In this blog post, we explore how a deep interest in tax systems solidifies your academic direction in tax accounting and your career goals as a civil servant or tax professional, and how to convincingly convey this in your academic plan.
Writing About Academic Experience and Reflections
“Effective Study Methods for Mastering Economics, English, and Mathematics”
I enjoyed mathematics in my first year of high school and studied diligently enough to maintain a top grade. Because I liked math, I found myself torn between choosing the liberal arts or science track in my second year. Initially, I decided to pursue the science track, but later chose the liberal arts track with the goal of entering the tax and economics fields. After choosing the liberal arts track, the subjects I prioritized most during my sophomore year were economics, English, and math.
For math, since I naturally enjoyed studying it, I worked hard to get good grades. However, liking the subject and getting good grades were two different things. With few students choosing the liberal arts track, achieving a high grade required intense focus to avoid making even a single mistake. I tended to get nervous during exams more than usual and often made mistakes on easy problems. To avoid calculation errors, I adopted the method of writing out the calculation steps below the problem. Rather than overconfidently solving easy calculations mentally, I approached them meticulously, writing everything out. This significantly reduced my calculation mistakes.
For economics, I regularly studied by reading the business section of newspapers, and since I planned to major in taxation later, I was very interested in the subject. So, while I found textbook study engaging, I also approached group assignments analyzing real economic phenomena with passion. One activity involved each person taking responsibility for a specific country and calculating its GDP based on import/export indices. Studying theory through such practical activities greatly aided my learning.
English was my weakest subject, so I approached the classes with greater seriousness than other subjects. When taking practice tests, I didn’t struggle with vocabulary, but my interpretation accuracy was lacking. This often led to time constraints and frequent mistakes when solving reading comprehension problems, so I practiced speed reading extensively. This significantly reduced careless errors on English exams.
Major School Activities and Reflections
“Engaging in diverse activities through the Accounting and Economics Club”
Having chosen the liberal arts track in high school to pursue economics and business studies, I dedicated myself to studying economics and building related knowledge. I was particularly interested in taxation and wanted to explore tax subjects early, but since there was no separate tax club, I joined the Accounting and Economics Club. Our club visited various institutions related to the economic field, such as financial public agencies, banks, and securities firms. This allowed us to gain a lot of information about what they do. Within the club, I experienced activities like accounting quiz competitions, economic newspaper scrapbooking, and workshops.
While all activities were memorable experiences for me, visiting institutions I wouldn’t normally go to was a fascinating and enjoyable activity. Our club once participated in the ‘Dreaming Yeouido Economic Bus’ program hosted by Money Today Broadcasting. Through this program, I got to see firsthand how an economic broadcasting channel operates and view the broadcast program from the producer’s perspective, not just as an audience member. When the program operator asked if any students wanted to sit in the anchor seat and read an economic news article, I confidently volunteered. After adjusting the audio equipment and checking the camera, I read the article into the microphone. It felt like I had become a real news anchor, which was a novel experience.
Following the broadcasting station experience, I visited the Financial Supervisory Service (FSS) to create a virtual company and receive ‘CEO Management Training’ as its representative. I virtually served as both a bank branch manager and the CEO of an institution. During the management training, I realized that above all else, what is demanded of a manager is ‘credit.’ The actual branch manager leading the session emphasized not only the importance of credit but also that consulting with loan sharks could lower one’s credit rating.
After visiting the Financial Supervisory Service, we went to the Financial Investment Village in Yeouido, where we took a simple economics test. Participating in group tests was familiar territory, as we often experienced this through accounting quiz competitions during our club activities. We routinely taught each other accounting basics in small groups, then held quizzes monthly based on the knowledge we’d gathered. Participants could freely raise their hands to present their answers and reasoning. Back then, the structure was such that the person with the most correct answers won, regardless of how many times they participated. However, the economic test at the Financial Investment Village assessed FQ, a financial literacy index, and its format resembled the ‘1 vs. 100’ program where participation count mattered. The structure favored those who survived longer and answered more questions to win. Although I was eliminated midway, this experience strengthened my resolve to work harder in club activities to expand my knowledge of economics and finance.
Examples of Consideration, Sharing, and Cooperation and My Reflections
“Our Shared Classroom, Let’s Improve It Together”
During my senior year of high school, my classmates and I practically lived in the classroom to study. We arrived early in the morning and studied voluntarily until late at night, treating the classroom like our home. However, sharing one space among many people proved challenging. Storing large quantities of books and personal items in the lockers became problematic, and some broken or damaged items were still in use. To address these two issues, my classmates began to show consideration for each other and cooperate.
First, regarding the lockers, the sheer volume of books and study materials each person used made it difficult to fit everything inside. As a result, students placed their books on top of the lockers, leading to confusion over ownership and frequent losses. Furthermore, the lack of lockers meant students placed boxes containing their books next to their desks, making movement within the classroom difficult. Problems arose, such as knocking over or tripping over others’ boxes while passing by. We held a class meeting and decided to expand the locker capacity. We decided to pool our money and order a large storage unit with 40 compartments. This solution, agreed upon by everyone, ensured no more problems with cleaning or moving around the classroom.
Furthermore, the classroom had desks and chairs that were uneven or partially broken, and doors that had come off their hinges from being slammed too hard. Since these problems arose from our own use, they weren’t easily replaced. So, we decided to think of the desks and chairs not as our personal belongings, but as ‘our shared property,’ and work together to improve them. We set aside a day to survey the items that were uncomfortable to use and went to the school repair shop to fix them. With the help of the repair staff, we replaced the desk plywood, hammered nails ourselves, and drove them in. We solved the problems by helping each other, and we also brought in new doors and worked together to install them in the classroom. Through this cooperation, we achieved a comfortable classroom environment and shared the joy of living together.
Motivation for Application and Future Career Plans
“A Tax Official Contributing to the Nation’s Tax System”
The national tax system is becoming more detailed, and tax revenue is increasing. This means that welfare systems, supported by citizens’ faithful tax payments, are expanding further. My reason for aspiring to become a tax official is to work with a positive perception of taxation during Korea’s transition into a welfare state. Just as tax management is crucial for national operations, I believe the role of tax officials directly involved in this system is equally important. Dreaming of becoming a tax official to work with pride as someone contributing to this foundational field of national governance, I applied to the Taxation Department at ○○○ University to achieve my dream.
If I am admitted to university, I will plan a curriculum tailored to my career path by appropriately selecting core and advanced courses within the Taxation Department. The curriculum I reviewed for the Taxation Department at ○○○ University includes not only subjects related to taxation and economics but also many courses in humanities and liberal arts. Therefore, to avoid taking classes haphazardly based on hearsay, I will proactively understand the types and contents of the courses beforehand. Ultimately, I will select the subjects most suitable for my goals and ensure I complete them properly. This will enable me to prepare thoroughly for the tax civil service exam, aiming to pass it on my first attempt in the year preceding my final graduation.
The framework for my specific course selection and curriculum plan is as follows. First, I will build a solid foundation through the core course, Principles of Public Accounting. Then, I will form study groups for tax law and finance courses, specifically focusing on in-depth study of Direct Taxation Law, Indirect Taxation Law, and Income Tax Law. This will enable me to grow into a civil servant with no gaps in tax-related legal knowledge, and I will prepare in advance to properly perform tax administration duties. Furthermore, as I plan to work as a tax official starting at Grade 9 and eventually take on duties at the Board of Audit and Inspection, I intend to diligently take courses related to audit theory.
