Literature Review Blog #1

1. Visual 

2. Citation

Works Cited

O'Shea, Joseph. Gap Year : How Delaying College Changes People in Ways the World Needs. EBSCOhost, site.ebrary.com/lib/rutgers/reader.action?docID=10790488. Web.

3. Summary (Used from Research Blog #3)

Gap Year: How Delaying College Changes People in Ways the World Needs by Joseph O'Shea is the first empirically based analysis of a gap year's influence on student development. The book is broken up into two parts, Part 1: Experiencing The Gap Year, and Part 2: Understanding The Gap Year. In this book, O'Shea establishes a context for better understanding students personal developments over the years time ad also suggests various ways in which universities and educators can develop effective gap year programs for students. 

4. Author

Who is Joseph O'Shea?

Joseph O'Shea is the Director of the Office of Undergraduate Research as well as an adjunct professor in the colleges of education and social science. He has been deeply involved in developing education and health care initiatives in communities in the United States and sub-Saharan Africa. He was also a Rhodes Scholar and holds a doctorate from the University of Oxford. 

5. Key Terms/Concepts

Key Term:

Gap year providers: in the United States, these organizations offer structured gap year programs for students, curating the experience by helping place students in their gap year roles and supporting them during the year. (page 3)

Key Concept:

Motivations: students may have various motivations or reasons affecting their decision to take or not take a gap year. These motivations may include money, personal health, community service, lack of direction, and many more. When deciding whether or not to utilize a gap year, students motivations are the major factor in their decision. (page 13)

6. Quotations: 

"Among U.S. higher education institutions, Harvard has the longest tradition of encouraging students to take a gap year before matriculation, a position it has held for more than 30 years. Harvard saw a 33 percent jump in the number of students taking gap years in the past decade" (O'Shea, 3).

"Some students wanted to use the gap year (often their first extended period away from family) to challenge or test themselves in ways that they felt would help them to develop or learn about themselves and others. Students said the gap year was a response to a desire to “do something on my own,” to “accomplish something without much help from others,” or do be “independent” (O'Shea, 15). 

"The readiness of gap year volunteers may be an important factor in the process of changing the ways they understand the world, as volunteers may be more receptive to changes and influences" (O'Shea, 22).

7. Value of this Source:

I think that this book by Joseph O'Shea will prove to be very helpful to me when exploring my research topic. This book offers so much information regarding many different aspects of the gap year, from the decision making process to the eventual results of the time. There are many examples, studies, interviews, and fats in this book that will give me great insight into the world of the gap year.