In this blog post, I’ll summarize what I learned and felt through the efforts I put into my studies, as well as my school activities and volunteer experiences, during my time in high school.

Writing About My Academic Experiences and Reflections

Around the middle of my freshman year of high school, my father’s financial situation suddenly took a turn for the worse, making it difficult for me to continue attending cram schools or receiving private tutoring. Although our family wasn’t well-off, my parents had always provided a lot of support for my studies, so I found it hard to accept this change. When I started studying on my own without cram schools or private tutors, the biggest challenge was that “there was no one to ask immediately when I didn’t understand something.”
Having grown accustomed to private tutoring, I felt frustrated whenever I encountered something I didn’t understand, and I didn’t feel comfortable frequently going to my teacher to ask questions. I suddenly wondered if this was a problem unique to me, and I thought there might be friends facing similar difficulties. So, I actively looked around to find friends in similar situations and reached out to them.
I suggested to my friends that we form a study group. At first, some reacted skeptically, wondering what we—a “ragtag group”—could possibly accomplish by studying together, but they changed their minds when I explained that we should share our individual strengths. We agreed that the friend who was good at Korean would take charge of Korean, the friend who was good at math would take charge of math, and we would teach each other while getting help with our weaker subjects.
We eventually formed a study group, and the results were successful. By filling in each other’s gaps and sharing our strengths, we were all able to grow together. Through this experience, I learned an important lesson: studying alone isn’t always the best approach, and by sharing our individual strengths and working together, we can grow beyond our individual capabilities.

Major School Activities and Reflections

Volunteer work, which I initially participated in merely as a formality, became a turning point that changed my outlook on life. The school offered a variety of volunteer programs, and I remember grumbling as I participated because my teacher had insisted I join at least one. However, the enthusiasm at the volunteer site quickly dispelled my complaints, and it was only then that I realized just how selfish I had been.
The volunteer site I chose was a nursing home on the outskirts of Seoul, and my main tasks—such as cleaning and assisting with meals—were relatively simple. Most of the volunteers were upperclassmen, and as a freshman, I received help from them many times. They assisted me whenever I tried to do something and taught me the true meaning of volunteering through our work together. They said, “Since volunteering is done for free, helping each other is the most important thing, and volunteering shouldn’t be a burden,” and they demonstrated this through their actions.
Seeing the seniors’ thoughtfulness and spirit of cooperation, I shook off the initial feelings of burden and guilt and began to follow their example. Even after my tasks were finished, I didn’t just stand around; I went elsewhere to lend a hand, and I also took on the role of helping newcomers settle in. Not everyone was as proactive as the seniors, but I made a conscious effort to never forget the spirit of self-sacrifice I learned then and to put it into practice consistently.
Through this volunteer work, I saw firsthand how even small actions can be a great source of strength for someone. Watching how small acts of kindness came together to repair homes and provide a place to live, I deeply realized that “people are not meant to live alone, but together.” This realization became the driving force that further strengthened my commitment to volunteering and my sense of community.

Writing About Examples of Consideration, Sharing, and Cooperation, and My Reflections

While volunteering at the nursing home, I met several people who consistently engaged in charitable activities, and seeing their example inspired me to plan a sharing campaign myself. After proposing the idea to the school, we were able to officially launch a donation drive following approval by the student council and the faculty meeting, and I was in charge of planning and executing the process.
During the donation period, the items students brought in were more diverse than I had expected. We collected a wide range of items, from household furniture like curtains and dining tables to school supplies, school uniforms, gym uniforms, clothing, and decorative items. I meticulously compiled and categorized the inventory, then spent a week working with volunteers to clean and repair items that needed it. We sorted the items into categories such as clothing, furniture, school uniforms, and school supplies, and then identified organizations suited to each category’s purpose.
Ultimately, we distributed the items to nine organizations, and by the end of the event, I was physically and mentally exhausted. Although I sometimes felt doubtful, wondering, “Was all this effort really worth it?” every time I received a thank-you note or feedback from the recipient organizations, I felt as though I had received something even greater in return. Seeing firsthand how even a single small item could make a big difference to someone else allowed me to deeply appreciate the fulfillment of giving.
Through this experience, I truly came to understand the value of consideration and cooperation. The process of working together—from planning to execution, gathering people, and dividing roles—was a learning experience in itself, and I learned that small actions have the power to create big changes. Moving forward, I intend to remain mindful of those around me and continue to reach out directly to those in need.