In this blog post, we will explore how you can effectively incorporate your architectural volunteer experience into your landscape architecture study plan and present it in a convincing manner.
Write about your academic experience and insights
“Designing the future in the Construction Information Department of an industrial high school”
I majored in construction information at a technical high school. My department offered a variety of courses related to construction, architecture, and civil engineering. At first, I thought about becoming a construction worker, but as I studied my major, I began to design a more specific career path. Recently, with the increase in national parks, public facilities, and recreational facilities, the environmental interior design and landscaping industries have been revitalized. This led me to consider becoming a landscape architect, and I also learned about this field in my construction information department.
What I studied can be divided into four main categories. First, during my three years of high school, I invested the most time and effort in surveying practice and civil engineering practice. Surveying practice was an essential subject for learning construction, and it became the foundation for civil engineering. Surveying involved activities such as measuring basic figures, measuring reference points, and taking photographs before planning and designing construction projects. I learned how to measure angles and distances with a total station, determine the location of measurement points, and measure the height of points using a level. I also studied mathematics at the same time, as I had to perform complex calculations using the measured figures.
For civil engineering drawing practice, we used a design program called CAD and practiced drawing cross-sectional and side views of construction structures. At first, we only drew large pictures, but gradually we learned how to use the design program by drawing specific internal structures such as base plates, standard plates, and detailed steel reinforcement drawings. Although we spent less time on GPS and soil testing than on surveying and drawing, these subjects were more difficult. We learned how to use a positioning system to obtain geographical information, analyze that information, and apply it in practice. In soil testing, we conducted soil compaction tests to simulate construction. We determined the relationship between moisture content and dry unit weight and conducted experiments to find the optimal moisture content and maximum dry unit weight.
Major school activities and impressions
“What I learned from participating in the RCY volunteer club”
I participated in the RCY volunteer club at my school. Club activities are usually divided into two types: on-campus and off-campus activities, but we divided our activities into activities in Korea and activities abroad. This is because we launched an overseas volunteer group within the club and carried out many activities outside Korea. Therefore, our activities in Korea included various volunteer activities both on and off campus, while our activities outside Korea consisted of trips to countries that needed our help.
Our activities in Korea mainly included operating a blood donation van and fundraising campaigns in the subway. We operated the blood donation van under the guidance of the Korean Red Cross. We had to receive training in advance because we had to go out on the streets, drive the van, and provide information about blood donation. So, a blood donation counselor from the Red Cross came to our school to explain the significance and procedures of the activity. I didn’t donate blood very often, maybe once a year at most, so I didn’t really understand the importance of blood donation. However, through the training, I learned how much my blood could help many people.
Hearing stories about emergency patients who couldn’t undergo surgery due to a lack of blood and young leukemia patients, I realized the importance of regular blood donation. I also learned that only people who take good care of their health can donate healthy blood. So, I registered as a regular blood donor and started getting health checkups. When driving the vehicle, I explained the significance of blood donation in detail to people who came to donate blood and guided them through the procedure and precautions. Above all, I helped the nurse prepare a health checklist to accurately check the health status of blood donors. Through my blood donation volunteer work, I learned that more people than I thought are participating in helping others with warm hearts. Through blood donation and volunteer work, I felt a sense of fulfillment in being able to do good as one of those people.
The subway fundraising campaign began after the overseas volunteer group was launched. The overseas volunteer group, which was launched within RCY, went to Cambodia, the Philippines, and Vietnam to carry out volunteer activities tailored to the characteristics of each country. In Cambodia, there is often a lack of educational facilities and school supplies, so we volunteered to build schools and deliver school supplies. In the Philippines and Vietnam, we visited local medical volunteer groups and helped patients who did not have access to proper medical care. Through these overseas volunteer activities, I heard stories of children who could not receive proper medical treatment or education. I personally only visited Cambodia, but I heard about the volunteer activities of my other friends. We gathered their stories and came up with ways to help those children, and we held a fundraising campaign in Korea to deliver the donations to local organizations.
Examples of consideration, sharing, and cooperation, and what I learned
“Participating in construction volunteer work through the Global Leadership Program”
I participated in overseas volunteer work in Cambodia with an overseas volunteer group launched by the RCY Volunteer Corps. This program was supported by the “Youth Global Leadership Overseas Volunteer” project, a specialized program for the district where our school is located. The reality I witnessed in Cambodia was worse than I had imagined. The social infrastructure was poorly developed, and only recreational facilities for tourism were developed, so the gap between the rich and the poor was evident even at first glance.
In order to carry out our volunteer work, we went deeper into the countryside from the Cambodian capital. We crossed a long lake by boat and entered a village where people were living underwater. The children spent their days swimming in the lake and river that we crossed by boat. The underwater dwellings where these children lived were unsanitary, but even more serious was the lack of educational facilities. Educational facilities such as schools were almost impossible to find, and the one that did exist was precariously built on the water. Seeing children studying under a single light bulb in a structure made of wood and grass, we, as construction majors, wanted to help in any way we could.
Although most of the village was located underwater, it was possible to utilize the land just a little way inland. So, we used the cement we had brought with us to start laying the foundation on the land. We mixed cement with water in buckets to make the foundation, and then erected pillars to proceed with the second stage of construction. As this building was to be used as an educational facility, we decided to pay close attention to safety and temperature control. The volunteer group had completed the design in advance by looking at photos of the site before departure, so it was only a matter of time before the construction was completed. During the week-long construction volunteer work, the local residents brought us food to show their gratitude, and the children came to cheer us on, which made us feel very rewarded as volunteers. I was happy that we were able to build a small school facility and help the children in a small way.
Motivation for applying and efforts and preparations related to career plans
“National park landscaper who regularly participates in volunteer construction work”
When I was in high school, I took career aptitude and interest tests to help me decide on a career path. The tests revealed my ideal job type and characteristics, and I realized that a job that requires a high level of social contribution and a spirit of service would suit me well. In fact, I often volunteered in high school and found it very rewarding. Therefore, even after I become a professional in the field of architecture and landscaping, I would like to continue volunteering regularly to help my local community. As a landscape architect, I want to work for the benefit of society rather than for personal gain. That is why I would like to work as a landscape architect managing national parks and cultural properties, dealing with social public facilities.
My professional goals and personal values led me to apply to the Department of Landscape Architecture at XX University. After graduating from the Department of Landscape Architecture, I would like to work at a large national park or garden exhibition. To do so, I will need to acquire a solid foundation of knowledge in my major and gain a lot of practical experience as a university student. My experience studying design, CAD, and GIS while enrolled in a construction information program in high school will be helpful in this regard. Based on this, I plan to thoroughly complete courses in landscape planning and design, landscape architecture, dendrology, and environmental ecology.
I am familiar with design programs and researching and analyzing topographical and spatial information. I also have experience surveying soil and buildings and constructing facilities from the ground up. However, ecology, landscape architecture, and arboriculture are somewhat unfamiliar fields to me. Since landscaping involves artificially manipulating the natural environment, I plan to do an internship in a related industry to gain experience. Above all, I will participate in an architecture volunteer club to build on the studies and experience I gained in high school. I will also prepare for and obtain qualifications such as a surveyor and landscape architect license.
