuinely interesting and studied them voluntarily, regardless of my grades. I particularly enjoyed studying history and social culture. I found it fascinating to learn, through history, how Korea and the world have changed from the past to the present, and I took pleasure in deeply analyzing and understanding social structures, institutions, and cultural shifts while studying social culture.
Not satisfied with just the textbooks, I sought out and read related materials on my own. While studying history, I made a point of remembering sources cited in the textbook—such as the ‘History of Goryeo’, the ‘Annals of the Joseon Dynasty’, Greek and Roman mythology, and ‘The Story of the Romans’—and then sought them out to read. In the field of social studies and culture, I also sought out and read books like ‘The Prince’, ‘Paradise Lost’, and ‘Das Kapital’, which allowed me to gain a deeper understanding of topics that the textbook’s brief explanations could not fully cover. Through these related materials, I gained a more detailed understanding of the points that had piqued my curiosity, and my breadth of knowledge expanded.
I also took an active interest in the inquiry-based activities suggested in the textbook and engaged in self-directed inquiry learning. For inquiry topics that were difficult to cover in depth during class due to the pace of the curriculum, I set aside personal time to explore them on my own, researching and studying by looking up relevant materials. This experience made me realize just how enjoyable the process of exploring topics I was genuinely curious about—beyond mere memorization—could be.
Major School Activities and Reflections
My school had an overseas volunteer club. Although it was difficult to travel abroad frequently as a high school student, I regularly volunteered at nearby welfare facilities such as orphanages and nursing homes, and during school breaks, I would plan and participate in overseas volunteer trips. In particular, the volunteer trip to Cambodia that I planned and led as club president during my sophomore summer break left a deep impression on me.
During my freshman year, I went to Laos for a two-night, three-day trip, but I was left feeling a bit disappointed because the schedule was short and the activities weren’t very diverse. So, when I became the club president during my sophomore year, I planned a trip with a longer schedule and a wider variety of activities. Since it’s not easy for high school students to go on overseas volunteer trips, I had to ask our club advisor for permission. I was worried that leading the team for about a week during the summer break might be difficult, but I was grateful that the teacher readily agreed.
Summer vacation began, and about a week later, we set off for our volunteer work. I planned a 6-night, 7-day itinerary, with 4 days dedicated to volunteering at the school and 2 days working with a local organization. After arriving and resting, we began our main activities on the second day. On our first day at the elementary school, we divided into groups to teach English to the children, leading the class by singing English songs and chants we had prepared in advance.
On the second day, we did balloon art, creating shapes like animals, crowns, and swords. Seeing the children’s joy as they asked us to make various things filled me with a sense of pride. On the third day, we spent time singing and dancing with the children. I had intended to teach them Korean songs I’d prepared, but I was surprised to find that the children were very interested in Korean culture and already knew more songs than I expected. We shared songs and dances and had a wonderful time learning local traditional dances.
On the fourth day, we repaired the school building by repainting the peeling areas and painting murals. It was very rewarding to imagine the children studying in the newly cleaned space. After our volunteer work at the school ended, we went to a nearby orphanage with a local volunteer organization and spent two days helping the children bathe, cooking meals, baking bread, and engaging in various other activities. I was happy spending time laughing and interacting with the children.
I learned a great deal while planning and leading this volunteer project in Cambodia. First, I realized just how difficult it is to draw up a detailed plan and then lead the group in carrying out activities according to that plan for an entire week. Above all, I personally experienced the sense of fulfillment that comes from helping others without expecting anything in return, and it served as an opportunity to develop a sense of responsibility and leadership skills through managing the organization.
Examples of Consideration, Sharing, and Cooperation, and My Reflections
When I was in school, there was a student one grade below me who was being bullied. His family seemed to be struggling financially, and he was quiet and had a somber demeanor, so the other students were reluctant to approach him. When that student came to me saying he wanted to join the volunteer club I was part of, I initially thought he seemed blunt and somewhat rude. However, when we happened to be paired together as a team for a volunteer activity and started talking, I realized he was actually very lonely.
After that, I decided to help him regain his cheerful personality and get along well with his peers. We met frequently to talk; during lunch breaks, we ate together, and I would buy him snacks at the school store while we chatted. On weekends, we’d meet up outside to spend time together, and I’d listen to his concerns about school life and personal struggles, offering encouragement. I also invited other members of the volunteer club to hang out with him and consistently placed him in the same group as me during volunteer activities to help him naturally mingle with others.
I also introduced her to a part-time job at a bakery owned by someone I knew. I believed that working part-time would provide her with financial support and that interacting with others would help her become more outgoing. As time went on, she gradually became more cheerful and started getting along well with her classmates. Seeing her positive transformation gave me a great sense of fulfillment and pride.
