Last week, Malia Obama announced her decision to attend Harvard next year, along with news that she would be taking a gap year before going straight into college? So what exactly are gap years, and what to people do on them?

By taking a gap year, students delay college for a year in order to participate in activities to better prepare themselves for the future. Many students volunteer, travel, and work during their gap years.

Critics of the gap year cite the affluence of the stereotypical student taking a gap year. Contrary to that, gap years can give less advantaged students opportunities to save up money for college. Studies show students who take a gap year are more likely to be academically successful in college.

Gap years may not be for everyone, but they’re an option to consider for sophomores and juniors thinking about the next stage of their lives.