In this blog post, I’ll summarize my academic experiences and school activities during high school, examples of consideration and cooperation, my motivation for applying, and my career preparation process.
Writing About Academic Experiences and Reflections
Giving Myself a Sense of Accomplishment I compare studying to sports. Just as friends who are good at sports often enjoy them because they win frequently, I believed that studying becomes more enjoyable when there is quick feedback. So, rather than just waiting for test results, I managed my motivation by setting small, clear goals for myself in my daily routine. For example, I promised myself rewards such as allowing 20 minutes of soccer video games after solving five problems per subject each day, or going to bed earlier than usual after finishing all my review work at school. The habit of sticking to these rules increased my consistency in studying, and the sense of accomplishment I felt upon completing my planned study sessions accumulated over time, which also helped improve my grades.
What I learned from this experience is that it’s important to reward myself and fuel my drive for achievement based on my own standards, rather than comparing my performance to others. I realized that instead of feeling the pressure that comes from comparing myself to others, the satisfaction of keeping the promises I made to myself builds the strength to consistently work toward my goals. I learned that repeatedly creating these small successes positively transforms both the quality and quantity of my learning.
Major Campus Activities and Reflections
Breaking Out of My Comfort Zone Through the Advertising Club I have the fondest memories of my time in the advertising club during high school. When I first joined the club, I thought of advertisements as nothing more than videos shown on TV, but as I watched the various domestic and international ads presented by my seniors, I became captivated by the imagination and the wide range of ways in which advertisements convey messages. The club had a tradition of assigning first-year students the task of writing ad reviews, and through this process, I broadened my perspective by engaging with the concepts and expressive styles of acclaimed works. Later, as I participated in the process of planning and producing ads myself, I repeatedly engaged in brainstorming and exchanging ideas. By conducting more proactive research, I learned how to bring new ideas to life and had many experiences that helped me break out of my own mental constraints.
Various Ways to Build Relationships with People The most challenging activity was volunteer work. At first, I thought it was simply about helping others, but volunteering often required me to independently assess situations and solve problems. For example, if I broke something on-site, no one would handle it for me, so I had to find a solution on my own, and I frequently had to ask strangers for help or make requests. Since I was used to expecting others to do things for me, it felt very awkward and stressful at first. However, as I repeatedly tried to strike up conversations and make requests, I soon found myself able to talk freely and ask for favors even from older women and men. Through this, I overcame my shy nature and learned how to build friendships with others.
Examples of Consideration, Sharing, and Cooperation, and My Reflections
Mediating Among Friends and Juniors As club president, I often took on the role of mediating differing opinions. Since many members of our club valued original ideas, there were frequent instances where our strong opinions clashed. For example, when deciding on a destination for our club’s vacation trip, a wide range of suggestions emerged—from mountain valleys and the ocean to lakes, Gangwon Province, Jeju Island, and even overseas destinations—and everyone gave clear reasons for their preferences without backing down. In such situations, I took on the role of listening to all voices, making objective judgments, and helping to reach a decision.
The method of mediation I mastered was active listening. First, I listened to the friend expressing their opinion until the end and discouraged others from interrupting, allowing each person to fully articulate their point of view. Afterward, I narrowed down the options by systematically addressing practical constraints one by one—such as cost, logistical feasibility, and parental permission. Rather than making emotional judgments about the rightness or wrongness of opinions, I guided the discussion using realistic evidence, which often led to conflicts being naturally resolved.
Through this process, I was able to effectively mediate issues with my juniors and developed the habit of analyzing issues from an objective perspective. Rather than simply suppressing or avoiding conflicts, I worked with others to examine the pros and cons of each perspective to reach a rational decision. As a result, I took on the role of resolving various issues within the club and established myself as a problem-solving leader.
Efforts and Preparation Related to Motivation for Application and Career Plans
I aspire to become a specialist in resolving international conflicts. The reason I applied to the Global Interdisciplinary Studies Program is that I wish to grow into an expert in resolving international conflicts. The world is becoming increasingly interconnected, and as distances shrink due to air travel and social media, relations and conflicts between nations are growing more complex. In this context, the demand for professionals capable of mediating international issues and positively managing relations will continue to grow. I believe I would find great fulfillment if I could take on that role, helping to resolve conflicts between nations and contribute to building cooperative relationships.
Therefore, after entering university, I plan to build a broad foundation of general knowledge based on the humanities—including literature, philosophy, and sociology—and develop my skills through global education and major-specific coursework. In particular, I plan to actively participate in various international experiences—such as short-term language study abroad programs, overseas field trips, exchange programs, and international internships—to cultivate an international mindset. Since I believe that resolving international conflicts requires an understanding of politics, economics, society, and culture as a whole, as well as humanistic and philosophical thinking, I intend to systematically develop these competencies through the educational programs offered by the School of Self-Directed Studies.
