In this blog post, I will summarize my academic experiences and school activities during high school, examples of kindness and generosity, as well as my motivation for applying and the process of preparing for my career.
Writing about Academic Experiences and Reflections
The impact of studying Hanja on my overall academic performance was greater than I had anticipated. Upon learning that while Hangul is a phonetic script, Hanja is a logographic script, I gained a deep understanding of the difference between expressions that are easy to read in Hangul and the method of interpreting meaning through Hanja. Realizing that over 70% of the Korean language consists of Sino-Korean words, I felt that knowledge of Hanja was essential when reading newspapers or analyzing Korean language passages. So, when I took Hanja classes in school, I tried to learn as much as possible, and as a result, I found that my ability to study other subjects improved as well.
Studying Hanja didn’t immediately boost my grades in other subjects, but it definitely helped when interpreting passages or understanding the intent behind exam questions. For example, when I encountered the word “유추” (inference) in a Korean language passage, I used to miss its exact meaning and gloss over it before I knew the Hanja. However, after learning the Hanja, I could immediately understand its meaning—“to infer through similar content”—by associating the characters “유 (類)” and “추 (推).” In this way, knowledge of Hanja allowed me to grasp the meaning of sentences and vocabulary more precisely.
To improve my Hanja skills, I consistently read Hanja textbooks while preparing for certification exams. Rather than simply memorizing individual characters as symbols, I made an effort to learn words within sentences. Learning words in context allowed me to recognize phrases as units, making comprehension naturally easier. Still, when I needed to memorize the shapes of Hanja characters, I studied them by analyzing them as if drawing pictures. I realized that even complex Hanja characters, when broken down into their components, are simply combinations of basic radicals, which helped me understand that Hanja was originally a pictographic script. Ultimately, studying Hanja was a great help in interpreting Korean words more accurately.
Major School Activities and Reflections
In my first year of high school, I wrote down the things I wanted to achieve and made a plan to put them into action. I made a commitment that if I wrote down my goals in the form of a modest bucket list, I could accomplish them within three years, and among them, I wrote that I would definitely participate in overseas volunteer work. Then, at the end of my second year, I put that goal into practice and joined an overseas volunteer group in Mongolia. The region is mountainous with poor social infrastructure, making the reconstruction of educational and basic facilities necessary. Through on-site visits, we identified areas in need of support and decided to carry out volunteer work focused on facility reconstruction.
The program I participated in, called the “Youth Overseas Work Camp,” ran for a relatively long period spanning both the school term and summer vacation. To prepare for the trip, I gathered the necessary funds and personal items two months in advance and met with my fellow participants beforehand to build rapport. The group included teachers, seniors, and juniors, allowing me to form connections with a diverse range of people. We held several preparatory meetings to ensure we could carry out the volunteer work properly and gathered the necessary construction materials and tools. While most materials could be sourced locally, some items were only available domestically, making the cooperation and preparation of the team members particularly crucial.
I always tried to keep in mind that overseas volunteering is not just a simple experience, but a responsible activity. We confirmed safety procedures such as insurance enrollment and school authorization, and conducted preliminary research using photos provided during meetings to understand the local situation. The Mongolian region I saw in the photos was far more underdeveloped than I had anticipated, with many makeshift educational facilities and buildings in need of renovation. Seeing that safety facilities were almost nonexistent, I resolved to approach the local support work with a more serious mindset.
After arriving in Mongolia, I first explored my assigned area through mountain climbing and hiking. Since the region is mostly mountainous, it was essential to assess the terrain on foot, and during this process, I experienced the limits of my physical endurance. There were sections that were difficult to endure with only my domestic hiking experience, so I had to rely on the help of my seniors to make it down. Through this process, I felt a sense of camaraderie and realized how precious it is to have friends who endure difficult situations together. I also learned the spirit of challenge as I resolved to complete the camp no matter what, even while sustaining physical injuries.
Examples of Consideration, Sharing, and Cooperation, and My Reflections
Our full-scale volunteer activities in Mongolia began one week into our stay. The first week was spent observing the region, climate, and natural environment to identify architectural approaches we could apply. Since it was difficult to directly apply domestic construction methods or infrastructure information to this environment, we needed an approach that took local conditions into account. As a result, we decided on the direction of our volunteer work in consultation with local residents, and our assigned tasks were set as installing fences and rebuilding a gazebo (rest area).
Since the fence work required a structure capable of withstanding the vast fields and strong winds, we performed repetitive tasks every day: removing weeds, sanding the wood, and then painting it. After continuing the same work for over two weeks, we were physically exhausted, but we felt a sense of accomplishment as we watched the fence gradually take shape. We found it deeply rewarding to know that our efforts were directly helping to protect the crops in the fields.
As the fence work neared completion, we began rebuilding the village pavilion. The pavilion was an important space serving as the center for meetings and community life, but the wood had rotted and needed to be replaced. We performed basic tasks such as measuring, cutting materials, and hammering nails, while the villagers showed their consideration by transporting materials and preparing meals for us. Witnessing the villagers’ continuous support gave us the strength to finish the construction, and as we completed the reconstruction faster than expected, we deeply felt the joy of sharing and cooperation.
Efforts and Preparation Related to Motivation for Application and Career Plans
I applied to the Department of Surveying and Geoinformation because I wanted to participate in the planning and development of urban spaces. Specifically, I wanted to contribute to the process of efficiently designing and constructing social infrastructure such as roads and housing, and to that end, I set my sights on working for organizations like the Korea Expressway Corporation or the Korea Housing Corporation. After receiving advice during career counseling that this field is promising, I researched the Department of Surveying and Geoinformation to further refine my career goals.
I determined that the Department of Land and Surveying, which covers a wide range of subjects including real estate, urban planning, surveying, and urban administration, is well-suited for developing the skills I need to become the urban planning expert I aspire to be. I am particularly interested in the field of urban planning and aim to acquire expertise in this area. My experience participating in facility reconstruction through overseas volunteer work during high school was a valuable opportunity that allowed me to gain a practical understanding of the fundamentals of architecture and infrastructure, even from a non-specialist’s perspective. The experience of working with my own hands, handling cement and carpentry materials, further solidified my resolve regarding my career path.
During my time at university, I plan to actively participate in urban planning projects and architectural volunteer work open to students. For example, I intend to gain practical experience by participating in redevelopment projects for underdeveloped urban areas or design and architectural volunteer work, and to build a professional network with senior professionals active in the field. Through participation in various projects, I will develop practical skills and learn how to collaborate with professionals.
After graduation, I aspire to become an urban space planner who contributes to the community where I grew up. My ultimate goal is to become a professional who actively participates in the process of revitalizing and modernizing the region, thereby helping to improve the quality of life for local residents. Building on the field experience I have accumulated since high school and my practical involvement during college, I will systematically develop my expertise.
