In this blog post, I will discuss why I want to become a computer educator and my academic and career plans after college, based on my high school academic experiences, club activities, and examples of consideration and cooperation.
Academic Experience
‘A Desperate Effort to Keep a Promise to Myself!’
Personally, I believe that studying is all about keeping a promise. And I believe that promise is all about perseverance. For example, anyone can make a plan. In fact, many of my friends do set proper plans. When I see them looking at their study schedules, vowing, “From this day to that day, I’ll study this way, and by studying this much, I’ll raise my grades by this much,” it feels like it’s only a matter of time before their grades improve. However, few friends actually see their grades rise as much as they expect. Since very few friends stick to their plans, very few friends end up achieving good grades. I believed that if I staked my life on keeping the promises I made to myself, I would surely see results commensurate with that effort. Because I thought this way about studying, for me, studying was a battle to keep my promises to myself. I loved computers and games so much that I wasn’t the type to focus on other subjects. So, it’s true that I neglected my studies until my first year of high school. I thought, “I only need to work hard in the fields I like,” so I immersed myself solely in computers and programming. However, I suddenly realized that I couldn’t actually move toward what I loved by doing that, so from that point on, I focused on my studies. And when I started studying in earnest again, the thing I worked hardest on was sticking to the plan I had made. I studied language, math, and foreign languages every single day without fail, and I studied the other subjects on a rotating schedule, covering them every other day. My plan was to study for two hours straight each day. And I made every effort to stick to that study plan. While studying, far from giving up after three days, I felt like I was giving up after just three hours—as morning turned to noon and then to evening, I was constantly tempted to play and had a burning desire to do so, but I held back and worked diligently. And even now, I continue to strive every day with the mindset of keeping my promises faithfully.
School Activities
“Developing an interest in computers, not just games, through the Game Programming Club.”
To be honest, what interested me most was “games.” I especially loved strategy games, and back when I was really into them, I was so immersed that my parents worried about me. Staying up all night was the norm, and I was so engrossed in gaming that I couldn’t understand why people said it was bad to play games instead of studying. As a result, my grades naturally hit rock bottom, and I was a student who caused my teachers a lot of concern because of my lack of diligence in class. The turning point for me came when I joined a gaming club made up of friends preparing to become game programmers. To be honest, the reason I joined that club was to seriously prepare to become a programmer myself. I wanted to train hard and become a gamer who would amaze the world. However, what I realized after joining was a sense of frustration. In short, I realized I was a “frog in a well.” There were plenty of friends who were better than me, and friends who took their gameplay very seriously. After participating in a small tournament for high school students and returning with a score that didn’t even make it past the preliminaries, I shed tears on the way home and realized that I was truly inadequate—that I was a person who wasn’t good at anything. That led to a slump, and I stopped playing games for a while. However, since I had spent a lot of time using computers while gaming, I often used my general knowledge to fix the laptops and computers in the club. I didn’t consider that a talent. It wasn’t until I had a conversation with the club advisor that I realized I was interested in computers and was better at them than my peers. Through those conversations, I came to recognize my strengths: I could quickly grasp computer concepts, explain them clearly, and resolve related issues efficiently. Receiving praise made me feel good, and before I knew it, I had become the person in charge of computer repairs within the club and the one who explained problems when they arose. I felt a renewed sense of passion and realized that I was someone who was needed for this work. As a result, another dream blossomed within me without my even realizing it. Specifically, I dreamed of becoming an educator who could teach students and the general public based on my comprehensive knowledge of computers. This made me realize I needed to study again and work harder in my club activities. So, in the latter half of my time in the club, I completely shook off the lethargy I had previously felt and threw myself into my duties with renewed vigor. During this time, I held the position of “Vice President.” First and foremost, I was responsible for repairing the computers in the club room. I also explained the rules to the underclassmen and encouraged my peers who were working hard to prepare for competitions. Additionally, whenever there were issues with the club, I spoke with the teachers to mediate and worked to ensure the club ran as smoothly and effectively as possible.
Examples of Consideration and Cooperation
‘I’ll Take Care of All the School’s Computers’
When I think about the activity where I worked hardest for others during my school years, it has to be the time I spent inspecting the computers in the school computer lab alongside the computer teacher. I was very close to the computer teacher because he was the one who recognized my strengths and supported me. He helped me discover what I was good at when I had no dreams, and he guided me on how to improve. So, wanting to spend even a little more time with him and work alongside him, I stayed after school to help with his work. Through this, I learned a lot and quickly picked up the skills needed to assist in maintaining the school’s computers. At first, there were many errors I couldn’t fix, but as I put in more effort and became capable of handling more tasks, my confidence grew, and I worked even harder. I even established a regular inspection day, where I would check the computers in my assigned area and fix any errors on my own. To me, it was like a game. It was fun and interesting. It was even more fun when I explained how to fix errors to my friends, and I was excited because it seemed like there would be even more I could do in the future. As a result, I was able to help others diligently and, through fixing computers, cultivate an interest in them. Through this experience, I discovered the joy of helping others. I also realized my own limitations in helping. That joy is, quite literally, a sense of pride. It was rewarding to help people based on what I could do and to see them carry out their own tasks with my assistance. I often felt grateful simply because they came to me whenever something happened. As for the shortcomings, they became apparent whenever I felt my own skills were lacking. Whenever I encountered problems I couldn’t handle, I felt the need to work harder to improve my skills. That is why I am looking forward to the day I can go to college as soon as possible to receive professional training.
Academic and Career Path After College
‘I will become someone who works with and teaches the machines that lead the era.’
I don’t believe that just because it’s the Department of Computer Education, I’ll be someone who only handles, works with, and teaches computers. I don’t think I should view myself as someone who only teaches computers. The boundaries between computers and smartphones are blurring, and with the emergence of tablets, all boundaries are being broken down. Therefore, if I am admitted to college, I believe I must properly understand and learn all of these things. I believe one must be able to read the trends of this changing era. Although I can currently only handle PCs and Macs, I want to properly learn all these aspects once I enter university. I also have a strong desire to master the teaching methods required to convey this knowledge effectively. I am eager to learn how to communicate and convey information more effectively. Therefore, my academic plan after entering university is, first and foremost, to approach my studies with diligence.
I want to participate diligently in classes and work hard to absorb comprehensive knowledge related to computers, as well as learn about teaching methods. I am particularly interested in teaching methods. By learning and mastering various teaching methods, I aim to train myself to find the approach that suits me best and become someone who can convey information effectively. I also plan to participate in a lot of community service. My computer teacher, who is both my mentor and my teacher, once told me that there are still many young people in the community who do not know how to use computers properly. He said that education for these young people is urgently needed, but the government is failing to provide it effectively. When I heard that there is a need for people who can go to these places and volunteer, I felt that I was the one who should do this work. I am eager to study hard and master my skills so that I can apply them to help those who need my expertise through volunteer work. By balancing my studies with these activities, I aspire to become a versatile professional who meets the needs of our time, as well as a teacher with a broad-minded character and a deep sense of virtue. I look forward to your support.
