In this blog post, I will summarize my academic efforts and school activities during high school, examples of my consideration and cooperation, as well as my motivation for applying and the process of preparing for my career path.
Writing About My Academic Experiences and Reflections
During high school, I was a student who loved literary works and took an interest in Korean language classes. After deciding to major in Korean Language and Literature or a related field in college, my preparation fell into three main categories. First, I attended classes diligently and did my best in my studies to maintain good grades in Korean language courses; second, I read a wide variety of literary works; and third, I maintained my interest by trying my hand at creative writing.
Among these, I devoted the most time to consistently reading full-length novels. Since full-length novels are difficult to tackle without a plan, I set a goal of reading one per month and strove to read at least five books per semester. The works I actually read included relatively lengthy novels such as ‘Three Generations’, ‘Turbulent Stream’, ‘The Land’, and ‘When the Buckwheat Flowers Bloom’, and I sought to develop a critical eye for analyzing these works rather than simply reading them.
While reading, I consciously applied analytical frameworks to examine narrative structure, narrative style and point of view, historical context, and the author’s ideological concerns. For example, when reading Lee Tae-jun’s works, I sought to identify the romantic relationships and conflict structures between characters, and in epic novels, I tried to understand the context of the work by examining the Enlightenment ideology and social background. By reading analytically in this way, even when an unfamiliar work appeared as an exam passage, I was able to interpret it quickly based on its structure and ideas without panicking.
The greatest achievement I gained from this process was the ability to structurally comprehend texts, rather than relying on simple memorization. I learned to identify shifts in narrative style by connecting them to the author’s life and the historical context of the era, which helped broaden not only my reading comprehension but also my perspective on creative writing. This has been a valuable asset not only for exams but also for gaining a deeper understanding of and enjoyment from literature.
Description of Major School Activities and Reflections
After taking an after-school calligraphy class, I joined the school’s calligraphy club and became an active member. Under the guidance of an external instructor, I learned about the lines and styles of calligraphy, experienced how to express emotions through writing, and went through the process of developing my own unique handwriting style. While calligraphy shares similarities with traditional Korean calligraphy, it is more sophisticated and can incorporate a wider variety of design elements, making it both a creative hobby and a means of self-expression for me.
I also found it fascinating that calligraphy has such a wide range of applications. Seeing examples of calligraphy used in advertisements, signs, book covers, product packaging, and TV show titles sparked a desire in me to apply my own work to book covers or advertisements. With this goal in mind, our school club prepared entries for student calligraphy competitions and worked on creating original pieces, and I actively participated in these activities.
The actual practice process began with building a solid foundation. I spent several months practicing basic lines—such as curves, diagonal lines, and geometric shapes—and then moved on to practicing the Panbon typeface, starting with consonants, vowels, and individual words before expanding to words and sentences. Through this practice, I mastered techniques such as modifying consonants and vowels, selecting typefaces that matched the desired mood, and expressing textures specific to different materials. At times, I broadened the scope of my creativity through reproduction exercises and experimented with combining digital and analog techniques by retouching images in Photoshop.
I also challenged myself with English and Chinese calligraphy in addition to Hangul, and incorporated traditional elements such as seal marks, brush strokes, and ink blurring to expand the range of my work.
The instructor and club members—both seniors and juniors—shared ideas by showing each other their work, and we developed practical skills by applying the latest design trends to projects like logo and book cover design. As a result, I developed the skills necessary to participate in a student calligraphy competition, and I even received recognition for a book cover title I created.
Examples of Consideration, Sharing, and Collaboration, and My Reflections
During my sophomore year, I collaborated with about a dozen club members to prepare for our club’s presentation and exhibition. Unlike a festival, this event was a quiet occasion for displaying our work and interacting with the audience, so we first had to decide on a concept for the exhibition. We held a general meeting to brainstorm ideas and decided to vote on the proposed options to select the final concept.
Among the proposals were suggestions to use popular poems, write down favorite quotes, and create artworks in the form of letters we wanted to share with one another. My idea—“Let’s express the letters club members want to send to each other through calligraphy”—was ultimately adopted, and we held an exhibition titled “Calligraphy from the Heart.” We each chose a recipient (the person we wanted to reach) and poured our heartfelt sentiments into a letter addressed to them.
Since the letters were too long to be directly transformed into artworks, we distilled the key phrases and condensed them into pieces about two pages long. I wrote a letter expressing my gratitude to a friend I’ve known for a long time, selected the sentence I most wanted to convey, and experimented with various fonts and styles to complete my final piece. I felt a great sense of fulfillment when my friend expressed how moved she was at the exhibition, and as we read each other’s stories during the preparation process, the bonds among club members deepened.
Through this experience, I learned the value of cooperation and the importance of communication. While planning and executing the exhibition, I learned how to coordinate opinions, divide roles, and respect others’ feelings and perspectives. Furthermore, I realized firsthand that relationships grow stronger when my sincerity resonates with others, and I came to understand that consideration and sharing enrich the meaning of the artwork.
Efforts and Preparation Related to Motivation for Application and Career Plans
I attended a high school in a rural area and have been self-studying without private tutoring in an environment with relatively limited educational opportunities. I actively participated in the school’s after-school Korean language classes, supplementary lessons, and the calligraphy club, and through these resources, I cultivated my interest in and proficiency in the Korean language and literature.
I decided to apply to the Department of Korean Language and Literature at Sookmyung Women’s University because I have loved the Korean language and literature since I was young, and I have a particular affection for the Hangul alphabet. Through studying the characters and creating calligraphy works using consonants and vowels, I became captivated by the structure and beauty of Hangul, which led me to want to study it more deeply and share my knowledge with others. My experiences organizing a calligraphy exhibition at school and sharing my artistic sensibilities and activities through an interview with the school newspaper editorial board also helped solidify my decision to apply.
In the future, I would like to work as a Hangul researcher or a Hangul typeface researcher, uncovering and promoting the charm of Hangul. While Hangul research is not a widely recognized profession, I believe that combining academic exploration of language and writing systems with design applications opens up a wide range of possibilities. In this era of globalization and diversity, the uniqueness and value of our writing system will receive even more attention, and I would like to conduct research on applying Hangul to design and commercialization.
To achieve this goal, I have consistently pursued Korean language studies and calligraphy activities at school, and I have expressed my interests through art exhibitions and interviews in the school newspaper. Moving forward, I plan to solidify my theoretical foundation in college, develop my research capabilities regarding characters and writing, and expand the possibilities of Hangul through interdisciplinary collaboration with other academic fields and design.
