In this blog post, I’ll summarize my academic experiences and school activities during high school, examples of consideration and cooperation, and my reflections on the process of preparing for my future career.
Academic Experiences and Reflections
I’ve never considered myself a particularly bright student. In the science track, seeing classmates who quickly grasped math and science and solved many problems, I found myself constantly comparing myself to them at first, and there were many moments when I felt a pang of envy. Watching friends solve tens or even hundreds of problems in an hour, I wanted to do the same, but the approach of mindlessly working through large volumes didn’t suit my personality, and I faced the limitation that I couldn’t truly understand the material.
So I chose a completely opposite approach. I established the principle of “solving one problem a day to the best of my ability.” Even when tackling just one problem, I would ponder it until I fully understood it and meticulously record the solution process. In the language section, since grammar and poetry were my weak points, I deliberately selected challenging problems, transcribed them into my notebook, and filled in the gaps in my understanding by noting details such as why a word was omitted rather than abbreviated, or which root words I needed to memorize.
I took the same approach to math. I would select a difficult problem, write down the necessary formulas next to it, memorize them, and then review the entire chapter whenever I encountered a part I didn’t understand. Although I couldn’t solve a large number of problems at once, I steadily built up my foundational concepts through each problem, filling in the gaps one by one.
As a result, even though the volume of work was small, my foundation became solid, and I could feel my grades gradually improving. Above all, I gained confidence that I had found a study method that suited me. I developed the belief that if I approach new subjects with this same calm and methodical approach, I can certainly succeed, and that belief itself became a major source of motivation.
Major School Activities and Reflections
As soon as I entered high school, I applied to join the science club. This was because the experiments and explanations given by the upperclassmen at their booth during the school festival had left a strong impression on me. The simplicity of the experiments and the clarity of the explanations demonstrated by the upperclassmen inspired me to aspire to “conduct experiments like those myself and become someone who can explain my experiments to others in an engaging way.”
I learned a great deal through my club activities. There were many experiments that could explain various scientific principles using very simple materials and methods, and I found it fascinating that we could directly apply the knowledge we learned in school to produce tangible results. Conducting experiments required practice and repetition until results were obtained, so it was an activity that demanded patience and perseverance, but I found the process itself enjoyable.
I was particularly fascinated by experiments related to genetics. The thrill of predicting the traits of the next generation through calculations and then actually growing plants to verify whether those predictions were correct was indescribable. The fact that both plants and humans are influenced by genetics struck me as mysterious, and that experience nurtured my dream of studying the field in greater depth.
I also made several mistakes during my club activities. There were times when inadequate preparation led me to order too many supplies or, conversely, too few, causing delays in our experiments, and I often lost sleep planning for the festival. Even through these mistakes, I took my responsibilities as president seriously and worked hard to make up for them, learning a great deal in the process.
The most significant realization I gained was that I am the type of person who excels at making plans and consistently following through, rather than relying on improvisational talent. While I may lack ingenious ideas or flexibility, my strength lies in the perseverance to methodically execute a plan once it’s set. To make this a habit, I always carried a planner with me, created schedules, and managed my tasks by sticking to them. Thanks to this, I was able to compensate for my shortcomings and develop the preparation and execution skills necessary for running the club.
Examples of Consideration, Sharing, and Collaboration, and My Reflections
Having learned to play the piano as a child by watching my older sister, I served as the accompanist for our high school choir competition for two years. Although my piano skills weren’t exceptional, I felt a great sense of responsibility—along with the pressure—to ensure the team’s musical performance was polished. To make up for my lack of skill, I went to the music room every lunch break to practice, continuing until my hands were covered in blisters.
During the practice process, I sometimes felt disappointed that my peers didn’t recognize my efforts. Since the accompanist’s role isn’t a prominent one, there were times when I felt I wasn’t getting the recognition I deserved for all my hard work. However, I knew very well that a choir competition could only create a moving performance when everyone’s voices blended together. While some students participated half-heartedly due to personal circumstances, I strove to fulfill my role faithfully.
The sense of fulfillment I experienced after the choir competition was something only those who participated wholeheartedly could feel. While the results varied—sometimes good, sometimes not—the performances we created together by giving our all brought me great satisfaction. Through this experience, I learned the importance of a participatory attitude, and I’ve since adopted a mindset of actively participating without hesitation in any future activities.
Efforts and Preparation Related to Motivation for Application and Career Plans
Through experiments and genetics-related activities in the science club, I cultivated a desire to gain a deeper understanding of the principles of nature and life. The process of calculating genetic phenomena and actually verifying traits in plants served as a catalyst for me to develop a concrete career vision to study this field further. This experience expanded beyond mere curiosity to become an academic interest.
Academically, I believe my unique study method—digging deep into a single problem until I fully understand it—will be beneficial for my career preparation. The habit of steadily building a solid foundation and the attitude of selecting challenging problems to understand them in depth are fundamental competencies necessary for sustained research and experimentation. The repeated experiments in the club, along with my experience in planning and managing the club as president, have laid the groundwork for my experimental design and project management skills.
Furthermore, my tendency to set plans and consistently follow through will be a valuable asset as I pursue my major and engage in research. After entering college, I intend to study genetics more deeply by combining experimental work with theoretical study. Building on the perseverance, organizational skills, and interest in experimentation I have cultivated so far, I plan to prepare for my future studies in a more systematic manner.
