In this blog post, I will share what I have learned based on my academic achievements, school activities, and experiences with empathy and collaboration during high school, as well as my motivation for applying to DGIST and my career plans.
Academic Experience and Reflections
During high school, I was particularly fond of mathematics and was always the student sitting in the front row, taking diligent notes. I enjoyed math quizzes as if they were games and actively participated in class while serving as the math class representative. In particular, when taking classes using the textbook *Fundamentals of Calculus and Statistics*, I truly began studying not just to improve my grades, but to satisfy my intellectual curiosity.
As a result, I consistently prepared for and reviewed lessons, and during evening self-study sessions, I transcribed the theory for each chapter from the textbook into my notebook, reconstructing it in my own way. The study guide I created contained content I had personally reorganized—including chapter structures, sample questions, and advanced problems—and I titled it “My Own Calculus and Statistics Basics”. My study guide attracted a lot of interest from my friends, and the more attention it received, the greater my sense of pride and accomplishment grew.
Although the process of creating my own textbook took time, it was a great help in fully understanding the theories and formulas. In particular, creating new problems was so effective that I would recommend it even to friends who struggle with math, as it required a complete understanding of existing problems and analyzing the calculation process in reverse. It also helped me develop the ability to view problems from a new perspective while identifying the examiner’s intent.
Major School Activities and Reflections
During my freshman year of high school, I joined the marketing club and gained experience in various economic activities. I collaborated with club members to plan activities and events, and through the process of generating revenue and sharing the proceeds, I felt a strong sense of belonging and accomplishment. The most memorable activity was when we ran a flea market during the freshman fall festival and achieved excellent results.
One of the goals of our club was to secure a larger space for our activities by generating revenue. Since our school allocated club spaces based on the club’s size and performance, we—who had been using a cramped room—sought to secure a larger club room by planning a profitable program for the festival. We began by researching which items would sell well and securing sufficient quantities.
After considering various suggestions, we determined that practice workbooks and celebrity merchandise were promising options. My friends and I scoured the area to purchase clean books at low prices and even visited wholesalers to secure items for sale. We sold the purchased goods at two to three times their original price, and since celebrity stationery sold out quickly, we proposed an impromptu auction to generate additional revenue. We generated more profit than expected and submitted the funds to the student council, which ultimately allowed us to secure a larger club room.
Another campus activity I was involved in was serving on the Student Council’s Finance Committee, where I was responsible for budget planning. Due to my meticulous nature and ability to analyze situations through data, I often served as class treasurer, and through recommendations from peers, I joined the Student Council’s Finance Committee. In this role, I handled tasks such as receiving new budget requests, reviewing the appropriateness of proposals, and gathering feedback to ensure the school’s budget was allocated reasonably.
Managing the budget entailed a great deal of responsibility and required a strategic mindset and the ability to persuade others. When various clubs or student council departments requested budget increases, I prioritized requests and provided justifications to ensure transparent allocation. When complaints arose, I met with individuals directly to listen to their concerns and resolved issues through firm yet persuasive communication. Through this experience, I gained a strong sense of responsibility and improved my persuasion skills.
Examples of Compassion, Sharing, and Collaboration, and My Reflections
Through school activities, I learned leadership based on compassion and sharing. The revenue generated by the marketing club was used to achieve the club’s goals, and sharing the results with fellow members strengthened our sense of belonging. The experience of working together—running errands and discussing ideas even in hot weather—allowed me to personally appreciate the value of teamwork.
I also have experience helping friends by creating my own math study materials to share with them. By compiling new examples and advanced problems to make the content easier for them to understand, friends who were struggling academically gradually gained confidence, and I felt a great sense of fulfillment in the process of helping others. This experience taught me that creating new problems requires more than just conveying knowledge; it requires consideration for the other person’s perspective.
Consideration and cooperation were also crucial in my student council activities. When conflicting interests arose during the budget allocation process, I made a conscious effort to listen to others’ perspectives and empathize with them. I practiced leadership that prioritized the community’s interests by gathering suggestions and seeking solutions through discussions, or by persuasively addressing grievances.
Efforts and Preparation Related to Motivation for Application and Career Plans
From a young age, I grew up hearing from my father about the importance of statistics. My father worked at the National Statistical Office for many years, researching various sectors of our economy, such as price trends, income statistics, and industrial trends. He advised me that to conduct research, one must have a solid understanding of statistics. Witnessing my father’s experience, I resolved to dedicate myself consistently to a single field and become someone who contributes to society.
My father served as both a life mentor and a career advisor to me. Rather than pressuring me to achieve high grades or pursue a specific career, he made an effort to help me discover my talents and aptitudes, and he watched over me as I found my own path. Recognizing my aptitude for mathematics and numbers, he advised me that it would be beneficial to explore various academic disciplines and build a foundation in the humanities.
Rather than having settled on a single, clear dream, I aim to identify my strengths and build my career path upon them. Therefore, I wish to engage in in-depth exploration within an environment where I can broadly study diverse disciplines. I understand that DGIST places a strong emphasis on interdisciplinary convergence and creative research, and I believe it is an ideal place to develop my research capabilities by combining mathematical and statistical foundations with humanistic insights.
At DGIST, I aim to build a solid foundation in the basic sciences, deepen my skills in statistics and data analysis, and cultivate a humanities background to become a researcher capable of approaching problems from multiple perspectives. Drawing on my meticulous and analytical nature, I will conduct research responsibly, and based on the collaboration and communication skills I have developed through clubs and student council activities, I will strive to become a leader with a warm and compassionate character.
