In this blog post, I will summarize my academic experiences, school activities, examples of consideration and cooperation, as well as my motivation for applying and my preparation process during my time in high school.
Writing about Academic Experiences and Reflections
During my freshman year of high school, I enjoyed listening to a wide variety of pop songs, earning the nickname “pop song fanatic” from both myself and those around me. Friends would sometimes give me LPs or CDs as birthday gifts, and I was exposed to a wide range of styles—including R&B, reggae, hip-hop, and rock—without being limited by genre. At first, I simply listened to the music, but I soon wanted to understand the lyrics accurately, so I began transcribing them and practicing interpretation.
Transcribing lyrics was a great help in developing my listening comprehension. While listening to songs and transcribing the lyrics, I would compare them to the original text and found many mistakes, but I felt a sense of accomplishment as the number of correct parts increased. At first, my interpretations were mostly literal translations, but as I gradually grasped the meaning of phrases and sentences and learned idioms and set phrases, I developed the ability to paraphrase.
Through this process, my vocabulary expanded, and the speed and accuracy of my sentence analysis improved. By repeatedly reviewing and interpreting the lyrics, my ability to infer meaning from context grew, and I soon reached a level where I could grasp the content immediately while listening to the song. This experience went beyond a simple hobby to yield the effects of systematic language learning.
Learning through pop songs also had a positive impact on my test scores. When interpreting passages in practice exams, I could grasp the main points more quickly than before, and I was able to select the correct answer based on just a few key sentences without having to read the entire passage. For listening questions, I developed the habit of analyzing the content as I would a song, which accelerated my comprehension speed. As a result, I was able to maintain consistently high grades in English.
Major School Activities and Reflections
I have been active in a travel club called “Travel Friends” since my first year of high school. This club was started by upperclassmen and continued and developed by our grade; with about fifteen members, it operated in a relatively free and creative atmosphere. Initially, our scope of activities was limited, so members gathered to discuss ways to revitalize the club.
During these meetings, we established a variety of concrete activities, including planning trips, creating itineraries, designing programs, writing travel reports, and compiling our travel records into booklets. Our goal was not merely to go on trips, but to systematically organize our impressions and information from the places we visited, leaving behind resources that would be useful to others.
For domestic activities, we explored and documented major tourist attractions in Seoul, ranging from the Han River Park near the school to royal palaces and museums, as well as Songdo and Wolmido in Incheon, and Myeongdong and Insadong. We recorded detailed information on each route, including transportation methods, travel times, the characteristics of each destination, and precautions, and took photographs to preserve as reference materials. These records later became important resources that were compiled into a booklet.
All records and photos were collected and organized as a group, and members collaborated to create a complete guidebook. The final product was placed in the school library for reference by younger students and international students visiting the school. I felt a great sense of fulfillment knowing that international students participating in homestay programs actually used it.
During school breaks, club members traveled abroad together to explore destinations such as New York. While there, we organized various events, including a secret Santa program, a mission to find trendy spots, and recreational sports activities. Because we had planned and prepared thoroughly in advance, we were able to enjoy the trip at a leisurely pace even in unfamiliar surroundings and run the program smoothly.
Even for our overseas activities, we meticulously researched travel times, routes, and budgets, and based on our local experiences, we produced a travel guidebook for foreign destinations. Through this series of activities, I was able to develop planning and execution skills, as well as a sense of responsibility in the process of creating tangible outcomes.
Examples of Consideration, Sharing, and Cooperation, and My Reflections
As the president of the travel club, I naturally took on a leadership role, and through this process, I had the opportunity to communicate with students from our sister schools abroad. When American high school students visited our school for a homestay, I worked with some club members to welcome our international friends, guide them, and live and communicate with them.
The travel guidebook I created was a great help in introducing our local area to our international friends. I used materials that outlined itineraries by route, estimated time, budget, destination features, and photos to guide their sightseeing schedule, which allowed me to ensure that visitors could experience our culture more comfortably.
Since the club members had worked together seamlessly in the past, we cooperated very well during the actual operation. When planning programs such as partner missions or experiential activities, we divided roles to research costs and estimated times in advance, and on-site, members helped one another to lead the activities with our international friends in a fun and engaging way.
Through this experience, I deeply realized the value of consideration and cooperation. I learned that simply making a good plan does not guarantee smooth execution; rather, greater achievements and satisfaction can be attained when each participant’s role, communication, and flexible response work together. Furthermore, the bond formed with club members through these activities has become a valuable asset for me as a leader guiding an organization.
Efforts and Preparation Related to Motivation for Application and Career Plans
During my senior year of high school, while contemplating my career path, I began to seriously consider becoming a teacher for the first time. Since elementary school teacher ranked high in my vocational aptitude test and English was the subject I loved most and studied hardest, I decided to apply to the Department of English Education at Chuncheon National University of Education. I was also strongly motivated by the desire to conduct creative lessons by incorporating various cultural content, such as pop songs, foreign dramas, and movies, into my classes.
I enjoy turning creative ideas into concrete plans and putting them into practice. During high school, I planned and ran various programs for the travel club, gaining hands-on experience in creating activities that bring joy to others. I believe this helped me develop the intuition and practical skills necessary to design educational content and spark students’ interest.
My three years of activity in the club, including one year as president, were instrumental in developing my ability to lead an organization and coordinate with others. Practical experiences such as running homestay programs for international students and managing travel itineraries allowed me to gain firsthand experience with the leadership, student management, and situational adaptability required of a teacher.
I believe a teacher must be a leader with professional expertise. Drawing on my deep interest in English, my reading and listening comprehension skills honed through pop songs, and the planning and collaboration experience gained through club activities, I aspire to grow into a teacher who provides students with engaging and meaningful educational programs. I am confident that these competencies will be further refined through my studies and practical experience at Chuncheon National University of Education.
