Personal Essay: A Fish Out of Water

When I first visited The Dongguk Post office for Hell Week, which is the name we like to call training week for cub reporters, I experienced a feeling of overwhelming suffocation. I was not used to the heavy atmosphere of The Dongguk post. However, as I went through Hell Week, I got used to this atmosphere. Here I had the chance to talk with senior reporters, who also had previously experienced the harsh training session. I gained confidence that I could also get through the training week just as they had done before me. After Hell Week I participated in a topic meeting for the first time. I was not able to express my thoughts and feelings since I was not given the right to talk so I could only listen. I felt like a fish, gulping for air and not being able to find any words.

As I embarked upon my own process of adjustment, I gradually began to understand why we need to have basic qualifications to be a member of The Post. The basic qualification is simple. It is to be responsible as a reporter, and the most important responsibility is punctuality. As a reporter, it is always important to keep a managed time schedule and this has to be done with the greatest efficiency. Thanks to The Dongguk Post, I became more organized in scheduling my plans and making better use of my time.

Slowly but surely I have been able to adjust to life at The Dongguk Post. Now when people ask me about the Post, I can confidently say that I have been able to learn the importance of time management; for me, it was not just a matter of being punctual, but rather a matter of being able to take full responsibility for my own words and actions. I have learned how to breathe without gills.