All religious institutes share certain practices in common, such as community prayer (primarily the Divine Office), community meals, work, private prayer, meditation, study, and, finally, religious vows (typically, the vows of evangelical counsels; poverty, chastity, and obedience). Often, the formation process is divided into five “stages” of discernment: observant/aspirant, postulant, novice, simply professed and solemnly professed (or perpetual vows). Until solemn profession of vows, the discernment process typically continues for about 5–8 years and the novice can leave at any time during this period.