Harry Xu CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW Most of the 8 papers I found largely discuss the changes students experience in dormitory environments and the differences between boarding and day schooling. These environments include dormitory greening, infrastructure, security facilities, and related dormitory supervisors. Changes encompass students' academic performance, physical and mental conditions, and social interactions. These reflect why students undergo such changes and why day scholars don't experience similar transformations. In this literature review, I will discuss the two sub-points I summarized to explain my main topic, which is the fundamental difference between boarding life and day school. The first sub-point is the impact of the boarding environment on students. The second is the mental state of boarding students, as I believe a student's mental state is more important than any other factor when discussing their learning situation. [Theme 1] Firstly, the initial point discusses external factors such as greenery and physical infrastructure. These provide students with basic living needs; without them, there would be no accommodation. However, even basic facilities have quality differences, meaning students' daily lives might be influenced by the age or style of these amenities. For instance, a fridge, a vital necessity, affects students' dietary choices. Students can bring back tasty, nutritious food when they're out, making the fridge crucial. Their mood and efficiency might be uplifted for a week, having the luxury to enjoy good food anytime. Without a fridge, they might not feel as happy, as the monotony of school cafeterias might not always offer joy. The primary difference between dormitory and home is in the facilities. Yet, many overlook essential safety features like fire extinguishers, escape routes, and water valves. According to Harry Xu source 1, the study sampled many boarding houses for sufficient data. 23% of boarding houses lacked proper sanitation, and 69% didn't have security. I believe these shortcomings can cause anxiety among students, as their safety isn't guaranteed, affecting their performance. [Theme 2] The second point mainly concerns the mental health of students, which is crucial because it not only affects their academic performance but also their future. Most of the papers I found focus on students' mental health and possible causes. However, I feel this data is somewhat subjective, as its credibility isn't very high; students might be reluctant to share their true feelings. But relying on this data is inevitable, so we can only assume everyone was honest. According to source 2, 71% of students feel homesick when they first board, but this feeling quickly diminishes if they've had prior boarding experience. Of course, the reactions between boys and girls differ; girls might feel lonelier and miss home more. I believe the anxiety of boarding students stems from homesickness, affecting their focus. According to source 3, boarding students have an 18% higher chance of ranking in the top 10% for a subject compared to day students, which is a significant gap. Also, according to source 8, pupils attending Christs’ Hospital had an 18.6% higher possibility of scoring A or A* in five or more GCSE subjects because CH has minimal selection bias on courses since this may lead to wrong choices because students may think some courses are easy, so they discriminate the students who take them. Though source 2 highlights the anxieties of boarding students, it seems their performance is better. So, I think the staff of boarding houses might provide some support. As mentioned in source 4, the mental state of the staff is also worth considering. Nevertheless, I have used source 5 as a reference of the boarding house’s effect on single Harry Xu subject, which may help me to analyse the source 3 to see whether the 18% higher chance is because of the difficulty of certain subjects. Moreover, I believe that the boarding house may have different effects if disadvantaged students choose to live in there because possible discrimination may happen. According to source 7, this article likely examines the impacts of attending a boarding school for students from disadvantaged backgrounds. The researchers likely employ econometric methods to measure the effects of such schooling on student outcomes. The title suggests a potential inquiry into the readiness or suitability of boarding schools for these students since negative emotion may develop for the disadvantaged students if proper protections are not contructed. Gaps First, there are gaps in these sources. It's as if these sources come from different starting points. For instance, they don't analyze from the perspective of an 18-year-old high school student about what factors might affect mental state or differentiate between home and boarding house. Even though many data points have been analyzed, there's a definite gap between a teacher's perspective and that of a student. Some things can only be seen from a high school student's viewpoint, whereas many times teachers only see the surface. I believe there should be studies analyzing the data from a high school student's perspective, and the credibility of this data can be discerned since high school students are the real experiencers. I want my final report to be written from the perspective of someone who has personally Harry Xu experienced it, not just as an observer. Secondly, I think another gap is the credibility of the data isn't very ideal, as many questions are subjective, and there's a risk of lying. Some surveys also have a small number of participants, making it hard for the data to represent everyone. This might result in discrepancies between the actual situation and the data. This is also why some source results don't align with others. There are other objective factors too, such as if boarding students collectively have issues with the boarding house during a survey, skewing the data from showing accurate results. According to source 6, this talks about effects of boarding house on the academic performance, but the accuracy is not enough because the data is subjective when discussing well-being, also I think the data base is not big enough for this source, but still, it is a good source it analysed students’ well-beings in statistical form. Conclusion In conclusion, my aim is to complete my topic from the perspective of a high school student, focusing on the differences between boarding houses and homes. My focus will be on mental states and physical facilities to achieve this purpose. However, there are evident downsides to this data, such as being overly subjective and potential deception issues. But it's relatively easy to discern for those who have experienced it firsthand. Moreover, the number of survey participants is insufficient. Therefore, I will distribute the survey to every boarding student to make my data more persuasive. Harry Xu Works Cited [1] Mubita, Kaiko, et al. "An Assessment of Safety and Health Issues in Selected Students’ Boarding Houses of Lusaka City." *International Journal of Humanities and Social Science*, vol. 2, 2022, pp. 323-329, doi:10.55677/ijssers/V02I08Y2022-01. [2] Fisher, Shirley, Frazer, Norman, and Murray, Keith. "Homesickness and health in boarding school children." *Journal of Environmental Psychology*, vol. 6, no. 1, 1986, pp. 35-47. [3] Foliano, Francesca, Green, Francis, and Sartarelli, Marcello. "Away from home, better at school. The case of a British boarding school." *Economics of Education Review*, vol. 73, 2019, 101911. [4] Hodges, J., Sheffield, J., and Ralph, A. "Staff and Boarders Perspectives of the Boarding Environment." *J Child Fam Stud*, vol. 25, 2016, pp. 1045–1056, doi:10.1007/s10826-0150287-3. [5] Ahmed, M. A., et al. "Comparison of boarding and day senior secondary school students' performance in Biology in Owo, Ondo State, Nigeria." 2019. [6] Martin, A. J., et al. "Boarding School, Academic Motivation and Engagement, and Psychological Well-Being." *American Educational Research Journal*, vol. 51, no. 5, 2014, pp. 1007–1049. Harry Xu [7] Behaghel, L., de Chaisemartin, C., and Gurgand, M. "Ready for Boarding? The Effects of a Boarding School for Disadvantaged Students." *American Economic Journal: Applied Economics*, vol. 9, no. 1, 2017, pp. 140–164. [8] Foliano, F., Green, F., and Sartarelli, M. "Away from Home, Better at School. The Case of a British Boarding School." *Economics of Education Review*, 2019, 101911.