In this blog post, we explore how to authentically convey your motivation for pursuing urban planning and your preparation process in your personal statement.

Writing about academic experiences and reflections

While majoring in Architectural Interior Design at Technical High School, I established a clear career path in ‘Urban Architecture and Planning’ and dedicated myself to my studies. My older brother’s influence was significant in this choice. After graduating from the same department as me, he majored in urban planning at university and now works in architectural design. Watching him study and experience university life up close, I naturally developed the dream of majoring in urban planning and growing into an architectural design expert like him. To achieve this goal, I diligently completed the diverse curriculum offered by the Architectural Interior Design Department, building a solid foundation encompassing both theory and practice.
In my first year, I began my studies focusing on drafting courses, the most fundamental aspect of architecture. Initially, I envisioned drafting practice centered around houses or typical family homes, but I soon learned that the field of interior design encompasses a much broader and more diverse range of spaces. Learning that offices, public facilities, and commercial spaces are also crucial areas of interior architecture led me to contemplate how to design more efficiently and comfortably according to each space’s function and purpose. Especially through basic drafting practice, I gained a perspective on viewing spaces more practically by encountering structural design that considered the function of each construction section. From my second year onward, specialized drafting and interior construction courses enabled me to understand more detailed design elements and even the structure of actual facilities. This foundation allowed me to undertake more concrete and sophisticated design work.
In my second year, I deepened my understanding of the material learned in my first year, focusing on architectural structures and specialized drafting courses. This laid the groundwork for me to formally challenge myself in architectural model making. Particularly in architectural model workshops, I gained experience creating physical models that closely resembled real interiors by scaling down and constructing with actual interior materials. Beyond classroom theory, I subscribed to various interior design magazines, striving to design spaces that balanced trends and practicality. To enrich my practical assignments, I explored diverse case studies and attempted creative approaches. By my third year, I progressed beyond simple exterior design in model-making to consider sculptural form and structural stability, gaining the ability to execute assignments at a level comparable to actual architecture. Finally, in my fourth year, I learned to design drawings using CAD and graphic programs that could be directly applied to real construction sites, synthesizing all my accumulated learning and practice. When I experienced the actual construction process by building wooden models based on completed drawings, my past efforts felt more tangible, and I felt a sense of accomplishment, knowing I was one step closer to my dream.
Thus, my four years of academic and practical experience in high school were invaluable, instilling confidence in my career path in architecture and urban planning beyond mere skill acquisition. This path, which began by following my brother’s footsteps, has now taken on its own goals and direction. Moving forward, I aim to grow into the architectural design expert I envision through deeper specialized study and practical experience. Steadily progressing toward this goal, I prepare step by step each day to become an architect who proposes and realizes better spaces for people.

Major Campus Activities and Reflections

“A Time of Growth Through Campus Competition Class Activities”
As a student in the Department of Architecture and Interior Design, I was seeking opportunities to develop practical skills beyond simple theoretical learning while taking major courses. During this time, our department launched a ‘Competition Class’ where students could deepen their learning in various fields of architectural design. I felt particularly drawn to design and CAD, so I joined the class focused on those areas. The competition preparation group is an activity where students preparing for skill competitions in design, CAD, and plastering come together to build their skills. It was an excellent opportunity to tackle much more advanced content than regular classes and develop practical experience.
Initially, through basic drafting and specialized drafting classes, I gained familiarity with design software while balancing theory and practice. Gradually, I realized that CAD work using computers was far more efficient than hand-drawn drafting. As they became more proficient with the software, their confidence grew during the process of designing interior spaces. Their CAD skills improved noticeably, enabling them to achieve good grades on class assignments. Thanks to these achievements, they won awards at the school’s skills competition. Subsequently, after going through a selection process, they formally began their activities in the competition team.
Training in the competition team went beyond simple learning; it was highly intensive and systematically organized, as the goal was to win the skills competition. Competing in the Chungbuk regional skills competition required long-term planning and practice to win the gold medal. Unlike the plastering category, the design field relies more on individual capability than teamwork, demanding thorough preparation since I had to compete solely on my own skills. The task difficulty was significantly higher than in school competitions, and the conditions to meet were more stringent, necessitating an even more meticulous approach. Moreover, our department’s seniors had consistently won awards at previous national competitions, so I felt a great sense of responsibility and pressure not to disappoint those expectations.
However, I realized that feeling overly burdened could actually lead to a slump, so I began to adjust my mindset. While winning was important, I decided to focus on the fundamental meaning of the process: verifying my own abilities. Having diligently built my skills from the ground up to become proficient in CAD, I also had confidence that my fundamental abilities weren’t lacking compared to others. When tackling complex tasks, I could obtain past exam questions or useful tips from seniors in the competition team. Whenever I encountered difficulties during practice, I sought advice from my subject teacher and worked through them. Although I performed most of the practice alone, this is why I could feel that I wasn’t alone but growing together with others.
Above all, the greatest gain from the competition class activities went beyond mere skill improvement; it was a shift in my attitude and mindset toward problem-solving. In regular classes, when I asked a question, the teacher would immediately provide the correct answer. In contrast, in the competition class, rather than giving me the answer right away, they would often ask me back questions like, “Why did that question occur to you?” or “How would you solve this on your own if the same situation arose during the competition?” This approach felt unfamiliar and challenging at first, but over time, it cultivated my ability to identify my own shortcomings and work towards resolving them. The advice gained during this process wasn’t just a simple ‘answer’; it provided a ‘direction of thought’ that I can continue to apply going forward, leaving a deep resonance within me.
The competition preparation class meant more to me than just a school activity. While I built skills and achieved external recognition like awards, what was more valuable was the confidence and independent problem-solving ability gained by overcoming limitations. I am certain this entire process will serve as a solid foundation for my future career path. Through this special experience, I grew significantly, and that growth shaped who I am today.

Experience in Care, Sharing, and Cooperation

“Creating the Daily Life English Bulletin Board”
During high school, as part of my school volunteer activities, I was assigned the role of managing the learning bulletin board on the school website. After volunteering, I was paired with another student to form a team, and together we operated the school’s learning bulletin board. While the board was organized by subject, student engagement was generally low at the time. Then, when our school was designated an English intensive education school, we were tasked with revitalizing the English learning board. Consequently, my friend and I began planning a dedicated ‘Daily Life English’ board.
The teacher in charge of volunteer activities instructed us to use the English bulletin board to naturally expose more students to everyday English. My friend and I pondered how we could get students to voluntarily use this board. We felt simply listing English sentences wouldn’t be enough to capture interest. To increase its practical value as a learning tool, we divided roles and devised a concrete plan to boost the board’s activity.
I took on the role of selecting and organizing English phrases and sentences for the board. To find expressions frequently used in daily life yet possessing educational value, I utilized TOEIC textbooks, specifically selecting practical expressions from the everyday conversation sentences appearing in the Listening Comprehension (LC) section. For example, I chose a sentence like “Whose dictionary is this?” as a post title. Clicking on it would reveal the sentence’s interpretation, key word explanations, and descriptions of common usage contexts, structured for easy learner comprehension.
Meanwhile, my friend took on the role of creating promotional materials to emphasize how this content goes beyond simple information delivery and actually aids practical English learning. Using the sentences I compiled as examples, we designed a poster highlighting how the ‘Daily Life English’ board enables TOEIC study, school exam preparation, and listening practice. We then requested the school website administrator to display this promotional material as a main pop-up window. As a result, we gradually saw more friends visiting our board, reading posts, and learning. Witnessing this process gave us great satisfaction, confirming that our work was genuinely helpful.
This activity went beyond simple board management; it was an experience of collaborating to create new content through shared deliberation. By proactively fulfilling our respective roles and working together based on mutual respect and consideration, we learned the true value of cooperation. We realized that sharing isn’t limited to physical things but also involves exchanging knowledge and ideas. I believe this experience will serve as an important benchmark in all my future endeavors and relationships with others.

Efforts and Preparation Related to Motivation and Career Plans

“The First Step Toward Becoming an Urban Planning Expert: A Career Path Begun with a Promise to My Brother”
My decision to major in architecture was greatly influenced by my older brother, who always supported me. He graduated from the same department at the high school I attended. Throughout my school years, he helped me with my studies and offered generous advice whenever I faced career dilemmas. Especially when I stood at a crossroads in choosing my path, he recommended the Urban Planning department he was studying in and proposed we become university students studying the same field together. I took that suggestion seriously and ultimately applied to the Urban Planning department at ○○ University. We even made a promise to establish a specialized company together in the future, working as brothers in the architecture and urban design field.
To keep that promise, I dedicated myself to my studies from high school onward. Watching my brother diligently pursue his major while still enjoying college life only intensified my own desire to enter university as soon as possible and walk the same path. I focused particularly on architectural drafting, design, and CAD programs, and actively participated in practical courses like construction and model making. Among these practical courses, design felt like the core of architecture, allowing me to immerse myself even more. My efforts were recognized, and I was selected for the school’s competition team, gaining the opportunity to prepare for external competitions. After preparing for a technical task over a long period, I achieved the result of winning an award at a national competition.
While immersing myself in my major field, it’s easy to neglect general academic subjects. However, I consistently worked hard on my overall studies to achieve balanced growth for college admissions. I made a special effort not to neglect math and English, subjects crucial for an architecture major. For math, I systematically studied from concepts to applications to build my skills. For English, I focused on developing practical language skills while simultaneously preparing for the TOEIC. As a result of these efforts, I achieved the academic grades and college entrance exam scores necessary to confidently apply to my target university.
If I am accepted into the Urban Planning Department at ○○ University, I aim to build professional expertise encompassing not only urban planning and design but also diverse fields like housing and transportation. Building upon the drafting and design skills I developed throughout high school and the experience gained from national competitions, I intend to actively learn, research, and broaden my expertise during my undergraduate studies. Ultimately, as promised to my brother, I will grow into a professional who contributes to society by operating a company specializing in urban planning and design.