In this blog post, I will summarize my academic efforts during high school, meaningful campus activities, and examples of consideration and cooperation in preparation for my application to the Department of Safety Engineering at Korea University of Transportation.
Academic Efforts and Learning Experiences
If someone were to ask me what book left the deepest impression on me during high school, I would mention various science magazines. I frequently read science-related journals such as the English-language magazines ‘Nature’ and ‘Science’, as well as the Korean publication ‘Dong-A Science’. My exposure to these magazines and related articles began when I joined the science magazine club. At first, I started reading them with my club members as part of our NIE (Newspaper in Education) program, but it later evolved into a personal hobby. While the club primarily used domestic magazines as study materials, I personally subscribed to and read English-language magazines.
The English-language magazines arrived at my home every month, and I was always excited whenever a new issue came in. The reason I subscribed to English-language magazines was that I was drawn to the ability to access the latest scientific theories and research papers directly; trying to understand the content naturally led me to study English at the same time, providing a two-for-one benefit. Although I was confident in my English reading comprehension and consistently maintained a Grade 1 on the College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT), when I first picked up ‘Nature’, I found many unfamiliar words right from the cover. Whenever technical terms appeared, I had to keep an English dictionary by my side to look them up.
At first, it sometimes took me two days just to interpret a single article and grasp its main points. However, as that time gradually decreased, my vocabulary grew, and I began to notice American-style phrasing and idioms in particular. While knowing a large vocabulary is important for interpreting English articles, understanding commonly used phrases and idioms allowed me to grasp the general meaning. As my familiarity with idioms and my ability to parse sentence structures improved, my speed in understanding the English passages on the College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT) also increased; in particular, for science-related passages, I could grasp the main idea just by skimming the first and last sentences. By becoming more familiar with science magazines in this way, I expanded my knowledge of chemistry and physics while also improving my English reading speed.
School Activities: From Reading Science Magazines to Launching Our Own
The science magazine club I was part of didn’t stop at simply reading magazines; it evolved into discussions and article writing. Originally, our activities were limited to reading and sharing our impressions, but our grade decided to take things further. Feeling that club time was too valuable to waste, we agreed to do our prep work beforehand and resolved to launch our very own magazine during club hours.
Our early activities centered on reading articles and discussing them. I was very interested in space, planets, and the matter that makes up the universe, so I mainly researched and studied related articles. Other students shared similar interests, leading to lively discussions. We explored questions such as whether galaxies outside our own and the planets within them could have environments similar to Earth’s, and what the likelihood of extraterrestrial life might be. During discussions, we didn’t just make claims blindly; instead, we found research results and statistical data to present as evidence.
As we gathered materials for our discussions, our individual thoughts and arguments naturally took shape, and our activities expanded beyond simple discussions to include essay writing. For example, if we discussed the topic “Dark energy, which makes up 98% of the universe” one week, we would write an essay on the same subject the following week. In their essays, students detailed their own speculations about the nature of dark energy and the evidence supporting them. After writing, they presented their essays and shared feedback on each other’s work.
After six months, we had accumulated a collection of essays on various topics. Rather than letting them gather dust, I proposed compiling them into our very own magazine. The club members agreed, and we shifted our focus from our regular activities to launching the magazine. We compiled articles on a single theme, chose a subtitle, and named the magazine “Solomon.” We used design software to edit the content, insert images, and create a file to send to the printer, eventually publishing our first issue. The magazine was distributed not only to club members but also to various classes and the faculty office throughout the school; as we received feedback from readers, we gradually improved it.
Example of Consideration and Cooperation: Response to a School Trip Bus Accident
As class president, I was always mindful of various safety hazards that could occur in the classroom. I believed that accidents don’t only happen due to unexpected situations or natural disasters but can also result from everyday carelessness. In a classroom with many male students, there were instances of broken windows or damaged desks, and female students sometimes burned their hands with hot water, so I reminded everyone daily to stay vigilant about safety.
Nevertheless, our class experienced a major accident during the field trip. While traveling by bus for over three hours, we were involved in a collision; the distance to the vehicle in front suddenly closed, leaving no time to react. Although I had repeatedly urged them to fasten their seatbelts to prevent accidents, two students were not wearing theirs. Since the accident occurred while most students were asleep, many suffered bruises, and the students who weren’t wearing seatbelts hit their heads on the ceiling and sustained serious injuries.
I was sitting in the front seat with my seatbelt fastened, so I wasn’t seriously injured, and as soon as I heard about the injuries, I immediately checked on my classmates. The students who were less seriously injured borrowed a cell phone to call 119, and before the ambulance arrived, I helped stop the bleeding and administer basic first aid. When the injured students were transported to the hospital, I accompanied them along with a few other students to help care for them. Fortunately, surgery wasn’t necessary, and they were able to recover through medication and outpatient treatment. The friends who helped me during this process also received treatment for their bruises.
I was deeply moved to see my friends looking out for one another even in the midst of such a sudden accident, and I learned that quick action and cooperation from those around you are paramount in a traffic accident. This experience heightened my awareness of safety and became my motivation to study safety engineering.
