In this blog post, I’ll summarize my academic efforts and school activities during high school, along with examples of my consideration and cooperation, and my preparation for college.
Academic Experiences and Reflections
I made it a priority to take thorough notes in every subject. I felt that simply listening and reading wasn’t enough to truly internalize the textbook content, so I placed great importance on the process of writing things down by hand. When taking notes, I would sometimes read the content aloud as I wrote; when that wasn’t possible, I would concentrate as hard as I could to commit the information to memory. Rather than setting aside separate time for note-taking, I tried to finish all my notes during class time.
My first approach was to complete all my note-taking during class. Since I had so many classes, I reasoned that setting aside separate time after class to take notes would reduce my self-study time and lower my efficiency. By organizing everything in a single college-sized notebook rather than separating notes by subject, I could review notes from over ten different courses in one place, which was advantageous for exam preparation. However, understanding the material and taking notes simultaneously while attending class was no easy task, and even when I had prepared thoroughly in advance, I would sometimes miss details in the process of trying to comprehend and write at the same time. The pressure to finish taking notes within a limited time also caused me to miss key points.
To solve this problem, I adopted a new method: the Post-it note study method. I kept my college notebook open as a base and decided to write down only the key points from the textbook or those emphasized by the professor, without including overly detailed content. I wrote the summarized content in large letters and jotted down detailed explanations or information requiring memorization on Post-it notes, which I then stuck into my notebook. In particular, for important formulas or concepts I struggled to memorize, I wrote them on Post-it notes, stuck them in my notebook, and removed them only after I had fully memorized them. Using this method made my notes much more legible and organized, and my learning efficiency improved noticeably.
Writing About Major School Activities and Reflections
In the exams held during my freshman year of high school to determine class placements and select students for advanced courses, I ranked among the top students in the school, with my math scores standing out in particular. After realizing I had an interest and aptitude for math, I applied to join the school’s math club to develop my talent. Our school’s math club had a selection process involving a written exam and an interview, largely because the club had a strong track record of external awards and well-established relationships between upperclassmen and underclassmen, which attracted many applicants.
The entrance exam consisted of three problems, and since we were required to write out not only the correct answers but also the step-by-step solution process, I prepared my answers carefully. Although I got two out of the three problems correct, my thorough solution process was recognized, earning me an interview opportunity, and I was ultimately selected as one of the top seven members. After joining the club, we held weekly meetings where we repeatedly worked through problems and gave presentations; for difficult problems, we shared them in a group chat to discuss and solve them together.
During our regular meetings, we focused on mock exams and past College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT) questions, striving to present a variety of solution methods. Even for the same problem, rather than settling for the single “correct” answer taught in class, we would spend an hour per problem in the club, exploring multiple approaches. In the group chat, whenever someone solved a problem first, solutions and supplementary explanations followed immediately, allowing us to experience real-time improvement in our learning. This interaction greatly contributed to each other’s growth and made me truly appreciate the value of group learning.
The club also organized a research paper writing activity once per semester. During our biweekly research sessions, we selected topics by referring to the book ‘Discrete Mathematics’ or the latest university research papers, and we primarily conducted research in the fields of sequences, probability, and statistics. When we hit a roadblock while writing a paper, rather than relying on outside sources, we tried to solve the problem by discussing it with seniors and juniors within the club. We compiled the completed papers into a book, which we donated to the school library or sent to external libraries to showcase the club’s achievements.
Examples of Consideration, Sharing, and Cooperation, and My Reflections
During my time in the math research club, I participated in a math experience event hosted by the school, where we worked together to build a structure. During my sophomore winter break, at the suggestion of a club friend, I joined a group project to build a pyramid; our plan was to submit a new type of pyramid based on the principles of a jungle gym. At first, I merely assisted with part of the structure’s construction, but I gradually became more deeply involved in creating various pieces.
Even after the new school year began, work on the structures continued in the club room. Among the works we created collaboratively were “Hyperspace,” featuring a dodecahedron at the center surrounded by 44 distorted icosahedrons; a geodesic sphere constructed using a 4D frame; a truncated geodesic dome; and the Menger sponge, a fractal shape. Since these structures were large enough to support several adults standing on them, they required a significant amount of time and manpower. I also collaborated consistently throughout the project, and we were finally able to complete it just before the competition.
The Structure Competition was an event designed to make mathematics more approachable by expressing mathematical principles found in everyday life in practical and creative forms. Among the various entries, the Menger Sponge in particular required a great deal of repetitive manual labor to express the characteristics of fractals, and it was the piece that demanded the most work. The Menger Sponge received high praise for its visual representation of the concept where surface area increases to infinity while volume converges to zero, and I felt a great sense of fulfillment when I won an award at the competition.
Efforts and Preparation Related to Motivation for Application and Career Plans
Although I did not have a specific career path in mind until my first year of high school, I gradually gained confidence in my career direction through my activities in the math club. At first, I focused my studies on school exams and mock test problems, but as I gradually took on more applied problems—such as those found in math Olympiads and competitions—my problem-solving skills and creative thinking improved. The process of refining solutions through discussions with others in the club was a crucial experience that fostered my creative mathematical thinking.
My research and paper-writing experiences in the club served as a major source of motivation for me. I felt a sense of academic accomplishment through activities such as revising my own research with friends, publishing it as a book, and donating it to the library; these experiences were the catalyst that led me to decide to major in mathematics. Around my sophomore year of high school, I began considering a major in mathematics, and later, as I developed an interest in statistics, I narrowed my focus to the Department of Statistics.
In college, I plan to diligently complete all mathematics-related courses offered by the Department of Statistics. I believe that mathematics is a field built on consistent diligence rather than talent or shortcuts. Through experience, I have learned that the more problems I solve and the more I study, the more my problem-solving skills and creativity improve, and I believe it is important to cultivate problem-solving abilities through daily research and hands-on experience. Therefore, I will diligently pursue my major without resorting to shortcuts and strive to grow into a future mathematical statistician.
