In this blog post, I’ll present a sample personal statement to be submitted to the Department of Korean Language Education at Kongju National University’s College of Education, organized into sections covering academic efforts, campus activities, examples of consideration and cooperation, and career goals and academic plans.

Academic Efforts and Learning Experiences During High School

I am not particularly bright. I never understand something after hearing it just once; I need to hear it twice to grasp it. I also don’t tend to be able to apply concepts immediately. I can solve difficult problems only through hard work, and without that effort, I can barely manage basic problems. I am the type of student who never skips over even a single unit. If I hadn’t had a dedication to diligence and a passion for learning, I believe I would have been a student performing below average. That’s why I take pride not in my grades, but in my effort.
First of all, I worked tirelessly to maintain diligence while studying. At the beginning of the semester, when we had to solve the same problems, I struggled while my classmates had already finished—that experience became a trauma for me, and to overcome it, I thoroughly prepared in advance and reviewed afterward. If I looked at my schedule and saw that I had a total of seven classes the next day, I would prep for every single one without fail. To make time for this, I always woke up early in the morning. When I went to bed late, getting up at dawn was really tough, but I fought against that difficulty every day and overcame it. I was just as diligent about reviewing. During evening self-study hours, rather than tackling other subjects or solving new problems, I focused on reviewing what I had learned that day and reworking problems I had already solved. When I got home, I would wrap up the day by taking a full practice exam before going to sleep. By making these efforts a daily habit without fail, I strove to keep my promise to myself and refused to give in to the urge to take it easy.
Through this process, I realized that diligence can become a hobby. At first, studying every day was difficult, and I felt skeptical, wondering how long I would have to keep this up. However, as I continued studying daily and saw the progress I was making, I felt a sense of pride.

Extracurricular activities I participated in with purpose during high school (up to 3)

The moment I fell in love with literature: “Book Reading Day.” Before this activity, literature was nothing more than a chore I had to get through. It was a subject I had to organize and memorize for language mock exams, and literature was known for its difficult-to-understand questions. But one day, I met a wonderful homeroom teacher who organized an activity called “Time with Myself,” where we turned off all our smartphones and sat with a book in the mountains. This activity was chosen by our class as an alternative to a field trip; we went to a hermitage in the mountains, turned off all electronic devices, and spent time meditating while reading a single book we’d brought with us. At first, I went not because I was interested in the activity, but simply thinking I might be able to get a lot of sleep. Around that time, I was stressed because my grades weren’t improving despite studying diligently, so I wanted to take a day off to rest and recharge.
However, the book I encountered there inspired and moved me deeply. The book I had brought was Tolstoy’s ‘What Men Live By’. To be honest, I’d bought it because people said Tolstoy’s writing was good, and I picked it up thinking it would help me fall asleep. Tolstoy’s collection of short stories was full of wise words and moving tales about all kinds of people. In particular, I’ll never forget the profound emotion I felt when the angel descended from heaven and then flew back up to the heavens after finally finding the treasure. As I read the book, the worries I’d been carrying around began to seem ridiculous. I realized that people don’t live for grades or money, but by loving and caring for one another—and that we become unhappy when we forget this. Thanks to this book, I overcame my slump, let go of my obsession with grades, and made an effort to look out for those around me while studying and growing together.

With my mind at ease, I was able to return to my studies with renewed focus. I had always merely memorized that the positive function of literature is “emotional catharsis,” but for the first time, I was able to truly feel it in my heart. From that moment on, I began to read books properly.
The Turning Point That Made Me Love Language: The Beautiful Korean Language Festival—The reason I came to love language was because I organized the Beautiful Korean Language Festival. As the festival approached, each class was tasked with planning an event that fit the designated theme. True to my Korean language teacher’s class, I planned activities to promote the fun aspects of Hangul and the beauty of pure Korean words, out of my love for the language. I hosted a quiz contest and prepared various puzzles that my friends and I enjoyed together. While preparing, I realized anew just how beautiful and scientific Hangul is, and I felt the importance of preserving and using those beautiful words. That’s why I began striving to become someone who uses language correctly.

Examples of Practicing Consideration, Sharing, Cooperation, and Conflict Management During School Life

Serving as the Flowers and Trees Coordinator: The school culture itself is one that values flowers and trees. In particular, during my first year, my homeroom teacher loved flowers, so our class’s personal mission was for each student to bring in and care for one flower. Since I love flowers and plants, I volunteered to take on the role of plant caretaker. It was fun because I started it as a hobby, but there were times when it was difficult because I didn’t know much about plants and found it hard to maintain my interest consistently.
There were times when the plants would wilt because I was so focused on my studies. Strangely enough, it seemed like the plants would start to wilt the moment they sensed that my attention had waned. So, to keep them from wilting, I had to water them regularly and give them my full attention. Also, since the watering schedule varied by date, it was my job to mark the watering days on the calendar at the beginning of each month. The amount of water and sunlight each plant needed differed, so after a lot of trial and error, I was able to create the right environment and watering routine for them.
While caring for the flowering plants, I realized that if taking care of something this small was so difficult, how much harder it must be for parents raising children. That’s why my parents seemed so amazing to me, and I felt both grateful and sorry for them. From that point on, I made an effort to change my lifestyle to be more proactive. I aimed to wake up before my parents woke me up in the morning, to try to do something for them before complaining, and to be someone who helps them when they’re struggling, rather than pretending not to notice.

Motivation for Application Focused on Career Goals and Academic Plans After College Admission

My career goals are to become a Korean language teacher and a researcher in Korean language studies. I have two ultimate goals: to become a Korean language teacher, and, once I am a teacher, to pursue graduate studies and become a researcher specializing in Korean language education. I decided to become a Korean language teacher because, inspired by the teacher who introduced me to literature, I wanted to share the beauty of literature with my peers who are unfamiliar with it and unaware of the value of language, and help them gain a new perspective on life. The reason I want to become a researcher in the Korean language is that I feel a deep thirst for change in today’s education system. Current education often seems too focused on identifying topics and providing cookie-cutter answers. I believe that while such an approach may influence children’s knowledge, it fails to foster their personal growth. Therefore, I dream of becoming a teacher while simultaneously pursuing graduate studies to explore and research alternative educational methods. I aspire to be someone who provides children with a better, more interesting, and more enjoyable education.
I intend to learn both diligent study and a research-oriented mindset: My academic plan is to focus on two key areas. The first is “knowledge.” By studying diligently, I want to properly learn about education and the Korean language from professors renowned for their deep traditions and profound expertise. In this way, I will become a teacher who can hold my head high in front of my students. The second is learning the “right mindset.” By observing professors and teachers, I want to learn how to study effectively and cultivate the mindset a researcher should possess. So far, I have only engaged in independent study. Since I hope to pursue graduate school, studying solely to pass the teacher certification exam is not enough. I will continue to strive to acquire both knowledge and the right mindset, looking beyond the immediate to the long-term. I hope to spend my college years actively participating in various presentations and activities related to my coursework and engaging in lively communication with my professors.