In this blog post, we provide actual examples of academic efforts, school activities, instances of consideration and cooperation, and motivations for choosing the major during high school for students preparing their applications to the Department of Economics at Korea University.

Academic Experience: Overcoming Weaknesses in History to Understand Historical Trends

I struggled with history. While my grades were consistently good in core subjects like Korean, English, and math, history was the only subject that held me back. Among the social studies subjects, I found economics, law, and politics relatively easy to study once I understood the underlying principles. However, I struggled to find enjoyment in Korean and World History due to the pressure of treating them as subjects requiring rote memorization, which also limited my ability to improve my grades. It was only natural that I lost interest when I tried to memorize only key events and dates for the sake of exams. However, realizing that history grades were factored into my overall academic record and recognizing the importance of history itself, I resolved to overcome this challenge.
The reason I struggled with history was that I had tried to memorize everything blindly. In fact, with subjects I enjoyed, like economics and law and politics, I achieved both enjoyment and results because I grasped the theories and principles first and then memorized based on that understanding. So, I decided I needed to approach history the same way. Therefore, I read the textbook carefully and tried to understand the flow of events and underlying principles rather than simply memorizing facts. For example, I understood the differences between Paleolithic and Neolithic lifestyles by connecting them to the temperatures and environmental conditions of the time. By grasping the flow in this way and reviewing the textbook content, the knowledge stuck naturally without the need for forced memorization.
As a result, studying history became much more interesting, and my grades improved significantly. Through this experience, I came to understand my own learning style and learned that proper studying requires first understanding the flow of principles rather than relying solely on rote memorization.

School Activities: Founding a Tax Club and Expanding My Study of Economics

During high school, I had a keen interest in economics as a whole. I found it fascinating to study various fields—such as household economic activities, market supply and demand, economic cycles, and trade policies—to understand economic principles. In particular, I enjoyed understanding government economic activities, economic cycles, growth, trade, and the balance of payments from a macroeconomic perspective, and I consistently built up my knowledge through news and newspapers. This naturally led me to develop an interest in taxes, and I wanted to gain a more precise understanding of the importance of taxes in national policy and economic management.
To study and exchange ideas more deeply, I founded a tax club. Since the field of taxation is an area that students rarely focus on, the club did not have many members and was not recognized as an official school club. However, I asked a teacher to serve as our advisor during lunch breaks or after school, which allowed us to continue our studies with accuracy and depth. Going beyond the textbook level, I studied in depth the concepts of direct and indirect taxes, the types of direct taxes such as income tax, corporate tax, and property tax, as well as value-added tax (VAT), selective consumption tax, tax rates based on taxable income, and industry-specific value-added rates.
Along with our studies, we had the opportunity to visit a local tax office and the National Tax Service. At the tax office, the director taught us about the types and importance of taxes and the duties of tax officials. We also gained a better understanding of the collection process through hands-on experiences, such as reviewing income tax filing statistics at the Comprehensive Income Tax Filing Center. During our visit to the National Tax Service, we gained practical insights not only into the organization’s structure, operations, and year-end tax settlement procedures but also into how taxes are actually utilized.
Through these activities, I satisfied my intellectual curiosity and experienced the joy of acquiring knowledge not just for exams, but to enhance my personal competitiveness. Furthermore, based on my club activities, I was able to solidify my career goal of working at tax-related institutions such as the National Tax Service.

Example of Cooperation and Consideration: Helping Someone Who Struggled with Tax Procedures

One of my close friends was in a somewhat difficult financial situation. He lived alone with his mother; he was a cheerful and diligent person. One day, he asked me for help with his year-end tax settlement. His mother had found a job this year but had no idea about the procedures or what documents were needed for the settlement. Since I had a relatively good understanding of taxes and economics, I decided to help him.
I started by helping them step-by-step, beginning with verifying their mother’s tax deduction details. Since she didn’t use a computer and didn’t have a digital certificate, I helped her obtain one from the bank and guided her through checking her deduction details using the simplified year-end tax settlement service. I also informed her about the additional income tax deduction available by registering her maternal grandparents, who live in the countryside, as dependents, and we went through the relevant procedures together.
During the data verification process, we identified any missing items, contacted the relevant agencies to request the necessary documents, or obtained receipts directly, working together to finalize the year-end tax settlement filing. As a result, we were able to complete the filing without any issues, and it was deeply rewarding to know that my knowledge and information provided practical help to my friend and her mother.

Motivation for Choosing My Major and Career Exploration Experience

Driven by my interest in economics, I have studied consistently and built my expertise by referring to resources such as “Mankiw’s Economics” in addition to my textbooks. I believe I possess a deeper understanding of economics compared to my peers, and through club activities, I have studied the field of taxation to a depth that goes beyond the high school level. With this background, I am confident that I am prepared to diligently complete the required courses in the Department of Economics and pursue further in-depth study.
Through my activities in the tax club and visits to local tax offices and the National Tax Service, I have firmly established my career goal of contributing to the national economy. Since deciding on this path, I have studied even harder to strengthen my expertise in the field. Believing that I must acquire the necessary skills to achieve my dream, I have applied to the Department of Economics at Korea University. I hope to complete my major courses in an excellent educational environment and build lasting relationships through meaningful interactions with professors. As a student in the Department of Economics at Korea University, I will strive to become a leader who contributes to the national economy.