Malia Obama Gap Year: 5 Things First Daughter Can Do In Time Off Before Harvard University Attendance [VIDEO]
Malia Obama is following in the footsteps of several other children of world leaders and her own parents by making plans to attend college at Harvard University, but she's also doing so with a twist, by taking a gap year and delaying her admission until 2017.
The official announcement from the White House stated that Malia, 17, would attend the prestigious Cambridge, Mass. University, but that she would delay her admission until the fall of 2017 and taking a gap year in the process.
"The President and Mrs. Obama announced today that their daughter Malia will attend Harvard University in the fall of 2017 as a member of the Class of 2021. Malia will take a gap year before beginning school," the statement read.
Her decision isn't one that is all that rare anymore, as more students choose to take gap years between high school college than ever before in the U.S., and Harvard itself even encourages it among some of their students.
"Harvard College encourages admitted students to defer enrollment for one year to travel, pursue a special project or activity work, or spend time in another meaningful way-provided they do not enroll in a degree-granting program at another college," the school's website reads.
The White House has not revealed what Malia will be doing during her Gap Year, though her possibilities could be limitless. Here are five great ideas for the First Daughter during her time off:
Travel
One of the most popular things high school students can do during a Gap Year is travel the world, and backpack while doing it to save money. While Malia won't be able to backpack in quite the same way as other teens by utilizing cheap transportation and staying in hostels (being the First Daughter and having Secret Service agents around you at all times kind of prevents her from that option), it would be a great way for her to get out and see the world without being obligated to attend specific functions as the daughter of a sitting U.S. President.
Volunteer With A Charitable Organization
Volunteer work can be an incredibly rewarding experience, and as the First Daughter, Malia could help bring more attention to one she chooses to work with. She could volunteer with one of the organizations her parents have publicly supported, or choose one on her own to make her own mark in the world.
Complete An Internship
Malia could choose to gain valuable work experience in any number of sectors by interning with any companies she chooses and getting a potential head start on a successful future. Whether she chooses to intern in the tech industry and join a profitable company like Apple of Facebook, or chooses to intern somewhere with a more political, medical or media slant, she could begin learning the ropes before she's even stepped foot in a college classroom.
Figure Out What She Wants To Major In
While part of the fun of college can sometimes by taking a whole bunch of classes to figure out what you want to do, it can be more rewarding to know what you want from your life before even registering for classes. Sure Malia's parents both went to law school in Harvard, but it doesn't mean she has to. She can take the year to see if her heart lies in more traditional studies like science, politics or math, or if she wants to do something completely different--like study literature, languages, music, psychology, or theater.
Write A Memoir
Both President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle have published three successful books of their own over the years, including the President's memoir of his life until he entered law school in 1988, Dreams from My Father. With her father's time as president coming to a close after this year's election and officially ending when a new president is sworn in next January, now would be the perfect time for Malia to reflect on not only growing up in the White House (she was just 11 years old when her father was elected), but doing so as the daughter of the first Black president in U.S. history. Her perspective could be a fresh way of looking at things, and be historical in it's own right.
