In this blog post, I will summarize my academic experiences and study methods during high school, my roles and lessons learned from school activities, examples of consideration, sharing, and cooperation, as well as my career goals and the steps I took to prepare for them.
Academic Experiences and Reflections
I struggled significantly with Korean language studies, particularly in the non-literary section. While my skills in literature and grammar gradually improved through repeated practice and studying work summaries and interpretations, I felt at a loss regarding how to approach non-literary passages. I realized that the conventional method of learning tricks specific to each question type had its limitations, so I decided to change my study approach to overcome this.
The first method I devised was to establish a notation system for marking key sentences and words while reading the passage. I underlined and circled important parts, and separately marked sentences where I thought, “A question might be asked about this.” Making these markings made it much easier to connect the passage with the questions later on when solving them.
My second method was to avoid reading the questions before reading the passage. While many people recommend starting with the questions, I felt that doing so risked missing the overall context and led to a focus on piecemeal solutions. So, I developed the habit of carefully reading the passage first and then looking at the questions to connect them to the relevant paragraphs. During this process, the parts I had marked in advance often matched the questions, allowing me to quickly find the correct answers.
I also made analyzing the answer choices a habit. By locating the content of each answer choice in the passage and marking it with a small circle, I could quickly rule out incorrect options—since choices without a circle were likely wrong. This approach helped with time management and sped up the process of identifying wrong answers.
The third method was the habit of visualizing complex problems. When I was confused between two answer choices due to attractive distractors, I didn’t just think about it in my head; instead, I drew a simple picture or diagram to organize the key elements. Especially for 3-point compound questions, diagramming helped clarify the logical flow and was very effective in reducing errors.
By changing my study methods and systematizing my problem-solving process in this way, my confidence in non-fiction passages grew. Moving away from simply solving a large volume of problems and instead practicing the three principles of passage analysis, interpretation, and visualization proved effective, and this experience provided me with a problem-solving framework that I could apply when studying other subjects later on.
Major School Activities and Reflections
Among the school activities I found meaningful and dedicated myself to, the most memorable was volunteering to organize rare books and archival records at the library. As the school was newly built, the library was large and comfortable, but it needed staff to expand the collection and manage it systematically. The school recruited student volunteers to organize books donated by the school and external donors and to manage archival records, and I applied and participated in the program.
The benefit of this volunteer work, aside from earning volunteer credits, was the opportunity to be among the first to access the library’s materials. Since I love books and enjoy organizing items, I felt I was well-suited for this library management volunteer role. When I first started, donated books were pouring in, so I had to go to the library to work almost every day. I felt a great sense of fulfillment as we filled each section of the spacious library.
The library had various sections, such as a new releases section and a study materials section, and among these, I was in charge of the rare books and archival materials section. This section housed materials that were difficult to manage, such as out-of-print books, academic papers, thick dictionaries, and old novels. Since regular students could not freely access this area, they had to obtain reading permission, and there was the added hassle that volunteers had to handle the photocopying themselves.
Organizing rare books and archival materials was no easy task. The bookshelves stretched all the way to the ceiling, so I often couldn’t reach them on my own; I had to use a ladder or a long pole to shelve or retrieve books. Since the work was physically demanding and sometimes dangerous, my partner and I worked together to ensure our safety. Additionally, because old materials are difficult to restore once damaged, we always had to handle them with the utmost care.
Through this process, I was able to develop a sense of responsibility and attention to detail. Beyond simply shelving books, I thought carefully about how to classify, label, and catalog them into a database, and I came to realize that even the smallest mistakes could not be tolerated. While volunteering for over a year, I gained practical knowledge and a deep appreciation for managing rare books and historical records, and I learned the importance of striving to make the library more convenient for students who wanted to make the most of its resources.
Examples of Consideration, Sharing, and Cooperation, and My Reflections
As an example of consideration and cooperation, I can cite my experience preparing for the Office Automation (OA) certification exam during my sophomore year of high school. Obtaining this certification was a performance assessment requirement for the Information Processing course, and while I already held a Word certification, I lacked skills in Excel-based office automation. Although it was an unfamiliar field, I decided to take on the challenge for the sake of the assessment.
The practical exam required a great deal of practice. While the written exam could be passed by reviewing the theory, the practical tasks—such as functions, complex formulas, and nested sorting—were too challenging to practice alone. So, I formed a study group with friends who shared the same goal.
We each typed up summaries of the theoretical sections and shared them, which resulted in all of us passing the written exam on our first try. To prepare for the practical exam, we gathered in the lab almost every day to work through assignments and analyze past exam questions. In particular, when using specific formulas—such as the COUNT function—we discussed which methods were more efficient and practiced by having each of us try out the agreed-upon solutions.
The process of exchanging opinions and comparing our solutions increased the efficiency of our practice and allowed us to address each other’s weaknesses. Ultimately, we all passed the practical exam and earned our performance assessment scores, experiencing firsthand how collaboration leads to individual achievement. This process taught me an important lesson: we grow faster when we work together rather than trying to solve difficulties alone.
Efforts and Preparation Related to Motivation for Application and Career Plans
My career goal is to become a records manager. I discovered this profession while exploring careers as a librarian or in the field of library and information science, and I believe it is a role that is gradually gaining attention in a society where the value of knowledge and information is increasing. As many companies and public institutions face a growing need to systematically manage their accumulating data and records, I applied to the Department of Library and Information Science to grow into an expert in this field.
My experience volunteering at the high school library had a significant influence on this career choice. I was in charge of the rare books and archives section, where I classified and labeled old books and materials and created a database. Through the process of labeling items in alphabetical and numerical order and organizing their locations, I developed attention to detail and a sense of order, and I gained a firsthand understanding of the nature of this work, where even the smallest mistakes are not tolerated.
I also demonstrated a proactive attitude in my class participation and school life. During class, I sat in the front row and took systematic notes, organizing the material I studied into reference documents. When necessary, I borrowed materials from neighboring classes to prepare for lessons, and I took on and carried out tasks within my class that required meticulous attention to detail. I believe these habits and traits align with the mindset required of a records manager.
My future plan is to build a solid foundation in library and information science during my undergraduate studies and then earn a master’s degree in records management to develop my expertise. To cultivate practical skills, I intend to combine library internships with obtaining relevant certifications, and I aim to grow as a professional by systematically learning the skills required for the preservation, classification, and database development of records.
