In this blog post, I will summarize my academic efforts and learning experiences during high school, the school activities in which I meaningfully participated, examples of my consideration and cooperation, as well as my motivation for applying and my career preparation process.
Writing About Academic Experiences and Reflections
Practicing Discussion-Based Learning Through Questions and Dialogue
During high school, I participated in a school study group focused on humanities reading. Our school had a system where a teacher was assigned if five or more students applied to form a study group, so I organized a group with friends interested in the humanities, and a Korean language teacher served as our mentor. At the start of each study session, we held meetings to set learning goals and plans, receiving guidance from our teacher throughout the process.
Our teacher recommended humanities books for us to read, and we selected those that would help us build background knowledge. Among the books we selected were *What Is Justice?* and *Broad and Shallow Knowledge for Intellectual Conversation*. After each of us read the books, we gathered at a set time to hold a book discussion. Rather than following strict speaking rules, the discussion was conducted by posing a broad question and then developing the conversation by posing follow-up questions centered on that main question.
The questions we primarily asked were designed to spark current affairs and philosophical reflections by connecting them to the book’s content. For example, through questions like “What are your thoughts on North Korea’s socialist system?” and “If unification were to occur, how would it unfold differently from the German case?”, we broadened each other’s perspectives. While the questions themselves seemed sophisticated, the actual discussions were conducted in an accessible and practical manner that allowed everyone to participate, focusing more on expanding our thinking than on criticism.
Our instructor referred to this not as a “debate” but as a “conversation,” introducing us to a dialogic approach to education similar to the Jewish educational method of Havruta. We adopted elements of this conversation-centered learning method and adapted it to our own style. As a result, we gained the experience of more easily understanding current affairs and humanistic thought while exchanging ideas with one another.
Major School Activities and Reflections
Philosophy Academy: Discussing Classics and Literature
I participated in the Philosophy Academy, which was operated as part of the school’s Creative Experience Activities. The Philosophy Academy allowed us to gain background knowledge on classics and ideas—topics difficult to cover in the general curriculum—through liberal arts-style classes, and provided time to share thoughts with friends after reading excerpts from classic works.
Compared to the book discussions in my previous study group, the Academy differed in scale and depth. While the study group was a small, self-organized gathering, the Academy was an opportunity for students from various classes to come together and hear diverse opinions; the topics covered also delved more deeply into both the historical context and the context of the classics themselves. Furthermore, whereas we chose our own topics in the study group, in the Academy we were able to conduct discussions under the guidance of an instructor who had selected the topics. Although our autonomy was reduced, there was the advantage of interpreting the classics more meaningfully through topics selected by experts.
The works I particularly remember were materials summarizing Mozi’s philosophy and Goethe’s *The Sorrows of Young Werther*. Since Mozi’s philosophy covers a broad scope, we studied it using excerpts provided by the instructor, which allowed me to gain a new understanding of China’s turbulent times and the concerns of the thinkers of that era. Mozi’s concepts of “universal love” and “public interest” became topics of discussion, and I specifically raised questions about the practice of enforcing universal love through rewards and punishments.
During the discussion, I argued that education and influence that draw out genuine feelings are more effective than coercive rewards and punishments, while a classmate with an opposing view presented evidence that rewards and punishments are necessary to control human selfishness. While my opponent cited extreme examples from wartime to illustrate the selfishness of human nature, I provided examples showing that empathy can be cultivated through educational approaches. Through this process of exchanging differing arguments, I felt my background knowledge and ability to develop logical arguments improve.
Examples of Consideration, Sharing, and Cooperation, and My Reflections
Goethe, Collaborative Project
Toward the end of the semester, as the Philosophy Academy was drawing to a close, I teamed up with friends I had debated with in the Academy to work on a collaborative project. The assignment was to read Goethe’s *The Sorrows of Young Werther* and write a collaborative essay, but it wasn’t easy to create a coherent piece where multiple people spoke with one voice.
We agreed to complete the overall outline first rather than diving straight into writing. We organized the process step by step, from selecting the genre and setting the theme to determining how to gather necessary evidence. The format we chose was an interview. We believed that reconstructing the novel’s characters in an interview format would allow us to convey their lives and emotions more vividly.
We also clearly defined our roles within the team. I took on the role of Werther, representing the character’s psychology and perspective, while my teammates took on the perspectives of Goethe or other characters in the story, engaging in dialogue with me. One friend took on the role of transcribing the interview content from the reporter’s perspective. To faithfully express Werther’s inner world, I read the book repeatedly, striving to understand the psychology and social context of an 18th-century German youth.
Throughout this process, we did not merely engage in discussion but utilized complex learning strategies to complete the piece. By coordinating our perspectives and integrating content according to the outline, we learned the importance of collaboration and the ability to reconcile differing opinions in a practical setting.
Efforts and Preparation Related to Motivation for Application and Career Plans
A philosophy magazine covering a wide range of humanities and classics
My motivation for applying to the Department of Political Science, Journalism, and Public Relations stems from the alignment between my career goals and the department’s educational objectives. The department aims to cultivate dynamic professionals capable of working across various media fields by integrating politics, journalism, and public relations. As I aspire to become a journalist who combines a perspective on current affairs with expertise in public relations and publishing, I believe the department’s curriculum will serve as an excellent foundation for achieving my goals.
My goal is to publish a philosophy magazine targeting the age group most active in social life. My personal interest in classics and philosophy was formed while reading humanities, philosophy, and literature in high school, a process that led me to reflect deeply on life’s perspectives and social values. I decided to create a popular philosophy magazine to share these insights with a wider audience.
To achieve this, I concluded that I must first become a journalist who understands the magazine industry and possesses strong reporting and writing skills. To cultivate the ability to take an interest in social issues and current affairs and articulate my opinions logically, I plan to organize study groups with my peers at university to engage in ongoing discussions. This is because discussion serves not only as a means of learning but also as an essential exercise in broadly embracing others’ perspectives.
Additionally, I intend to gain practical experience in the publishing industry to build a foundation in public relations and marketing. Since my goal is to launch a self-published magazine, I need to analyze market potential and the future of the medium, while improving my planning and editing skills through hands-on experience. By the time I graduate, I will have laid the groundwork to successfully operate my self-published magazine and resonate with a wide readership.
