In this blog post, I will summarize my academic efforts and study methods during high school, my experience as a member of the school newspaper, my volunteer work, and my motivation for applying to the Department of Political Science and International Relations at DanKook University, along with my career exploration experiences.
School Information and Educational Goals
University Name: Dankook University; College and Department: Department of Political Science and International Relations, College of Social Sciences; Educational Objective: To cultivate professionals who contribute to human society based on patriotism
Academic Efforts and Learning Experiences During High School
My Study Method for Creating My Own Non-Fiction Passages: An essay can be defined as an argumentative piece in which one presents one’s own argument supported by evidence. During high school, I primarily practiced writing expository essays rather than argumentative ones. An expository essay involves elaborating on a specific topic or subject in detail; it differs from an argumentative essay because it presents facts rather than opinions. There was a reason I started writing expository essays: I struggled with non-fiction questions and had difficulty answering summary questions in essay exams. I found it relatively easier to organize arguments or express opinions. Since I’m usually quite talkative, I had no trouble organizing my thoughts and articulating what I wanted to say. However, organizing facts, explaining concepts in detail, and describing them in my own words was not easy. This was due to a lack of alternative phrasing and a limited vocabulary, so to address this, I began writing non-fiction passages myself. For example, if I were to write an essay on the government’s new food policy, I would first decide on the topic and subject matter, then gather detailed information on related topics—such as genetically modified foods or foods containing flavor enhancers—and plan the structure of my paragraphs. In the first paragraph, I introduced the latest issues surrounding the GMO labeling system, and in the next paragraph, I listed the social repercussions caused by the new system. I also presented specific examples and compared and analyzed the two topics—GMOs and MSG—using relevant case studies. By writing these non-fiction passages myself, I shifted from the perspective of analyzing a passage to that of a writer, and by creating questions related to the passages I wrote, I began to view the exam from the test-maker’s perspective. Furthermore, by repeatedly practicing summarizing my own passages into a single paragraph, I improved my skills in writing not only expository texts but also opinion pieces.
School Activities: Youth Political and Diplomatic Press Corps
Youth Political and Diplomatic Press Corps Starting in the second semester of my freshman year of high school, I participated in the Youth Political and Diplomatic Press Corps, organized by the external organization Youth Forum. This program was supported externally to operate as a school club, and I participated alongside my classmates. With a small team consisting of a president, vice president, secretary, planning department, and editorial department, I served as vice president, responsible for planning the group’s schedule and external activities in detail. The purpose of the group was for young people to exchange opinions online about various social issues, such as politics and diplomacy, and to gather and represent the voices of youth. We managed an online community ourselves to create a platform for communicating with young people from other schools. We shared content with external netizens by posting articles on our community about visits to government agencies, promotional videos we produced ourselves, and the results of our discussions. For example, we posted articles covering our visit to the National Assembly, user-generated content (UCC) produced ahead of the presidential election, and articles summarizing the results of discussions on the latest political issues; through these posts, we sometimes received comments or requests for interviews. We also hosted or participated in various events. In our sophomore year, we held a “Charity Bazaar” for children from multicultural families and children affected by hunger, selling or distributing handmade items and donating the proceeds to a multicultural family center and UNICEF. We also covered the event’s proceedings and wrote articles about them. In early junior year, we covered the “Earth Hour” environmental campaign, and our members participated directly. We promoted the campaign in the City Hall and Cheonggyecheon areas and covered and documented the “Green Mentor” special lecture and the “Energy Concert.” During our more than two years as reporters, we wrote dozens of articles and compiled them into a webzine. Once a semester, we edited the articles into a magazine, which we distributed on campus or sent to political forum organizations.
A series of articles and a presentation on the Dokdo issue—based on our own reporting and documentation—were published in-depth on the main page of the Youth Political Forum website. Through these experiences, I developed aspirations to become a political reporter in the future.
Examples of Practicing Consideration, Sharing, and Cooperation
Volunteer Activities at Welfare Facilities and Military Bases Since there were senior welfare centers and military bases near my high school, there were many volunteer opportunities that reflected the characteristics of the local community. I participated directly in these volunteer activities, starting with volunteering at a senior welfare facility. Many elderly residents living alone in the neighborhood were staying at nursing homes, and I delivered food to them. Rather than simply purchasing and delivering food, I engaged in activities where I prepared the food myself. For example, I made fish-shaped buns, chrysanthemum-shaped buns, and peanut buns, as well as ice treats for the summer. We selected menu items we thought the seniors would enjoy, and in the winter, we purchased baking molds and held activities in the home economics lab. We poured batter into goldfish-shaped molds to bake bread, and when necessary, we even made bread right in front of the welfare center. In the summer, we prepared ice and added fruit syrup to help them cool off. Seeing the seniors delighted by our efforts and cheering us on gave me a great sense of fulfillment. We also visited a nearby military base to volunteer. We brought the baking molds to make and distribute red bean buns and fish-shaped buns, and we also used a popcorn machine to make popcorn. Since the soldiers were in an environment where it was difficult to buy snacks, they cheered enthusiastically for our activities. I became close enough with the soldiers I met then to exchange letters with them, and the following year, I delivered kimchi—made with napa cabbage grown in our school garden—to seniors living alone and to the military base. Delivering the kimchi made me feel the joy of living in harmony with the local community.
Motivation for Choosing My Major and Career Exploration Experience
Aspiring Political Reporter: Pursuing a Degree in Political Science and International Relations I developed an interest in writing and the journalism profession while participating in the student press corps during high school. Through opportunities that came my way by chance, I gained diverse experiences that helped me grow as a student. My work as a student reporter further strengthened my natural curiosity and spirit of adventure. Taking on new topics for discussion and conducting on-site reporting required both a spirit of challenge and interpersonal skills, and I developed my interpersonal abilities through the process of collaborating with others. My professional network expanded through my activities with the student press corps. I met students from other schools and event organizers to conduct interviews at the National Assembly, and I also became friends with those who helped organize charity bazaars. I cultivated a passion for reporting and found joy in hands-on experiences; I felt a great sense of fulfillment in leaving behind quality records that positively influenced many people and shared useful information with the local community. Based on these experiences, I developed an interest in the Department of Political Science and International Relations, and my goal of becoming a political reporter naturally aligned with my choice of major. With a proactive attitude, I focused on excelling in my core courses to maintain strong academic performance, and I have diligently built up my extracurricular activities. I believe I am well-prepared to apply to Dankook University through its comprehensive student portfolio admissions process. Once I enter college, I plan to join the student press corps and strive to grow into an aspiring journalist defined more by determination and a sense of responsibility than by mere talent.
