In this blog post, I’ll reflect on my academic efforts, school activities, and experiences with compassion and volunteer work during my time in high school, and summarize my thoughts.
Academic Experiences and Reflections
Although I enrolled in a high school specializing in foreign languages, my English and Japanese skills weren’t very strong at first, so I ranked near the bottom of my class. Driven by a desire to do well in my studies, I realized that before learning Japanese, I needed to first build a solid foundation in English, the primary language of instruction. This was because some classes were conducted entirely in English, and some teachers explained concepts only in English, so conversational and reading comprehension skills were essential to fully grasp the material.
So, I decided to develop the habit of reading English books every morning, even if only for 10 minutes. At first, it didn’t seem like I was investing much time, but as time went on, those small increments accumulated and had a significant impact. I started with easy books that weren’t too difficult to maintain my interest, and I also read magazines and abridged newspaper articles that were easy to follow. I approached my studies by writing down unfamiliar words, looking up their meanings, and interpreting the text.
After about a month of consistent practice, I had learned over 500 words and phrases, and by the following month, both my reading speed and depth of understanding had improved. The greatest reward was that my translation accuracy improved just as much as my reading speed. Before reading original texts, I had only been able to grasp the general meaning, but through continuous practice, I became capable of both free and literal translations and could analyze context to produce more refined interpretations.
After my skills improved, I began compiling my translations into study materials and uploading them to an online learning site. By posting solutions to TOEIC and TOEFL problems, as well as commentary on translations of original texts and news articles, I created a space for communication with other students. Although the volume of content wasn’t large, the commentary allowed me to reflect on my translation skills, and a learning community formed as visiting students left comments and engaged in discussions. As a result, my site gained recognition both on and off campus and became a small learning resource that helped friends interested in studying English.
Writing About Major Campus Activities and Reflections
Leveraging my major in Japanese, I participated in a homestay cultural exchange program organized by the school alongside my friends. After completing the necessary preparations, such as obtaining passports and visas, I visited a school in Japan for three weeks during summer break, living with a local host family to experience the culture and language firsthand. I prepared with great excitement even before departure, and the experience there turned out to be even more valuable than I had anticipated.
Thanks to the kind guidance of the local students, it was easy to observe and learn about cultural differences firsthand. Our local friends were well-informed about the things we were curious about and introduced them to us; the process of communicating with them on an ongoing basis was a lot of fun. While walking the streets of Japan, what struck me most was the abundance of vending machines featuring items unfamiliar to us. There were various types—bread vending machines, pure gold vending machines, vegetable vending machines, sushi vending machines, and even vending machines selling talismans—which gave us a glimpse into Japan’s unique consumer culture and way of life.
During the trip, I also visited several unique museums. The places I explored—such as the Chocolate Museum, the Ramen Museum, the Junk Food Museum, and the Beer Museum—were all themed around food culture, and there were also themed spaces featuring manga and film exhibitions. The local students I met kindly guided me through the museums, helping me better understand the exhibits. Experiences such as tasting chocolate or trying unfamiliar types of ramen were great opportunities to experience Japanese food culture firsthand.
At the manga and film exhibitions, I learned a lot by viewing large-scale models of familiar characters like Totoro and film-related materials. I documented what I saw through photographs and wrote a travel report, which I submitted to a travel essay contest held at my school; I even won an award in the process. This experience sparked a desire to study Japan more deeply, and I learned a great deal from the attitude and meticulous care taken to preserve regional traditional cultures, as well as the culture of consideration among people. After returning home, I made an effort to be kinder to my friends and broadened my social circle by sharing the knowledge I gained from the trip.
Examples of Consideration, Sharing, and Cooperation, and My Reflections
My school had a volunteer program that ran after-school study sessions, so I applied to volunteer as an English and Japanese tutor. To participate as a volunteer, I had to meet a minimum academic performance standard, which I exceeded, allowing me to join the program. The volunteer work primarily took the form of one-on-one tutoring sessions with elementary and middle school students.
I was nervous at first, but I worked hard to prepare structured lessons for the students. To assess each student’s skill level and potential for growth, I administered placement tests. Based on the results, I adapted textbooks and created my own example sentences and practice problems to use in class. Since I had to teach two hours a week consistently for an entire semester, balancing this with my own study time was challenging, but I took my responsibility seriously and never stopped preparing for class.
Perhaps thanks to my efforts, I could see the students’ grades and motivation gradually improving, which gave me a great sense of fulfillment. In particular, one middle school student who knew absolutely no Japanese was able to quickly memorize katakana and hiragana after I taught them some tips for memorization, allowing them to adapt well to their school classes. I focused on helping students improve their study methods so they could keep up with their schoolwork and correcting any bad habits they had.
During my volunteer work, it was also important to collaborate with other volunteers by sharing textbooks and materials to support one another. By exchanging our expertise, we improved the quality of our lessons, and through this collaborative process, my communication skills and sense of responsibility grew even stronger. Through this experience, I was able to put the values of consideration and sharing into practice, and I came to deeply appreciate how education can unlock a person’s potential.
