In this blog post, I’ll summarize the academic efforts I made during high school, my participation in school activities, and my experiences with empathy and collaboration.

Academic Experiences and Reflections

I enjoyed reading and writing, and I especially wanted to excel in language and foreign language classes. However, my scores on mock exams consistently remained at Grade 2. Since I didn’t feel that the difficulty of the questions or a lack of time were the causes, I created a notebook to analyze my wrong answers in order to identify the root cause. Through this process, I realized that I had a habit of repeatedly getting the same types of questions wrong.
To address this issue, I decided to study the Korean language and foreign language subjects in conjunction with one another. The reason I organized the theory and grammar for both subjects in a single notebook was based on the idea that both subjects share the common principle of “language.” First, I structured my notes around English-related knowledge, meticulously mastering the related sentence structures and grammatical systems, and then added Korean grammar for comparison.
Specifically, using English sentences as a reference, I identified parts of speech—subject, verb, and object—and compared them with Korean sentences that conveyed the same meaning. For example, I examined the differences in part-of-speech placement and sentence structure between the English phrase “I LOVE YOU” and the Korean phrase “나는 너를 사랑한다.” This comparative approach prevented my knowledge of each language’s grammar from feeling disconnected; instead, it helped me see the connections between them, making it easier to understand.
After completing this integrated notebook, I developed a solid framework for grammar, and I gained confidence when solving grammar problems. As I became more familiar with distinguishing parts of speech and analyzing sentence structure, I had no major difficulties solving problems, and this helped improve my grades.
The most important lesson I learned from this experience was the power of “seeing the connections.” By linking and organizing knowledge that had previously been isolated, I found it easier to understand and remember concepts, and I was able to reduce recurring mistakes. Additionally, developing a learning attitude where I analyzed causes and devised solutions on my own proved to be a great help in my subsequent studies.
One of the books I read in the study room of the current affairs debate club was ‘Essay Writing Hidden in the Bookshelf’. I frequently referred to it to find supporting evidence for debate topics, and its perspective was particularly helpful when addressing “content replication and copyright issues.” I was deeply impressed by the view that, in the digital age, the value of creative works can increase as they are shared, and it made me reflect on the conflict between community ethics and creativity surrounding copyright.
A collection of Van Gogh’s letters also resonated deeply with me. When I felt exhausted by college entrance exams and my studies, reading about the passion Van Gogh poured into his work and his love for his craft brought me great comfort. The sincerity and perseverance I sensed in his letters helped me refocus my mind as a student striving toward my goals, and reminded me to be grateful for those who supported me along the way.
Through a book on the origins of language, I gained a deep understanding of the essence of communication. Observing the history of how communication media have evolved—from oral speech to writing, and then through computers and the internet to video calls—I came to appreciate our current communication environment. This book helped me develop the ability to read texts accurately and grasp their core meaning, and it cultivated my attitude toward learning and my ability to express myself.

Major School Activities and Reflections

Since my freshman year of high school, I have consistently read newspapers and watched the news, taking an interest in current affairs and issues. When reading the newspaper, I would start with the day’s main stories and special features, then move on to the feature articles and the politics and society sections in order, and finish with the opinion columns. This approach was an application of the methods I learned in my school’s NIE (Newspaper in Education) class.
The school’s NIE club naturally evolved into a current affairs debate club, and I joined after passing an entrance test and interview. During my freshman year, I mainly participated in current affairs debates and writing columns. While I was accustomed to presenting arguments for and against a topic in debates, writing was not easy at first. In particular, while I could organize arguments for the opposing side on topics like “the ethics of animal testing,” I struggled to develop my own unique arguments and add depth to my writing.
By my sophomore year, the scope of the club’s activities had expanded, and we actively conducted external campaigns. I ran a campaign booth at a subway station on the topic of the dangers of endocrine disruptors, creating signs and stickers to draw the public’s attention. I collected citizens’ responses through surveys to gather diverse opinions, and based on those opinions, I identified new topics for discussion.
As the club’s activities expanded, I also gained experience producing newsletters and writing articles. I once turned a debate I watched on “The Final Debate” into a feature article on the pros and cons of surrogacy, and I also wrote a feature article compiling photos and survey results from the endocrine disruptors campaign. Through the process of reporting and writing articles, I learned how to go beyond simply conveying facts to incorporate my own perspective and arguments.
Through these activities, I realized that a journalist’s greatest reward lies in gathering information and conducting interviews, then writing pieces that resonate with readers and prompt them to ask questions. Furthermore, I came to see the great significance of club activities in that they allow me to exercise a small but meaningful influence by speaking out on community issues and helping to change people’s perceptions.

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

While participating in the current affairs debate club, I joined as a founding member of the newsletter in my sophomore year of high school and remained actively involved in writing and publishing articles through my senior year. Finding new story ideas every month was more difficult than I had anticipated, and I had to closely examine activities both inside and outside the school to uncover relevant topics.
On one occasion, we published a newsletter under the theme “Saving the Environment: Let’s Start Close to Home.” As editor-in-chief at the time, I planned the special feature and the feature article. For the special feature, we decided to cover the current state of recycling and the issue of food waste from school meals, while the feature article focused on the environmental club’s campaign to revitalize the school flower beds. Knowing that a close friend of mine, who was the president of the environmental club, was preparing the event, I took charge of the reporting myself.
My junior and I divided the reporting duties between us. I was in charge of interviewing the event host and summarizing the overall flow, while my juniors took photos and shared their experiences of tending the flower beds themselves. I made an effort to convey what I had seen, heard, and experienced firsthand in a vivid and engaging way, rather than simply writing a summary of the schedule and proceedings.
As a result, we were able to provide lively articles that captured readers’ interest, and we received feedback from the environmental club that the coverage was helpful for both documentation and promotion. Through this process, I learned firsthand that division of labor and cooperation enhance the quality of creative work, and I felt the joy of working together to complete a project while trusting each other’s roles.
There were also times when conflicts arose during the reporting and editing process due to differences of opinion or scheduling issues. Whenever that happened, I maintained an attitude of listening to each other’s perspectives and working together to find feasible solutions. In particular, I made an effort to break down the work into smaller tasks and clearly communicate responsibilities and the sense of fulfillment to ensure that my juniors did not feel overwhelmed; as a result, our teamwork grew even stronger.
This experience meant more than just producing a single good article. Through the process of planning, dividing tasks, and creating content together, I learned firsthand how consideration, sharing, and cooperation are actually put into practice, and I learned how to find solutions through dialogue even in situations of conflict.