In this blog post, we’ll summarize and present the applicant’s academic efforts, campus activities, examples of conflict management, and career plans based on the original text of their personal statement.
Academic Experience and Reflections
I’ve heard plenty of advice that starts with “To do well in your studies…,” but none of it ever felt like it was a perfect fit for me. I tried emulating friends who did well in school and read books like ‘The God of Studying’ in an effort to find my own study method. However, no matter how much I followed others’ advice, I eventually realized that what worked for me was different, and there was no single “perfect” study method that could suddenly boost my grades overnight. So, I decided not to look for shortcuts but to study by the book.
To study by the book, I drew up a study plan with discipline. I allocated more time to difficult subjects and set aside a consistent amount of time each day to study even the relatively easier ones, making sure not to skip them. If there were parts I didn’t understand well, I didn’t just gloss over them; instead, I set aside self-study time to examine them thoroughly, and during breaks, I went to the faculty office to ask my teachers plenty of questions. By studying according to these simple and straightforward guidelines, I was naturally able to manage my study time effectively. I found myself focusing more intently because I didn’t want to waste class time, and during self-study periods, I reviewed difficult concepts. I also used spare moments to practice more problems or ask questions, allowing me to supplement my learning.
In addition to time management, another factor I considered to stay true to the basics was organizing my study spaces. Since I have a tendency to get restless and fidget when bored, I struggled to study in one place for long periods of time. People often say that those who can sit still for long periods are the winners, but that standard doesn’t apply to everyone. So, rather than forcing myself to conform, I categorized my study spaces according to what worked best for me. I attended classes and lectures in the somewhat noisy classroom, did self-study at a desk in the reading room or library, asked questions in the faculty office, and completed homework at home in a dedicated study space. By categorizing my spaces according to what I was studying, I was able to focus and study in a way that was better suited to my specific goals.
Writing about major school activities and reflections
Until my freshman year of high school, my English grades weren’t bad. Basically, just by properly memorizing the vocabulary taught in class and practicing reading comprehension, I was able to maintain a grade of 2 or higher on my school exams. However, starting in my second year of high school, the difficulty of the textbooks suddenly increased, and my friends’ skills had also improved over the summer break, causing my grades to drop relative to theirs. After receiving a grade of 3 or lower, I realized I needed a new approach to studying English. So, I organized a study group to study English with my friends.
Our study group was less about conducting in-depth research on English and more about serving as peers and accountability partners for one another. For example, when trying to memorize English vocabulary on my own, I’d get bored and end up not sticking to the rules. In situations like this, when study group members tested each other and graded each other’s test papers, I was able to gauge my own progress and study the vocabulary more diligently. Similarly, when studying grammar, it’s hard to make much progress on my own with a thick English grammar textbook. In such cases, if study group members prepared and shared summaries of their assigned sections, listening to each other’s presentations allowed us to understand and study grammar in a more concise and effective way.
So, we decided to divide our study into three areas—vocabulary, grammar, and reading comprehension—and drew up a six-month plan. The study group met three times a week for one-hour sessions each time. On meeting days, we always began with an English vocabulary test. For grammar and reading comprehension, we alternated between the two, dedicating one hour a week to grammar and two hours to reading comprehension.
The problem was that some friends didn’t strictly follow the rule of preparing one grammar handout per week. For reading comprehension, since we worked through the textbook we’d purchased together by dividing it into sections, there wasn’t anything each person had to prepare separately. However, for grammar, the study group couldn’t proceed unless everyone brought the materials they were responsible for.
As the person who first organized the study group, I felt a sense of responsibility to resolve this issue. When we first started the study group, even the friends who had worked hard to prepare materials for a month gradually slacked off and stopped fulfilling their assigned portions. Only the friends who had always been diligent continued to do their part, while those who didn’t put in much effort came up with their own excuses every week and tried to just listen to others’ presentations. As things continued this way, the study group began to fall apart, and the diligent friends voiced their dissatisfaction. So, I revised the rules to reduce the amount of material each person had to prepare for their presentation. To prepare their assigned portion, students first had to fully understand the content of an entire unit, summarize it, type it up, and create the materials. They also had to prepare to explain the material to their peers and answer their questions. Since this was very time-consuming, I halved the required workload to ensure the study group could continue.
Examples of Consideration, Sharing, and Cooperation, and My Reflections
When I ran an English study group in my sophomore year of high school, we encountered some minor issues. The main problem was that members often failed to properly prepare grammar study materials, but we resolved this by reducing the workload and encouraging one another. However, a bigger problem arose when I entered my senior year. As the College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT) approached and students had to devote more time to other subjects, my friends began to neglect the study group. In fact, as the college entrance exams drew nearer, the subjects that caused the most anxiety were math and social studies. Consequently, some friends neglected their English studies—a subject where they could potentially guess their way through—or even considered giving up on it altogether.
However, I made an effort to persuade these friends to keep the study group going. I told them that no university ignores English scores, and since English proficiency is a fundamental requirement in college, they absolutely must not neglect their studies. I also persuaded them that, since we were in our third year, it would be much more helpful to structure our study sessions to focus more on the exam and reduce the frequency to twice a week. In fact, we cut down on our meeting time and used that time to focus on reading comprehension instead of grammar or vocabulary. When studying reading comprehension, we focused on the College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT), collecting questions by difficulty level and solving them together against the clock. We also compared our incorrect answers, provided simple interpretations, and pointed out the grammar used in the passages.
After shortening our study sessions, my friends felt less pressure, and many agreed that practicing reading comprehension to maintain reading speed was helpful for preparing for English exams. Furthermore, given the nature of exam preparation—which involves a lot of solo study time—I heard that meeting up with friends occasionally to discuss exam preparation and solve problems together served as a “lubricant” to keep things running smoothly. As the person who persuaded everyone to keep the study group going, I felt a sense of fulfillment, and by sharing information and past exam questions not only for English but also for other subjects, I was able to run a more productive study group.
Efforts and Preparation Related to Motivation for Application and Career Plans
The field I intend to enter is the human resources department of a large corporation. In the HR department, one applies business administration and psychology to efficiently manage the organization’s members. I believe this line of work aligns well with my aptitude and interests. This is because, during high school, while serving as a class officer and study group leader, I gained a deep appreciation for the importance of organizational operations and management. I realized that the role of managing an organization and persuading people is distinct from the roles of a company’s CEO or executive. Therefore, I aspire to work in a corporate HR department as a planner responsible for employee training and education, as well as for designing those training programs.
To achieve this, I will first enroll in the Department of Industrial Psychology to study organizational psychology and pursue related coursework. In particular, I have high hopes for my studies in psychology.
I believe that, for now, the application of psychology within companies is limited to the fields of marketing and public relations. However, as a more sophisticated corporate culture takes root, psychology will become a unique discipline applicable across all fields. This is because companies are made up of people, and I believe that true public relations begins with winning over the hearts of the company’s own members before even considering customers. A company that captures the hearts of its members is one that knows how to properly utilize psychology, and I want to be at the center of that effort.
I am interested in human factors engineering, a new branch of industrial engineering. While the goal of pursuing efficiency is the same, I find it particularly appealing that this field focuses on the well-being and emotional needs of employees within the company. Therefore, during my undergraduate studies, I will concentrate on human factors engineering and organizational psychology. After graduation, I plan to apply for an internship in the human resources department of a large corporation where I can apply what I’ve learned and gain practical experience. Once I have accumulated at least three years of practical experience, I will pursue a graduate degree and dedicate myself to my studies to become an expert in organizational psychology.
