In this blog post, I’ll summarize the academic efforts I made during high school, my extracurricular activities, examples of my consideration and cooperation, as well as my motivation for applying and my career preparation.
Writing About My Academic Experiences and Reflections
I’ve always been good at making plans, but I struggled with a “three-day wonder” habit where my plans would quickly fall apart. No matter how meticulously I created a schedule, my resolve would falter after just three or four days, and every time that happened, I would blame myself for being weak. I definitely saw this as a shortcoming in my study habits.
However, I realized there was another side to my approach of constantly having to make new plans. I have a strong competitive spirit and a drive to win, so seeing my friends study actually motivated me to work even harder. Whenever I saw someone doing well, I would change my plan to do better than them; then, when I saw another friend, I would adjust my plan again to try even harder.
I decided not to view this tendency solely as a negative but to turn it into a strength. I picked one friend who was a strong student and promised myself I would study just ten minutes more than they did. I made a daily schedule and followed it, but I also stuck to the principle of focusing just ten minutes longer during evening self-study and break times.
Specifically, I consistently maintained small practices like staying up to study if my friend didn’t get up, or solving one more set of problems before moving on to the next section. Even without any major changes in strategy, the cumulative 10 minutes each day added up to a substantial amount of time, which led to an improvement in my grades.
What I realized through this experience was that there is no shortcut to studying, and that the power of “just a little more” is real. I experienced firsthand that small, extra efforts, when consistently accumulated, create noticeable changes, and even now, I approach my studies by telling myself, “Let’s do just a little more.”
Major Extracurricular Activities and Reflections
The activity I valued and participated in consistently during high school was volunteer work. For a while, I was so focused on my studies that I often felt like a selfish person for not trying to help others. I wanted to change that mindset, and at the suggestion of a senior, I began volunteering at a local community center to maintain public facilities.
My volunteer work mainly involved regularly cleaning and maintaining public spaces such as parks and streams. As I participated in caring for trees planted by the residents and keeping the parks clean, I felt the joy of acting for the benefit of others rather than just for my own gain.
Through volunteering, the sense of guilt that had long plagued me—that I “couldn’t help others”—gradually faded away. When I consistently did small things for others, my life became more vibrant, I began to view myself more positively, and this led to greater self-confidence. The realization that I was a “good person” became a source of strength that helped me overcome difficulties in various situations later on.
In particular, I came to enjoy managing finances while serving as the treasurer for the volunteer team for a long time. At first, I felt burdened by the responsibility, but through the process of drawing up and executing budgets, as well as checking and announcing the remaining funds, I discovered the joy of managing finances efficiently. I felt a great sense of fulfillment when I planned new activities with the leftover money and my friends expressed their gratitude.
My experience as treasurer naturally sparked an interest in economics and resource management, leading me to seriously consider majoring in economics. I enjoyed planning cash flows and taking responsibility for the results, and this became a major turning point in my career choice.
Meanwhile, the confidence I gained from my school activities led me to run for vice president. Unfortunately, I lost by a single vote, but that experience taught me the value of the people by my side—more so than the failure itself. I realized how much strength comes from having people who support you during difficult times, and thanks to that, I developed an attitude of caring for those around me and being grateful.
Examples of Consideration, Sharing, and Cooperation, and My Reflections
The achievement I am most proud of is organizing a study group. When I entered my sophomore year of high school, class compositions changed, and the uneven mix of academic levels made it difficult to manage classes effectively. The class included students who had already finished the material, those who still needed to build a foundation, and those at an intermediate level, making it hard for teachers to adjust the pace of instruction.
To solve this problem, I proposed creating study groups based on academic performance levels so that students could complement each other’s strengths. The groups were structured so that high-performing students could review the material by explaining it to others, while students who were struggling could solidify their fundamentals and learn effective study methods. Students in the middle group were able to absorb the strengths of both sides.
Although this idea was simple at first, it proved highly effective once implemented. Students who explained the material were able to test their own understanding, those who learned gained practical study skills, and an atmosphere of mutual support spread throughout the entire class. This activity has continued voluntarily within the class for two years now.
Through this experience, I learned the power of ideas and the importance of execution. I gained the confidence that even methods that seem trivial or impossible at first glance are worth trying if they offer a solution that is needed right now. I also realized that cooperation is a powerful tool that goes beyond simple kindness to drive each other’s academic growth.
Efforts and Preparation Related to Motivation for Application and Career Plans
My decision to apply to the Department of Economics at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies was not simply because I wanted to study economics. While many people say that a university specializing in foreign languages is only a place to learn languages, that very point was actually the decisive reason I chose this school. In an era where the world crosses borders and influences one another, I believe that language skills and diverse experiences are assets of the utmost importance.
Language proficiency serves as a window to understanding other cultures and people, and is essential for approaching economic issues from a broader perspective. At HUFS, I expect to simultaneously build my language skills and gain experience through interactions with capable seniors, diverse programs, and opportunities for international exchange. This environment will be of great help in my future growth as an economist addressing global issues.
My specific academic plan is to build a solid foundation in economic theory during my undergraduate studies while simultaneously improving my foreign language skills, with the goal of becoming an economics expert equipped with language proficiency. I intend to consistently improve my skills by fostering a competitive spirit through classes, study groups, and university programs, and I plan to actively utilize exchange student and overseas internship opportunities to broaden my practical experience.
In the long term, as an economist, I wish to analyze the flow of money and international economic issues to contribute to solving real-world policy and market problems. In particular, my goal is to research the impact of global capital flows on local communities and the resulting imbalances, thereby contributing to the creation of a more livable society.
To achieve this, I plan to diligently study during my undergraduate years, engage in diverse language training, and actively utilize the international experiences offered by HUFS. By combining my foreign language skills with economic knowledge, I will develop the ability to solve real-world problems and ultimately grow into an economics expert active on the international stage.
