This blog post explores how to structure your personal motivation and experiences into a compelling academic plan while preparing for a Food Biotechnology major, introducing key writing strategies that lead to acceptance.

Writing About Academic Experiences and Reflections

“Thoroughly review mistakes to avoid repeating them”
Until my first year of high school, I didn’t really grasp the concept of reviewing mistakes. Why review them? I thought, “If I solve the wrong problems again, I can figure them out and understand them.” But right after finishing my first year and entering my second year, when the pace slowed down and I had to face a flood of theories and practical applications, I finally realized why reviewing mistakes was necessary. First, high school internal assessments and mock exams weren’t problems you could solve just by knowing something; they were problems you could only solve by understanding the pattern. Also, unlike middle school, where exams covered specific pages, high school problems required broader thinking. Many problems demanded utilizing all the diverse theories learned up to that point. Facing these problems and taking the exams, I finally understood why reviewing wrong answers was necessary.
That’s when I started thoroughly reviewing my wrong answers. I worked especially hard on reviewing my mistakes in math and biology. This gave me time to revisit the types of problems I got wrong and think about them again. Reflecting on these question types allowed me to understand why I got them wrong and identify my actual weaknesses. Another significant benefit of reviewing wrong answers was that it helped me pinpoint my weakest subject areas. Especially when I compiled enough wrong answers to fill a whole notebook, reviewing that notebook in detail revealed specific sections or types of problems I consistently struggled with. Realizing this allowed me to identify and study my weak areas. As a result, exams stopped being stressful and instead became opportunities to truly assess my abilities. I began to enjoy taking tests and found them interesting. Gradually, studying itself became more enjoyable, and I could work hard regardless of the outcome.

Writing about major school activities and reflections

“Through my activities in the Korean Cuisine Club, I learned the beauty of food.”
Our school provides substantial support for clubs. Especially for the Korean Cuisine Club, alumni seniors often come to give lectures and even provide ingredients directly. Honestly, that’s why I joined the club in the first place. Being a big foodie, I thought, “If I join this club, I won’t go hungry,” and that simple thought led me to join. However, the real fun I found in the club wasn’t just eating, but the joy of making food.
Being born male in South Korea, it’s not common for guys to get in the kitchen and cook. My parents weren’t thrilled even when I boiled ramen, and since my mom was a full-time homemaker always at home, she took care of me. That’s precisely why the textures of ingredients I handled for the first time were so surprising and fascinating. The feel of holding a block of tofu and slowly slicing it, the thrill of frying it in a hot pan after heating the oil, and then the different sensation when drizzling soy sauce or cutting it after frying. It was that very tactile experience that initially drew me in. I simply fell into this club because I loved the feeling of handling ingredients, and that’s how I began learning about Korean cuisine.
Then, as I started thinking about it in relation to biology, I realized the greatness of Korean food. While all foods contain various nutrients, Korean cuisine, which enables us to live healthily and energetically, was truly greatness itself. The wisdom of our ancestors was truly remarkable. Their recipes naturally combined the best nutrients together. I finally understood why elders said rice is a tonic, why they claimed Korean rice is the best. Not only was the taste incredible, but it was also rich in nutrients. Korean cuisine was the way to cook healthily and deliciously, surpassing any other country.
Realizing this, I became even more immersed in Korean cuisine. I paid more attention to it than to my school classes. Whenever a Korean chef gave a lecture, I went to see and taste, marveling at the boundless potential for development in Korean cuisine. I also made dishes myself to offer samples to people and participated in competitions for high school students. Through this, I observed and contemplated how diverse people perceived Korean cuisine and what developments they envisioned.
During this time, I realized I wanted to focus less on making Korean food myself and more on spreading awareness of its greatness. I aspired to become someone who could scientifically and technically prove its merits, deepen understanding of food, and widely disseminate this knowledge. To achieve this, I agonized over whether to choose business administration or food engineering. But I concluded that choosing business would prevent me from truly understanding food. Therefore, I began studying diligently with the dream of pursuing food biotechnology.

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

“Let’s share the skills I gained through club activities with my friends.”
I reflected on what experiences I had shared with my friends. The moments that came to mind most vividly were when I shared the countless dishes I had prepared with them. I was deeply immersed in Korean cuisine. Though I wasn’t particularly skilled, I was driven by a desire to keep learning. I attended cooking classes and learned from my mother, literally spending every waking moment in the kitchen. I focused relentlessly on what I wanted to create, until my hands were covered in blisters and I developed housewife’s eczema. Consequently, I couldn’t possibly eat all those dishes myself, and I wanted to show off my modest skills, so I started sharing the food with those around me. At first, I only gave it to close friends nearby, but there was so much that I began sharing with other friends too, and eventually, I started giving it to everyone in my class. When I first started sharing food, everyone was a bit awkward. But because of me, some friends became closer, and others who skipped breakfast started eating my food to supplement their nutrition. Seeing those friends made me feel incredibly proud. Watching them enjoy the food I made gave me a sense of fulfillment, almost like I was their mother.
Through this, I realized how truly important sharing is. Sharing itself held great meaning. First, it became precious to the giver. Because continuing to share, even if the other person doesn’t notice, brought me immense satisfaction and became a driving force in my life. I could feel that sharing is a truly important part of life. And another thing was that sharing begets sharing. Once I started sharing, some mothers at home began packing fruit for me, and friends started suggesting we share delicious things together. So our classroom always had an abundant and happy atmosphere. I could feel that sharing fosters harmony.

Efforts and Preparation Related to Motivation for Application and Career Plans

“I want to become someone who can widely share the beauty of Korean cuisine.”
As mentioned in the previous question, I am a student deeply immersed in the beauty, elegance, and perfection of Korean cuisine. While I enjoy creating dishes myself, what truly captivates me are the exquisite combinations inherent in Korean cuisine. Unlike other cuisines, Korean food possesses a unique synergy where ingredients effortlessly complement each other, creating harmonious pairings. I aspire to be someone who unravels the secrets behind these delicious, nutrient-rich Korean dishes and scientifically proves their unique qualities to the world. This is why I chose Food Biotechnology, rather than culinary arts or business administration. I wish to enroll in Kangwon National University’s Food Biotechnology program and transform into a proper expert researching Korean cuisine.
To achieve this, my academic and career plan after enrollment is to first solidify my foundation in food science through university courses while simultaneously obtaining Korean cuisine certifications. Of course, I realize that pursuing certifications alongside coursework will undoubtedly be challenging and demanding. However, I believe learning the fundamentals of food while learning the fundamentals of cooking will be deeply meaningful to me. Therefore, after attending school and obtaining the Korean cuisine certification, I want to major in business administration. I want to take the time to learn what kind of marketing and management methods within business administration I need to learn to be able to actively engage with Korean cuisine on the global stage. After that, I want to think about and experience Korean marketing and the marketing of various foods through diverse external activities. While doing so, I want to keep my options open and contemplate my future: what I should do, whether I should start my own business, join a company, pursue graduate studies to deepen my knowledge of Korean cuisine or food, or study abroad. I want to solidify my foundation slowly and steadily, learning step by step, and make my dream much more concrete than the vague idea I have now.