In this blog post, I will outline the content of a personal statement for applicants to the Department of Mathematics at Kyung Hee University, focusing on academic efforts, campus activities, examples of consideration and cooperation, as well as the educational environment and career plans.

Academic Efforts and Learning Experiences

Typically, mock exams are administered once every three to four months. Midterm and final exams are also scheduled during that period. However, I felt that studying in that manner made me become too complacent. Furthermore, I wasn’t satisfied with merely assessing my current level of proficiency. Therefore, I administered my own exams once a month to evaluate my progress and adjusted my study plan based on the results. This was because there were times when my math scores were higher than my Korean scores even though I had barely studied math, or when my science scores were low despite having studied them—situations where my grades didn’t reflect the time I had invested in studying. In those situations, I believed it was crucial to quickly review my study plan and start over, and that’s exactly what I did. If I took a self-administered test and my English score didn’t reflect my hard work, it meant there was a problem with my study method. At times like that, I would discuss my approach with my teachers and ask for their advice to identify exactly where I was falling short. My teachers were very supportive of me, even though I wasn’t attending a cram school and was studying on my own by researching learning methods. Additionally, for math, I would regularly assess my current level to determine what kind of problems I should be solving. I also identified which units I was strong in and which I was weak in, adjusting my study methods for each unit accordingly. In English, in particular, after working hard on practice problems, I realized I was consistently getting fill-in-the-blank questions wrong. So, I focused exclusively on that question type for a month, and as a result, I mastered it and saw an overall improvement in my English skills. Self-assessing my weaknesses and studying accordingly had a positive impact on me; not only did it improve my learning outcomes, but it also boosted my confidence.

Extracurricular Activities

I joined the essay writing club because my writing skills were severely lacking. Since I had been interested in math and science from a young age, I preferred activities that utilized my scientific mindset—such as solving applied math problems, inventing things, or playing with molecules—rather than reading books. Because I didn’t read much, studying the language section was really difficult, and whenever I was assigned homework like book reports during vacation, it took me twice as much effort to write them compared to others. As a result, while I could get by just studying the language section for now, I had no idea how I would manage to write essays and complete assignments once I got to college. That’s why I decided I needed to start studying now and joined the essay writing club. Coincidentally, the Korean language teacher in charge of this club was highly respected throughout the school, so I felt motivated to join and study. Through my participation, I wrote various types of essays and even competed in writing contests. Joining the club and writing allowed me to gain far more diverse experiences than I had anticipated. First of all, I was able to broaden my horizons through discussions. In my first year, the seniors would usually prepare the discussion topics, the teacher would observe, and the underclassmen would debate based on those topics. During this time, I was able to develop my thinking by discussing various issues with my friends. The topic that left the deepest impression on me was one related to economic issues. Since it was an area I was already very interested in, it naturally caught my attention. I was able to hear others’ perspectives on questions like: What do people think about the wealth gap? How do they view the current economic situation and the division of roles between large corporations and small and medium-sized enterprises? Will Korea’s economy continue to grow in the future, or will it stagnate? Furthermore, as I listened to their views on these issues, I realized that my own perspective was very personal. Since both my parents are alive and actively working, and while we aren’t particularly wealthy, we also don’t lack for anything, I had always viewed the economy from a middle-of-the-road perspective. Listening to economic discussions from the perspectives of friends from affluent backgrounds or those struggling financially, I realized that Korea is a society where diverse people come together—just as there are diverse social issues—and that the problems arising within it require consideration of various factors. Furthermore, writing down these thoughts helped me solidify them, which is why I developed the concrete dream of becoming a “Social Survey Analyst.” This led me to decide to apply to the Department of Mathematics at Kyung Hee University and dedicate myself to my studies. A Social Survey Analyst is a profession that examines various aspects of society, collects data, and uses those findings to benefit businesses and the nation. As someone deeply interested in diverse social issues and analysis, I chose to major in mathematics with this career as my goal. This activity helped me develop the mindset needed to combine my dreams with my aptitudes.

Examples of Consideration, Sharing, and Cooperation

I tend to enjoy mathematics rather than take it lightly. Because I enjoyed solving problems, I noticed that many of my friends found math difficult. My math teacher created a system called “Math Buddies” to help these students, and the teacher selected applicants from among the students who struggled with math and wanted to join the program, then asked students who were good at math to volunteer as mentors. Since I was the math club president at the time and enjoyed both solving math problems and solving them with others, I signed up and was paired with a classmate to study math together. The problem was that I was paired with the student who struggled the most among those who weren’t good at math—a student who wasn’t just bad at it but also lacked any motivation. As a Math Buddy, I felt a sense of responsibility to look after him, but he was so unmotivated that he rarely even tried to solve problems. That really upset me. So, I started taking care of him as if he were my own younger brother. When I asked myself why he lacked motivation, I realized it was because he lacked confidence. There were so many students who were naturally good at math, but since he wasn’t doing well and had no one beside him to boost his confidence, he was always intimidated, and that led to his lethargy. I felt truly sorry for him. So, I started encouraging him right by his side. Even though there were things he was good at and things he wasn’t, I focused on the things he was good at and praised him enthusiastically for those areas. At times, simply seeing my friend’s lethargy was exhausting in itself, but I didn’t give up. As a result, my friend began to change and started studying hard. Through that experience, I learned that while helping others is difficult, it is definitely possible if you persevere, and that praise is crucial. That’s why I still make a point of offering praise to others whenever I can.

Educational Background, Motivation for Application, and Post-Admission Plans

The phrase “If you work hard, you will succeed” has always been a truth and a guiding principle for me. This is because everyone around me—from relatives to the older brothers and sisters I’ve known since childhood, and even my own parents—has reaped the rewards of their hard work and lived their lives that way.
My father studied hard, earned many certifications, and now lives as an expert in his field; my mother was the same. The older cousins I know also started from scratch, but through their dedication—working so hard they barely came home—they successfully achieved what they set out to do. Growing up under and alongside such people, I believed it was only natural to be rewarded for hard work and that success was guaranteed. Consequently, I always strived to work hard and lived positively, convinced that I could achieve anything through effort. However, what I learned through discussions with friends in the essay writing club and what I witnessed while volunteering were worlds apart from the reality I had known. Take the example of one friend, for instance. This friend studies much more diligently than I do and is far more passionate about everything. He excels academically, and since his career aspirations lie in educational research, he has a deep interest in education. Naturally, I assumed he would get into a much better university than I did and pursue a career as an educator. But what I heard from him in the essay and debate club pointed in a completely different direction. First of all, they had no intention of going to college. Instead, they planned to go abroad—to countries like Vietnam or the Philippines—for three years to work manual labor jobs and earn money. I was shocked and asked them to explain their reasoning. It turned out that simply making ends meet was difficult, and if they didn’t leave soon to earn money, their family would face a critical crisis. Many of the people I met through volunteer work and my friends were also in situations where they had to give up everything because they didn’t have enough money to get by even the next day. Having never encountered such circumstances before, I was deeply shocked. Furthermore, I felt that my own overconfidence—my belief that “if you just work hard, you can do anything, so why can’t people make money?”—had become utterly insignificant. This led me to begin reflecting on this issue. I began to wonder why such extremes exist in society. Then, during a career guidance session, I learned about the profession of “Social Survey Analyst.” I realized that by majoring in mathematics—a subject I excel at—I could pursue this career path. To find the answer to my question, I decided to enroll in the Department of Mathematics at Kyung Hee University. I want to pursue my dream by diligently exploring the academic disciplines of mathematics, which form the foundation of this profession, while also broadening my horizons through diverse experiences and courses to develop a multifaceted perspective on society.