In this blog post, I’ll summarize the efforts I put into my studies during high school, my participation in school activities, and the lessons I learned through collaboration and conflict resolution.

Academic Experiences and Reflections

After acknowledging that I wasn’t good at memorization, I realized I needed to create my own environment and methods for memorization. Feeling that simply spending a lot of time on it had its limits, I decided to create summary notes for each subject so that I could review and memorize material efficiently outside of class.
In these summary notes, I organized key points emphasized in class, sections from reference books that required understanding, and material that absolutely had to be memorized—all by subject. I kept them concisely organized in a small notebook that was easy to carry around and made a point of pulling them out frequently to review them in line with that day’s lesson.
Thanks to these small notebooks, I was able to review the material repeatedly during every spare moment—such as on my commute to and from school, during breaks, and at lunchtime—and as a result, I was gradually able to overcome my weakness in memorization. In particular, the habit of skimming through my notes before class served as both a preview and a review, significantly improving my understanding of the material.
For me, the process of repeatedly committing information to memory and then verifying it was crucial. So, to create an environment where I could physically review the material, I always carried my notebook with me; combined with consistent effort, I experienced improvements in both my study habits and academic performance.
I also poured exceptional passion into performance assessments and assignments. Rather than simply meeting the minimum requirements, I strove to diversify my presentation methods—for example, by attaching PowerPoint slides, photos, and video materials to my report assignments. This approach provided me with opportunities to showcase my abilities and, as a result, greatly helped me manage my academic grades.

Description of Major School Activities and Reflections

I actively participated in the school’s gardening club. Through various activities such as garden design, plant care, and hands-on experiences with landscape architecture, I gained practical experience in interior design and environmental design. Since I was so interested in landscaping—to the point where I was in charge of plant arrangements at home—I was able to immerse myself even more deeply in the club’s activities.
I believed that the aesthetic and artistic value of our surroundings affects our quality of life just as much as food, clothing, and shelter. I viewed landscaping as a way to add small moments of happiness to daily life and enhance its value; in the club, we consistently engaged not only in theoretical study but also in various hands-on experiences, such as visits to arboretums.
By seeing arboretums and well-designed landscaped spaces firsthand, I pondered how to harmonize various natural elements with our daily lives, and I took the lead in organizing hands-on landscape design projects. I honed my skills through practical exercises ranging from small hanging garden installations to planting in pots and designing indoor gardens.
As the results of these activities gradually became apparent, the school approached me with a proposal: “How about designing the school garden yourselves?” My club friends and I proposed ideas that took into account the school’s public nature and image, and we fleshed out the garden design.
During the garden construction process, we invested a great deal of time and effort, arriving early in the morning to work and staying late to finish. We even worked on weekends to complete the project, and as a result, we were able to create a landscape design that satisfied both the school administration and the students.
Another activity I participated in was exhibiting works featuring flowers and plants at a school festival. During my sophomore year, I created a floral arrangement under the theme “PARTY,” and to achieve a vibrant and original expression that matched the theme, I searched for flowers and materials that aren’t commonly used.
Thanks to my efforts to thoroughly understand the theme and bring my ideas to life—along with the support of my clubmates—we were able to win second place in the festival’s exhibition category. Through this experience, I learned how important it is to deeply understand the theme during the planning stage and to go the extra mile to bring the project to life.

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

While working on the school garden project, conflicts and tensions arose within the club. Since it was a major project, the sense of responsibility and pressure was immense, and because everyone wanted a successful outcome, conflicts escalated as individual ambitions and opinions clashed.

When we reached a point where we couldn’t even efficiently gather ideas, I decided that restoring a spirit of cooperation was the top priority.
First, I suggested we pause the ongoing brainstorming sessions for a moment and take time to calmly reflect on the ideas that had already been proposed. We also made a promise to resolve any hurt feelings within two to three days, ensuring we didn’t let emotional issues fester.
Throughout the conflict resolution process, I emphasized “empathy” and “the power of words.” I encouraged everyone to maintain an attitude of understanding even when opinions differed, and I suggested that we avoid arguments and hurtful language in favor of positive and constructive expressions. As we adjusted our tone and choice of words, the atmosphere quickly calmed down, and collaboration resumed smoothly.
As a result, we were able to coordinate our ideas and complete a beautiful garden. Through this experience, I came to realize that attitude and communication are just as important in collaboration as technical skills. I learned that consideration, empathy, and the use of positive language are key to reducing conflict and creating synergy in collaboration.