In this blog post, I’ll summarize my academic efforts, school activities, examples of consideration and collaboration, and career preparation during my time in high school.

Describing My Academic Experience and Reflections

I believed that repeated practice with actual exam problems was key to improving my grades, so I studied by solving many problems and thoroughly analyzing my mistakes. I felt it was necessary to go beyond simply collecting my mistakes and instead systematically categorize them by type and cause, so I began studying by classifying problems into a three-step system.
Step 1 involved collecting “problems I got wrong even though I knew the answer.” I noticed a tendency to repeatedly make mistakes with the same types of calculations, and I also frequently made simple calculation errors. After identifying patterns where I mishandled specific multiplication or division problems, I practiced those operations intensively to reduce such errors.
Step 2 involved collecting “problems I thought I knew but didn’t when I looked at them again.” Many questions were phrased in a twisted or ambiguous way, and I often struggled because I couldn’t immediately recall the key formulas. I reviewed these problems repeatedly to familiarize myself with them, looking at them multiple times—much like flipping through a magazine—so that the formulas and concepts would come to mind naturally.
Step 3 involved organizing “problems I didn’t know at all.” Whenever I had free time, I would solve one problem at a time, analyzing why I hadn’t known the answer and striving to understand it. At first, I struggled, but gradually I was able to solve many of them, gaining a sense of accomplishment in the process.
Through this habit of categorizing problems and reviewing them repeatedly, I developed an attitude of never simply skipping over problems I didn’t understand. By meticulously analyzing the root causes and persisting in my attempts, I gained the confidence that I could find a solution on my own, no matter what new problem I encountered.

Major School Activities and Reflections

Although I had my sights set on a science track from the beginning of high school, I also believed that developing my writing skills was important. Following my homeroom teacher’s advice, I joined a writing club, where I began learning how to express scientific thinking through writing.
The club had many students with a humanities background, and the atmosphere emphasized sensitivity and expressiveness. The core of our activities was “writing one piece per week that others could understand,” and I struggled with how to explain rational and theoretical content in an accessible way for that assignment.
At first, I tried to write about subjective emotions or everyday topics like my friends did, but the stories in my head were mostly about scientific theories or the lives and achievements of scientists. Eventually, I decided to write about scientific topics I knew well and was interested in, and to that end, I studied them more deeply and practiced organizing my knowledge systematically.
Through club activities, I practiced explaining complex concepts in simple terms to friends who weren’t science majors, which greatly improved my expressiveness and communication skills. I also learned that to write well, I needed to understand the content accurately, which led me to delve deeper into my major’s subject matter.
In particular, reading extensively and expressing what I read through writing, drawing, or drama was a great help in defining my areas of interest. As I sought out and read books on science and economics, I came to realize that new fields of science and materials would gain attention beyond existing applied sciences; as a result, I chose Materials Science and Engineering as my major.

Examples of Consideration, Sharing, and Cooperation, and My Reflections

As an only child, I didn’t have many opportunities to practice sharing and consideration. When I was appointed class president at the end of my sophomore year, I was initially at a loss as to how to look after my classmates. However, I was able to learn a great deal from the vice president’s active support and example.
The vice-class president was someone who willingly shared what they had and always looked out for others first. During meetings, they would even bring me coffee, and if I was carrying something heavy, they would help me carry it. Watching them, I learned what it means to care for and be considerate of friends, and I resolved to act in the same way.
I started by sharing the little things. When I brought snacks from home, I made sure to bring enough for everyone to share; if I bought a dozen pencils, I’d share them with the friend next to me; and if a friend didn’t have an eraser, I’d break mine in half to give them one. I experienced firsthand how these small acts, when combined, transformed the atmosphere of the entire class.
Surprisingly, sharing did not create “two” but rather brought “everyone” together. The small, consistent acts of consideration I showed were returned as warmth, and my classmates came to trust and follow me. I no longer felt overwhelmed by my role as class president, and through this experience, I deeply realized the importance of sharing and consideration.

Efforts and Preparation Related to Motivation for Application and Career Plans

As an example that aligns with one of UNIST’s ideal student profiles, I can cite my experience of overcoming cultural differences and fostering inclusivity within my school. Through my relationship with a Japanese classmate who transferred into my class, I put the values of communication and inclusivity into practice.
At first, my classmate kept her guard up and kept her distance, and the atmosphere in the class made it difficult for other students to approach her. I decided to take the initiative and reach out to her carefully, never forgetting that she was a member of our class. I built a foundation of knowledge about Japanese culture by reading books on the subject and watching dramas popular among high school students, and I continued small gestures such as greeting her every day and asking if she needed help with homework or anything else.
The student, who had initially kept their distance, gradually opened up to me, and we became close enough that they invited me to their home to share about their family situation and their innermost thoughts. Once I took the initiative to open the door to our relationship, other students naturally began to show interest and reach out as well, and that student eventually became a fully integrated member of the class.
Through this experience, I learned that even in the face of cultural differences or prejudice, trust can be built through perseverance and consideration. I also came to realize that collaboration with people from diverse backgrounds enriches the community, and I believe this attitude will be a valuable asset as I prepare for my academic and career paths in the future.