In this blog post, I will summarize my academic efforts and school activities during high school, examples of my acts of consideration, sharing, and cooperation, as well as my motivation for applying and my career preparation process.
Academic Experience and Reflections
During high school, I always felt anxious during exams. While I was usually able to understand and retain the plots and outlines of literary works well during class, I repeatedly found myself unable to answer questions on multiple-choice exams to the extent I had learned the material. For example, even though I understood a novel like “The Old Man Who Made Jars” well in class, I would often get two out of four questions wrong on similar multiple-choice questions during midterm and final exams.
After carefully analyzing the root of the problem, I realized that I had a strong tendency to interpret questions subjectively rather than accurately grasping the examiner’s intent. In other words, the issue wasn’t a lack of understanding but errors arising from logical reasoning. Because I usually insisted on unique answers or my own interpretations, I had a weakness when it came to deriving universal and valid conclusions.
To overcome this, I purchased books on logic and critical thinking and began self-study. The books emphasized the practice of clearly defining concepts first, and through training to accurately express abstract concepts in everyday language, they helped me realize that I had been relying too much on my own subjective understanding. Next, I learned about the types of fallacies in reasoning and, in particular, mastered how to eliminate fallacies of ambiguity.
When solving problems, ambiguous wrong answers often appeared to be correct; I learned that to avoid such pitfalls, I must first identify the core concepts and definitions required by the question. Furthermore, by understanding the difference between inductive and deductive reasoning, I developed the habit of determining which reasoning method to apply based on the question type. Now, when I encounter a test question, I first verify the core concepts, eliminate ambiguous options, and then select the appropriate method of reasoning to solve the problem calmly, thereby reducing mistakes.
Write about major school activities and reflections
Out of my love for the school, I wanted to change the perception that it had a “poor reputation” in the local community. Located on the outskirts of town and with low admission scores, our school was not viewed favorably by the outside world. With this in mind, I applied to join the Student Discipline Committee during my sophomore year and served on the team dedicated to at-risk youth. This team was tasked with counseling first-year students who exhibited problematic behavior and helping them improve their conduct.
Our approach was not simply to scold them and tell them to “stop misbehaving.” Instead, we developed a strategy to first build a rapport and establish trust with the student, then guide behavioral change through ongoing counseling. In fact, there were underclassmen causing various problems, such as smoking on campus, bullying others in the classroom, skipping classes, and loitering off-campus. Our unit discussed which methods would be most effective and adjusted our approach accordingly.
The first-year student I was assigned to was a girl who exhibited particularly severe disciplinary issues. She took the lead in bullying a specific student in her class, repeatedly violated school rules—such as applying makeup during class or smoking in the hallway during breaks—and had been suspended multiple times. She was also involved in an assault incident and was on the verge of being recommended for transfer. While counseling her, I struggled with how to approach her, but as we talked, I realized that beneath her outward behavior lay family conflicts and a desire for attention.
Considering she had no siblings, I decided to take on the role of an older brother and help her navigate school life. I frequently visited her class to ask if she was having any difficulties, occasionally brought her snacks, and encouraged her to take an interest in her studies.
I reinforced positive behavior by praising her generously whenever she showed preparation for even small pop quizzes, and by emphasizing her strengths and rewarding her even when her grades were low. On the other hand, when she exhibited misbehavior, I deliberately reduced my attention and maintained a consistent air of indifference to let her feel the consequences of her actions.
After much patience and a consistent approach, she gradually opened up and began to reflect on her own behavior. As he began to think about his future path on his own, he made an effort to minimize the harm he caused to those around him, and as a senior, I felt a great sense of fulfillment. Through this experience, I learned that building trust and providing consistent support is far more effective for bringing about change than trying to correct problematic behavior all at once.
Examples of Consideration, Sharing, and Cooperation, and My Reflections
As an extension of my activities in the Student Council, I planned and carried out local volunteer activities with my juniors. The fact that this junior became interested in volunteer work was the result of my ongoing counseling and discussions about their future. They later expressed a desire to become someone who does a lot of volunteer work, and I suggested we put that into practice right away.
We formed teams consisting of Student Council seniors and their respective juniors to make quilted blankets to donate to a local nursing home. We agreed that each team would complete one quilt, and I worked with my junior through the entire process—from cutting the fabric to stuffing it with batting and quilting it. Before the volunteer project, I had frequently clashed with this junior, and there were unresolved issues, such as him being caught smoking repeatedly despite his inability to quit. However, while making the quilt together, he displayed a serious attitude unlike his usual self.
Instead of rushing through the work, she carefully measured the fabric and dimensions, saying she hoped the elderly would stay warm using the quilts. She also honestly confided that, although she usually smoked out of habit, she wanted to quit this time. Seeing her like that, my prejudices melted away, and I felt a genuine desire to understand her. Rather than harshly reprimanding her for her smoking right away, I decided to watch over her so she could change gradually, and I continued to support her consistently afterward.
As a result, after the quilt-making volunteer work, the junior began to change his behavior, demonstrating a sense of responsibility and diligence. By the time I graduated, he shared the news that he had successfully quit smoking. This experience was a moment when I personally witnessed the power of consideration, sharing, and cooperation, and it taught me that consistent attention and joint action are more important than anything else when it comes to changing people.
Efforts and Preparation Related to Motivation for Application and Career Plans
I majored in psychology in college and plan to pursue a career as a professional school counselor by completing teacher certification. My experience of bringing about change through counseling in high school had a significant influence on my career choice. My natural tendency to listen attentively to my friends, combined with my counseling experience in the student council, allowed me to directly appreciate the importance of counseling in a school setting.
In college, I plan to diligently complete my major coursework while also studying school counseling-related subjects in depth through the teacher certification program. In particular, I believe that to work as a school counselor, one needs not only theoretical knowledge but also field experience and systematic certification. Therefore, alongside completing the teacher certification program, I plan to prepare for practical training and exams with the goal of obtaining a Level 2 Professional Counseling Teacher Certification.
My interest in the field of school counseling stems not only from my personal inclinations. I have witnessed the reality that, even when counseling systems exist in schools, students often fail to receive the help they need, and that superficial measures are insufficient to resolve underlying issues. I want to address the various problems that remain hidden in the classroom and the discrepancy between how students behave in front of teachers and how they actually live their lives.
Therefore, I intend to build a solid foundation of psychological knowledge in college and develop practical skills through diverse counseling internships and field experience, so that I can play a meaningful role in supporting the public education counseling system. In the long term, my goal is to effectively manage the school’s counseling infrastructure as a professional counseling teacher and help students grow while feeling a genuine sense of security. To this end, I will consistently dedicate myself to my studies and practical training.
