In this blog post, I’ll summarize what I learned and how I felt, focusing on the effort I put into my studies, my club activities, and examples of consideration and cooperation during my time in high school.
Writing About My Academic Experiences and Reflections
I keenly realized that the classes and evening self-study sessions at a general high school didn’t leave me enough time to devote to computer-related studies. Although I was tempted to cut back on self-study time, I decided to carve out time on my own to teach myself computer science, guided by the mindset that “I am the one who shapes my future.” First, I purchased relevant textbooks and enrolled in online courses to study operating systems and programming languages, and began studying systematically.
I actively utilized educational broadcasts and online lectures, supplemented my theoretical knowledge with specialized textbooks, and practiced hands-on using my home computer. At school, I used my iPad to watch lectures during commutes or free periods to catch up on coursework, and I installed unfamiliar operating systems myself to reinforce my understanding of the concepts. Starting with Windows and Unix-based systems, I practiced with various platforms—including iOS, Android, Linux, and Macintosh—and came to truly understand that operating systems form the fundamental framework of software development.
Once I had built a solid foundation in operating systems, I focused on learning programming languages. I found it fascinating that learning a language enabled me to design algorithms and actually build software. At first, I learned basic languages like C, C#, and C++ in sequence, and once I had established a solid foundation, I expanded my scope to include Java, JavaScript, PHP, Perl, Python, Delphi, and the Unix shell.
Whenever I encountered something I didn’t understand while learning, I would ask my computer science teacher or actively use online forums and communities to find solutions. In particular, I was able to grow rapidly by sharing my problem-solving processes and receiving feedback within programming communities. Through these experiences, I learned that while studying is a solitary endeavor, seeking help when needed and sharing knowledge enhances both the speed and depth of learning.
Major School Activities and Reflections
Taking advantage of the school’s “Career-Oriented Independent Clubs” program, I founded a software development club during my sophomore year of high school. I convinced friends with similar interests to join, and although we started with just five members, our membership gradually grew as we independently planned our activities and achieved small goals one by one.
The club’s first project was developing a simple game. While creating a number puzzle game and a block puzzle game, I gained hands-on experience in basic design and implementation, UI design, and testing. The number puzzle was completed relatively quickly, and we even conducted actual user testing, but the block puzzle required continuous revisions because the implemented results differed from the design phase. Ultimately, after discussing it with my teammates, we resolved the issue by changing the game structure, and through this iterative process of consultation and adjustment, I truly realized the importance of collaboration.
As the semester progressed and the club’s membership grew to over 10 members, the range of ideas expanded, allowing us to take on more complex projects. In the second semester of my sophomore year, I took on the challenge of developing a motion-based social diet Android application. This project, which combined exercise elements, gamified motivation, and social features, required a great deal of collaboration throughout the planning, development, and testing phases. I also took on the role of personally trying out the diet to verify the app’s effectiveness, providing feedback from a user’s perspective.
In the first semester of my junior year, I enhanced the schedule management features to create a calendar app linked to travel information. I designed it to help with actual travel preparations by allowing users to enter information about destinations around the world and view them on a map, as well as by adding features for calculating travel expenses and recommending itineraries. Through this series of projects, I gained practical experience by going through the entire process—from planning to implementation and user testing—and significantly improved my ability to delegate tasks and communicate effectively.
Examples of Compassion, Sharing, and Collaboration, and My Reflections
During an environmental class held in an area near the school with many farms and greenhouses, I was inspired to think about ways to support rural development while participating in a hands-on weeding activity. After consulting with the computer career club, I planned a mobile application to promote rural areas and facilitate direct sales, which soon evolved into an idea for a competition entry.
While working on the project, I personally visited nearby farms to conduct interviews and investigate the challenges they faced in direct-to-consumer sales. I surveyed farmers to gauge their interest in using a mobile app to facilitate communication with customers, and based on the results, I structured the app’s key features. In particular, considering that the target users were likely to be elderly, I prioritized user interface and accessibility in the design and included detailed instructions to ensure ease of use.
After development, I conducted phased monitoring. First, I tested the app within the club; then, I conducted a second round of monitoring in individual households; and finally, I had it validated by actual farm users. I documented the entire process—from planning and design to development and testing—in a report and submitted it to the competition, where I won the Gold Award in the regional category in recognition of my contribution to the local community.
After the competition, we were given the opportunity for industry-academia collaboration, which allowed us to further develop our idea with the help of a company. Through this experience, we learned that technology is about more than just implementing functions—it is crucial to design with an understanding of and consideration for people. Furthermore, through the process of communicating directly with users and incorporating their needs, we deeply felt the value of collaboration and a sense of responsibility, and we realized that the attitude of using technology to solve local community problems is a valuable asset in the professional world as well.
