In this blog post, I’ll focus on the efforts I put into my studies during high school, the key school activities I participated in, and the insights I gained from practicing compassion and generosity.
Academic Experiences and Reflections
I generally have good concentration, which allowed me to cover a lot of material in a short amount of time. I believed that by effectively leveraging this strength in both my studies and school activities, I could maintain my grades while still participating in the activities I wanted to pursue, so I devised my own “Concentration Utilization Project.”
The core of the project was linking long-term goals to detailed plans. After setting broad three-year goals, I broke them down into annual → monthly → weekly goals. I also predetermined my daily study time and planned to complete necessary assignments within that timeframe. Additionally, I identified the times of day when my concentration was strongest and when it waned, allowing me to adjust my schedule flexibly based on changes in my physical condition.
I paid just as much attention to activities designed to maintain and enhance my concentration as I did to planning my study time. Since my physical and mental condition greatly affects my concentration, I practiced sustained focus through reading and managed my mental and physical well-being through yoga and meditation. By maintaining this routine, I consistently met my study goals and was able to maintain stable grades.
As a result, my deliberate focus management helped me improve my academic performance, and during my free time, I was able to actively participate in school activities and demonstrate my capabilities. This experience went beyond simply being a method for achieving good grades; it served as an opportunity to develop self-management skills. Even after graduation, I intend to continue striving to manage my focus effectively to become a highly promising individual with strong potential for growth.
Description of Major School Activities and Reflections
The most meaningful school activity I participated in during high school was my role as vice-class president. I was recommended for the position based on the trust of my peers, and at first, I didn’t feel much pressure because I thought the vice-class president didn’t have any special authority. However, in practice, I had to perform various tasks alongside the class president, such as summarizing meeting minutes and organizing the classroom environment.
Among these, the most challenging task was maintaining quiet in the classroom during self-study periods. Although the vice-class president was primarily responsible for stopping noise, it wasn’t easy to enforce authority since most of the students were my friends. When I tried to intervene passively, I would get reprimanded by our homeroom teacher, and sometimes arguments would escalate into fights. Experiencing these conflicts led me to ponder how I could effectively improve the classroom atmosphere.
Deciding that dialogue and mutual agreement would be more effective than a coercive approach, I called a class meeting. I honestly explained that I didn’t want to simply scold students who were talking or report them to the teacher, and I proposed that we all work together to ensure that students focused on their studies weren’t disrupted. During the meeting, the class suggested creating a rule where we would first issue a warning and then collect a small fine if the rule was repeatedly broken.
After the meeting, the classroom atmosphere improved noticeably. Once the rules were established, most students voluntarily remained quiet, and even when rules were broken, the issue was resolved relatively calmly through the fine procedure, allowing the problem to be settled without major conflict. Through this experience, I learned that dialogue and consensus among members are crucial when resolving problems in a group setting, and that it is necessary to establish and uphold rules based on mutual trust.
Writing About Examples of Consideration, Sharing, and Cooperation, and My Reflections
As part of my student council activities, I have actively participated in regular bazaars and volunteer work to distribute coal briquettes. The school has consistently held a month-long bazaar where students sell donated items or things they’ve made themselves, and uses the proceeds to purchase coal briquettes that are then delivered directly to families in need.
I feel that the process of collecting and selling items my friends no longer used while preparing for the bazaar was more than just a way to generate revenue; it was a time to put the spirit of sharing into practice. By selling items I had personally used that were still in good condition and donating all the proceeds, I truly experienced how even “small items” can help society. Transparently organizing the sales revenue and managing the expenditure records fostered a sense of responsibility in me as the treasurer.
On the day we purchased and delivered the coal briquettes, my student council colleagues and I carried and delivered the heavy briquettes. Although it was physically demanding, I felt a great sense of fulfillment. It went beyond the simple pride of “having volunteered”; I was able to see firsthand how my small effort actually brought warmth to someone’s life. I also deeply realized that the bazaar and coal briquette distribution should not be one-time events but should continue consistently, and that such activities cannot run smoothly without cooperation.
Through these experiences, I learned the tangible value and sense of responsibility that sharing and cooperation bring, and I intend to maintain an attitude of participating in volunteer and community activities in a sustainable manner moving forward.
