Summer is a time where students finally leave their schools and are set free for a few months. Unfortunately, however, that doesn't mean they lose all responsibilities of schoolwork; summer assignments being the main reason for this. Knowing these assignments are crucial for keeping students engaged in learning all year, I believe they should be created in a way so that students have the ability to choose and create the projects for themselves.

One of the main reasons why student-designed projects would be a more successful learning experience is that they allow students to express more creativity. Many times, students are given strict guidelines and requirements for their assignments. This discourages them and puts them off from giving in their best effort, resulting in an non-creative and bland project. When the students are in charge of the ideas, they can incorporate ideas and topics they enjoy and allow for a more detailed and creative turnout.

Another reason as to why schools should allow students to develop their own projects is that they can learn to think independently. Nowadays, students are being handed projects that tell them exactly what should be in it and exact things necessary for achieving a good grade. This stops them from thinking for themselves and brainstorming what things they should incorporate and what things they should leave out. Some claim that allowing students to work independently and from their own ideas would cause them to slack off and not include sufficient materials, but this is not the case. Students are known to achieve more when they are allowed to work off of their own thoughts and ideas. The important content within the project will also come on its own when students are working from favored, self-chosen topics.

Lastly, student-designed summer projects should be incorporated within schools because summer is the slim part of the year where students are set free and where they should learn the skill of creating work by themselves and with no assistance. Throughout the entire school year, teachers are giving students specific instructions to work off of. While this has its purpose and usefulness in its own way, it is rather silly to continue this trend during the short part of the year where teachers are not present. This is also advantageous to the future of the students because as they progress in life, this helpful environment of the classroom will start to diminish and the ambition to work independently will be lost when they are set loose to the real world to work uninstructed.

In conclusion, schools should allow for the creation of summer assignments by the students themselves. This is beneficial and important for several reasons. Student-designed projects allow for more creativity to be expressed, let students think independently, and allow students to incorporate their own ideas in the short part of the year where they are separated from their teachers.            