In this blog post, I present a sample personal statement for applicants to the Department of Korean Language and Literature at Kookmin University, in which I have organized and refined my academic efforts, school activities, examples of acts of consideration, and motivation for the major from my high school years.
Academic Efforts and Learning Experiences
My greatest strength is my reading comprehension. I have loved books since I was young and was confident in my reading ability, so my reading comprehension was both fast and accurate. Although I enjoyed the language section of the college entrance exam, I realized in my sophomore year that what I liked and what I was good at were two different things. To excel, simply enjoying the subject wasn’t enough; I needed to practice reading “carefully,” solving problems, and reworking them. I came to understand that studying is ultimately a matter of habit, and I learned through experience that if I didn’t cultivate good habits on a regular basis, I couldn’t suddenly perform well on the day of the exam. So, I changed my reading approach, shifting from “skimming” to “close reading,” and began to steadily improve my performance in the language section by developing the habit of reading everything thoroughly without missing a single detail.
I used to think that simply grasping the content was enough, but now I practiced reading passages meticulously, going beyond just understanding the content. When reading a passage, I checked to see if I fully understood it and studied by going over every single meaning. Once my reading approach shifted to close reading, I began to examine questions more carefully as well, which not only improved my scores in the language section but also served as a catalyst for raising my grades across all subjects. Realizing that the answer to a question lies within the question itself reduced my error rate and helped me establish a clear study direction. Whenever I identify areas where I’m lacking, I make sure to review them thoroughly without missing a single detail, maintaining this habit of meticulous study.
Extracurricular Activities: Club Experiences and Lessons Learned
In high school, I was able to participate in up to three clubs, which allowed me to gain a variety of experiences. At first, I joined the woodworking club, where I learned how to make objects out of wood, and second, I joined the volunteer club, where I helped with community service activities. The most meaningful activity was the “Woonda” storytelling club, which I started with the advisor I met through the volunteer club. We chose the club’s name because we hoped that when we visited kindergartens or daycare centers, the children would see us and exclaim, “You’re here!” with joy and excitement.
We prepared our storytelling performances with a seriousness uncommon for students and trained ourselves in how to care for children. To select good stories, we read many children’s books, and through that process, we gained a new appreciation for the beauty and ingenuity of Korean fairy tales. As someone who used to enjoy reading foreign literature, I developed an interest in Korean fairy tales, and this experience sparked my interest in Korean literature.
While preparing our storytelling performances, we thought deeply about the context of the stories—specifically, how to convey their flow and emotional impact. We identified the parts we wanted to make moving and practiced emphasizing them; for example, in a story about a timid character who undergoes a transformation, we practiced portraying that character’s traits in a fun and attention-grabbing way. Through discussions with my friends, we continually explored how to present the stories in ways that children would enjoy most, and we also planned activities to stimulate the five senses after reading the stories. For example, for a story about the value of friendship, we used role-playing to practice supporting one another, and for a story about building self-confidence, we planned and staged a play together with the children.
Examples of Practicing Consideration, Sharing, and Cooperation During School Life
I have consistently shared the joy of reading. Whenever I received my allowance, I would spend it on books, and as my collection at home grew, I decided to donate them to the school instead of selling them secondhand. At first, I mainly donated English-language novels, but as I became fascinated by Korean novels, I began regularly donating books I had read two or three times—those that moved me deeply and that I wanted to share—to the school library. The teachers and the librarian were surprised at first, but they recognized my sincerity and accepted my donations.
After donating books, I would go to the library during lunch or whenever I had free time to help organize and repair them, as well as apply stickers and labels. The joy I gained from this act of sharing was unexpectedly great. I felt a quiet joy when I saw my desk partner reading one of my donated books during lunch, and it gave me energy to see younger students I didn’t even know enjoying my books.
That’s why I’m reading even more eagerly and continuing to donate books regularly.
Motivation for Choosing My Major and Career Exploration Experiences
My interest in storytelling became the catalyst for my career exploration. To make my storytelling more engaging, I asked questions of various people whenever I had the chance to better understand the context, and my experience asking questions of a children’s book author was particularly memorable. I asked the author, “What is the most important thing for a child?” and requested that she write that question in the book. She smiled and gave me her email address, and from then on, we exchanged many questions via email.
Despite knowing she was busy, I shamelessly asked her many questions about understanding her work and writing techniques, and sometimes even asked for book recommendations. Through that process, I realized the magic of literature. The emotional impact that comes from the very act of reading, as well as the joy of encountering new books and ideas to understand the context, were immense. I also experienced the process of coming to terms with aspects I hadn’t understood before through the books. Inspired by these joys, I chose to major in Korean literature, and I hope to use this major to study literature and become someone who can help my curious friends.
