This blog post explores how to authentically articulate your motivation for pursuing accounting, grounded in your interest in numbers and sense of responsibility.

Writing About Academic Experience and Reflections

Studying Korean Using Social Studies Subjects
During high school, Korean language was always a struggle for me. I had a solid foundation in English and math, so my grades were good in those subjects. Social studies was a subject I enjoyed, so I consistently scored high marks. However, Korean language always held me back. I simply didn’t find Korean particularly interesting, so I struggled to concentrate while studying it. Consequently, my grades didn’t reflect my efforts. I spent a lot of time wondering how I could develop an interest in Korean and study it effectively. Then I decided to try studying using my favorite subject, social studies. Given the nature of Korean language, literary works often relate to historical and social contexts, and even non-literary texts frequently contain background knowledge connected to social studies. I thought I could link them together.
I started by studying literary works. Previously, when studying literature, I had only focused on the content itself, just reading the text. But I changed my approach, first examining the era and historical background in which the author lived. For example, when studying the Goryeo folk song ‘Cheongsanbyeolgeok’, I first understood the historical context that there were many wandering peasants during the period when this work was composed, before delving into the work itself. Reading the work afterwards, I could connect it to the circumstances of the time, leading to a better understanding and improved concentration.
Meanwhile, when studying non-literary works, I read texts related to social studies subjects—such as articles about cultural heritage or introducing economic concepts—to study the structure of writing and how arguments are developed. Previously, studying the theoretical aspects of non-literature was extremely difficult. However, studying through texts covering topics I was already interested in helped me concentrate better and made the process much easier. By studying Korean language in connection with social studies subjects like this, I realized that even other subjects aren’t entirely separate bodies of knowledge but are organically linked. Studying from this perspective made learning enjoyable.

Writing about major school activities and reflections

Increasing club membership through small actions
I was active in the Catholic club during high school. My school was a general liberal arts high school, making it difficult to engage in particularly religious activities. So, I joined the Catholic club and started participating from my first year. Once I actually started activities, I was troubled by the club’s very low membership. Of course, the students I worked with in the club were really nice, and I enjoyed reading the Bible together or holding small masses. However, with too few members, we couldn’t receive the club support funds provided by the school. It was also hard to get recognized as an official club, so we couldn’t hold club activities during CA time.
When I became club president in my second year, I felt a sense of responsibility to increase membership and get official recognition. From then on, I started thinking about how to grow the club. At first, I tried simple methods like going around to classes to promote the club or making flyers to post on bulletin boards. However, membership didn’t increase much. So I pondered why the club’s membership wasn’t growing. The conclusion was that we lacked distinctiveness compared to other clubs. Even though it was a religious club, we were only promoting it as a Catholic club without showcasing the unique character befitting a religious club. This meant there wasn’t much to make it appealing compared to other clubs. So I thought about how to lead the club in a way that truly reflected its religious nature.
After much thought, I concluded that a religious club should emphasize moral values more than other clubs and engage in exemplary activities. I also believed it should undertake activities embodying the spirit of charity. So, I started by initiating activities that could serve as a model. First, we conducted environmental cleanup activities during lunch breaks, picking up trash around the school grounds, including the playground and auditorium. Initially, many club members found it bothersome. We also heard accusations from other students that we were just pretending to be good. However, as we persisted with our activities, we gradually began to earn recognition among other students for our sincere efforts. Additionally, to help students with concerns, we arranged weekly sessions where we invited a priest from a nearby church to provide counseling. The priest’s genuine care and advice proved to be a great source of strength; the number of students visiting steadily increased, and the response was very positive.
I consistently carried out these two activities. As a result, I was able to instill in students the perception that the Catholic club was different, and consequently, the club’s membership grew significantly, leading to its official recognition. Of course, being officially recognized as a club was the happiest outcome. But even more than that, I was delighted that through these small acts of practice, the perception of the Catholic club among students had greatly improved. It was also an experience where I learned that activities that can serve as examples for others, activities that practice charity, are truly important in religion, and that living a life putting such activities into practice is truly blessed and fills me with fulfillment.

Examples of Consideration, Sharing, and Cooperation and My Reflections

Enjoying Physical Education Activities by Mutually Accommodating Each Other
I chose the liberal arts track in my second year. At that time, our school had relatively few liberal arts classes, and the number of students per class was also small. Because the class size was small, there were some issues, and one of them was during physical education class. During PE, there were various students: some wanted to play soccer, some wanted to play basketball, and some wanted to play foot volleyball. However, there were often not enough students who wanted to play soccer, so we couldn’t play soccer properly. Unlike basketball or foot volleyball, which can be enjoyed with fewer players, soccer requires a certain number to be truly enjoyable. Consequently, students who wanted to play soccer often urged others to join them. When others still refused, their attitude gradually became pushy, and arguments sometimes broke out.
I believed that during PE class, when classmates should be enjoying themselves together, arguments shouldn’t happen. Honestly, it was a problem that could have been easily solved with just a little give and take. Every PE class, I suggested that instead of everyone just doing what they wanted, we should take turns doing what everyone wanted to do together. For example, one time, students who wanted to play basketball and foot volleyball could play soccer together, and then the next time, the students who wanted to play soccer could play basketball together. Truthfully, there weren’t enough students who wanted to play basketball, so we could only enjoy games like two-on-two or three-on-three. But when the students who wanted to play soccer joined in, we could fully utilize the entire court and actually play proper basketball.
Simply by making small concessions to each other, the problem was easily resolved. I learned that conflicts can be surprisingly easily resolved with just a little give and take. Sometimes, harmonizing with others can be more enjoyable than just doing what you want.

Efforts and Preparation Related to Motivation and Career Plans

Preparing for a public service position in accounting as an accounting major
During high school club activities, I found it rewarding to guide the organization toward smooth operation. While leading the club as president was enjoyable, I particularly loved managing the club’s operating budget, planning, and budgeting. This experience made me want to contribute to organizational operations by managing budgets in other settings. Therefore, I applied to the accounting department to build on my budget management experience and acquire professional knowledge.
What I want to learn while majoring in accounting is professional accounting skills. I aim to become proficient in accounting information systems and related software programs, and through this, obtain my CPA certification to prepare for the future. While accounting theory is important, I will prioritize gaining extensive practical experience to ensure I am fully prepared for my future career. Theoretically, I will diligently study related subjects like accounting and business administration, and I will not neglect fundamental studies in Korean, mathematics, and English. Consequently, my career plan is to prepare for the civil service exam to become a public servant in the accounting field.
My desire to become a civil servant stems from my personality. As a Catholic, I believe the happiest life is one lived in mutual love and consideration with others. Consequently, I naturally prioritize consideration over competition and contentment with given tasks over greed, embodying diligence. In a way, I feel fields like business administration or accounting, which pursue competition, may not suit me. However, from another perspective, accounting is a field that greatly demands diligence and consideration. Handling accounting duties at a public institution like the National Tax Service would require meticulous attention to detail without error. Moreover, to collaborate organically with other departments, a spirit of mutual consideration must come first. Contributing to national affairs through such efforts would be deeply rewarding.