This blog post explores how the specific goal of operating a cafe franchise serves as a basis for choosing a business major. It presents a compelling college application narrative centered on the intersection of practical experience and major-specific learning.
Academic Experience and Reflections
“Project: Raise My Average School Grade by 10 Points”
Upon entering high school, I made a concerted effort to properly manage my school grades. While mock exam scores allowed me to steadily improve my abilities, school grades were recorded exactly as they were, so I paid extra attention to them. However, I was the type of learner who studied hard but didn’t see results in my grades. I never missed a single morning self-study session or evening self-directed learning period. I studied diligently in class without dozing off, yet my grades consistently fell short of my expectations.
My first report card after enrollment showed an average of 75 points. Having studied with high hopes, I was deeply frustrated when I received the results. The thought that no matter how hard I studied, this was my limit, significantly dampened my motivation. However, I found strength by reading books like ‘The Study God’ and learning about many cases where people found their own unique study methods and dramatically improved their rankings. I decided that even if my grades weren’t satisfying now, the moment my learning curve peaked would come, proportional to my effort. After that, I initiated a project to raise my internal grades by 10 points and created a study planner to ensure success.
The planner was an appendix in a book about learning methods. It required not only recording daily study time and content but also plotting weekly study volume and grades on graphs for analysis. As they say, habits change in 20 days. Consistently plotting my grade graph for 20 days demanded a lot of patience, but I adapted quickly. By creating such a long-term study plan, I discovered which days of the week I studied most effectively and which subjects were best tackled at specific times. Based on these findings, I chose more efficient times and methods for studying. Surprisingly, within three months, I was achieving an average score of 84. This experience gave me the courage to believe, ‘I can achieve anything if I try hard enough,’ and I gained the crucial insight that the most important thing in learning is belief in oneself.
Major School Activities and Reflections
“Hand-Drip Coffee Club Activities for Practical Experience”
My dream is to become a cafe franchise manager. I enjoy visiting cafes for casual chats with friends and love both making and drinking coffee, which naturally led me to aim for cafe management. While a manager must possess marketing and business skills, I believe solid practical knowledge in one’s field is paramount. Because I love coffee and aspire to be a knowledgeable manager, I joined a coffee club to gain hands-on experience.
Our school’s coffee club primarily focused on hand-drip coffee. Our club was specifically non-profit, aiming to change the perception that ‘coffee’ is inherently tied to profit. These days, coffee is marketed with a luxurious image at expensive specialty coffee shops. Often, a single cup costs more than a meal, and the perception that coffee brewing tools are particularly expensive means few people truly enjoy coffee properly. To address this and help people become true home baristas, we crafted our own hand-drip tools, held coffee parties in the club room, and conducted country-specific bean tastings.
First, we gathered with new members to learn basic coffee knowledge. We started by purchasing fair trade coffee beans sponsored by UNICEF, roasting various types ourselves, and tasting them. Although I frequently visited cafes and sampled various drinks, I was amazed to learn for the first time that such diverse coffee beans were used, and that menus varied not only by ingredient but also by brewing method and filtration process. I was also surprised to discover, while crafting tools to enjoy home barista work, that I could extract pure coffee essence using just a funnel and filter paper. I used to think running a cafe required expensive, heavy drip machines and special skills to operate them. Contrary to my expectations, I discovered you can fully enjoy cafe-quality coffee right at home.
The weekly coffee parties felt like my only joy during my school days. In the daily life of a high school student, where even free periods were sacrificed for almost constant studying, it was a time to relax once a week and enjoy easy conversation with friends. During coffee party time, we would sit around, share knowledge about coffee, introduce new menu items, talk about our week, and take a break. It was also an opportunity for me, as a future business owner, to truly appreciate the importance of the cafe space. Amidst busy routines, cafes offer a moment of respite, a gift of rest, and the chance to meet acquaintances, making them uniquely meaningful. That’s why, when planning to operate a cafe, I envisioned creating a space where customers wouldn’t just drink coffee but could also learn about coffee-related knowledge.
Cases of Consideration, Sharing, and Cooperation and My Reflections
“Participating in kimchi-making volunteer work for elderly residents living alone on campus”
Every autumn, our school organized kimchi-making volunteer work for elderly residents living alone near campus. Initially, we worried because few had signed up, but we persuaded friends of friends, saying it was a chance to share kindness, and gathered a large group. Ultimately, over a hundred students participated: female students made the kimchi, while male students delivered the finished product.
As a girl, I put on rubber gloves, tied my hair back, wore a mask, and got to work making kimchi. Since I’d only ever eaten kimchi my mom made at home, I was worried about doing it well for my first time. Stuffing cabbage into rubber tubs, preparing the kimchi paste separately, and mixing it all together with various salted seafood was hard work, but also fun in its own way. Since I wasn’t alone but working with close friends, we laughed constantly and felt the joy of serving together. Especially in our group of four making kimchi, we got so into it that we sang work songs while laboring hard. Kimchi, which I usually didn’t eat much, tasted incredibly delicious when we made it together and shared it.
After finishing the kimchi, the male students formed groups to deliver it. The female students who had finished kimjang gathered in small groups, cameras in hand, and followed along to film. We delivered directly to about 70 nearby households. One elderly gentleman got quite angry when we asked if we could film him, which caught us off guard. So, starting with the next delivery, we decided to show more consideration: rather than focusing on filming, we prioritized spending time chatting with them. With one elderly woman living alone, I shared coffee and kept her company for quite a while, naturally taking photos and hearing her thoughts along the way. Through this volunteer work, I saw friends I usually thought were unfriendly being kind during deliveries to the elderly, revealing new sides of them—a valuable experience.
My Growth Journey and Motivation for Applying
“Planning an International Cafe Franchise”
I enjoy decorating my surroundings and prefer cafes that compete with their meticulous interiors. I find joy in life by chatting with friends, relaxing, and unwinding from daily fatigue in such cafes. Based on this mindset, I initially dreamed of becoming a coffee barista because I loved coffee. Later, I decided to manage a cafe myself and applied to a business administration program. My specific goal to manage a cafe franchise company was set thanks to the book ‘The Success Story of Caffè Bene’. This book analytically explains the various factors that enabled Caffè Bene to succeed as a cafe. My long-term goal is to actually plan, operate, and grow such a company into a global enterprise.
The book states that Caffè Bene succeeded because three factors aligned: consistently managing coffee flavor, maximizing convenience at each branch, and utilizing star-studded advertising and marketing. For my part, I plan to leverage my meticulous nature to create a ‘café like a friend’ that doesn’t overlook even the smallest details. These details encompass not just coffee flavor, but also the design of the cups and even the comfort of the tasting experience. Furthermore, in terms of interior design, I will operate a store that literally offers ‘fun in the details’. Coffee trees will be placed in corners or ceiling edges, and customers can learn about the beans from those trees by checking the coffee book on the table.
While I have a rough plan for the cafe I want to create, detailed plans based on more specialized knowledge are still lacking. I plan to gradually expand my business knowledge by studying consumer behavior, service management, and marketing strategy while enrolled in the Business Administration Department at ○○○ University. By combining this expanded business knowledge with practical experience, along with continuing my coffee studies and obtaining relevant certifications during my university years, I ultimately aspire to grow into an expert in cafe management.
