In this blog post, I’ll summarize what I learned through the study habits I developed, my school activities, and my experiences with compassion, sharing, and collaboration during my time in high school.
Academic Experiences and Reflections
As a high school student, I put a lot of effort into sticking to the study habits I had created for myself. Forming new habits wasn’t as easy as it sounded, and I realized that, above all, planning how to use my time was crucial. So, with the goal of making the most of my time, I decided to create a daily schedule. Once I wrote down the schedule, I could see the day’s tasks at a glance and specifically determine how much time to devote to each subject.
Without a schedule, my study goals became vague, and I often found myself starting to study without a plan. For example, if I didn’t decide in advance which subjects to cover and for how many hours that day, I would often just skim over the parts I felt like doing or spend my self-study time playing video games. Wasting time like this caused my study progress to fall behind and made it difficult to prepare for exams. Furthermore, without a record, it took time to figure out where to pick up the next day, which reduced my learning efficiency.
To overcome these problems, I created a daily schedule every morning before school. I focused on my main subjects, setting the scope of the workbook I needed to complete or my study goals for the day, and then concentrated on carrying them out during my afternoon self-study period. At first, I set the time slots too tightly, making it difficult to stick to the schedule, and I went through a period of trial and error. However, as I adjusted the workload to a realistic amount while considering my daily rhythm and rest periods, I gradually became accustomed to the schedule.
As I continued studying according to my schedule, I developed the habit of spending each day with a clear sense of purpose. My studies, which had previously been scattered and unplanned, became systematically organized, and I learned how to maintain focus by balancing rest periods with study time. These small changes combined to make my exam preparation more efficient and helped me cultivate a responsible attitude toward learning.
Major School Activities and Reflections
During high school, I participated in the school’s “Traffic Safety Guardians” program, which helped ensure safety on the way to and from school. Our school was located in the heart of Seoul at a busy intersection with heavy traffic, where traffic accidents—both major and minor—occurred frequently. Although the school installed safety fences and road markings to guide students’ paths, minor accidents still occurred because some students crossed the street outside the designated areas. To address this issue, the school implemented a safety patrol program involving both parents and students.
The patrol members formed teams of four in the morning and afternoon, each performing their duties at designated locations. The head of the patrol was a parent volunteer, and under the parents’ instructions, we guided students inside the safety barriers or directed traffic flow. I was mainly assigned to the after-school shift, and since I was stationed at a spot where large numbers of students poured out all at once, guiding them was no easy task. Often, the students wouldn’t follow instructions based on a single person’s voice alone, so I made an effort to be highly visible by wearing a fluorescent vest and using a lighted guide baton, a whistle, and directional signs.
In the early stages of the program, we faced many difficulties in guiding students inside the safety fence. In particular, students eager to get home quickly often broke the rules, and some even tried to go outside because they were worried about what their parents might think. So, we clearly defined our roles within the team and worked with parents to develop more effective guidance methods. For example, instead of just shouting instructions, we began holding signs and calmly guiding students to spread out. As we repeatedly reminded them of the safety rules, the students gradually began to be more careful on their own.
Through this activity, I learned the importance of responsibility, leadership, and practical collaboration. I felt a sense of fulfillment knowing that even small efforts can contribute to the safety of those around me, and I gained experience in maintaining composure during problematic situations and coordinating with diverse people and roles. Above all, I was deeply impressed by the process of observing people’s reactions firsthand on-site and making improvements based on that feedback.
Examples of Consideration, Sharing, and Cooperation, and My Reflections
Since our school is located in a high-traffic area, it was designated as a Youth Traffic Safety School by the local police station, and the entire student body received traffic safety education. Through this program, I learned about the severity of traffic accidents and the importance of prevention. During the sessions, I also participated in activities to create slogans and posters for public service announcements on traffic safety. In this process, I gained experience in crafting messages that go beyond simply conveying knowledge to effectively raising awareness within the local community.
Through the education program, I was exposed to road traffic statistics and truly realized the severity of traffic accidents involving teenagers. In particular, I learned that the proportion of accidents caused by unlicensed driving and drunk driving is high, and it struck a chord with me to realize that some of my friends in the neighborhood have faced problems due to dangerous driving. This awareness of reality led me to resolve to participate in preventive activities not only to protect my own safety but also for the sake of my friends and the local community.
Under the campaign name “Creating a Safe District,” our team created slogans and posters focused on preventing motorcycle accidents. I proposed emotionally appealing phrases that incorporated the name of our district—such as “○○ District School Zone: You, too, were once a child”—and also created firm messages directly warning drivers, like “Motorcycle Helmet: Not an Option, but a Must.” These phrases were the result of careful consideration of strategic language designed to change the behavior of our target audience.
The posters and slogans we created were displayed at the police station and used as community outreach materials, and we also conducted awareness campaigns along school routes using hand-made signs. Through these activities, I reaffirmed the value of collaboration. I experienced the process of how an idea conceived by one person, when combined with the opinions of team members, becomes a more persuasive message, and I felt a deep sense of fulfillment knowing that even small actions for the public good can spark a shift in community awareness.
