Summer break is the time that students look forward to the most. After a long 9 months of continuous learning, it is a time in which they can take a much needed break. However, in this time of relaxation, many students abandon the idea of learning completely, which causes much of the knowledge that they have acquired throughout the school year to be forgotten, defeating the purpose of even learning in the first place. Summer projects counteract this phenomenon by forcing students to utilize their brain muscles in a productive way that is different than in the school environment, where teachers are in control of the assignments. Therefore, even though teacher-created projects are the norm, summer projects should be student-designed in order to allow students to better themselves to the fullest extent.

Although the assignments that are created by teachers are needed in the early stages of life, student-designed projects are necessary in the later years to keep students' minds stimulated as they get older, preparing them for adulthood. From the beginning of kindergarten to the end of 12th grade, structure and routine are drilled into students as part of their development. While it is necessary at the beginning of school life to set a foundation for growth, at a certain point, it goes from moving children forward to holding them back.

While a small child needs the structure a teacher provides in order to learn the basics of how to function in human society, adolescents need to be allowed to break some previously set boundaries to prepare them for their adult years, where everything they do will ultimately be up to them. So, giving students the opportunity to design their own assignments allows them to formulate behaviors and habits that they need now and will need in the future like time management, organization, and self sufficiency.

While teacher-made assignments are well structured, the absence of structure allows students to become more independent. The school system is set up in a way that stresses the importance of structure and consistency. However, a consequence of that focus is that students' natural inclinations are often stifled and they become dependent on said structure in everything they do. Being given strict instructions that have everything planned down to the very last detail causes students to become used to having the hard work done for them. But giving students an assignment in which every single idea must come from their own minds allows them to expand their mental capacity and limits greatly, by forcing them to tap into the ideas floating around in their mind that were previously suppressed by rigid school assignments and organize them into cohesive thoughts. This allows students to develop self study habits through self created projects, ultimately helping them in future situations, such as higher education, where most assignments are loosely structured and students are forced to rely on themselves to succeed.

Although teacher-designed assignments are very effective, student-designed projects keep students engaged by steering them away from the monotony of traditional school assignments. During the summer, students are often more focused on enjoying themselves than preparing for school. Having to complete a summer assignment may put a damper on students' spirits, making them feel as if they have to rush to finish their assignment in order to have fun. This can foster cheating as students can share answers between each other without learning anything, since they are not in school, which defeats the whole purpose of the assignment. Very often during the school year, students do the bare minimum on school assignments because they are too one note and don't allow them to express themselves. However, giving the students the opportunity to choose what they are learning about will make them more enthusiastic about doing a summer assignment and put more effort into their work, as it gives them a chance to showcase their creativity, originality, and what they are really passionate about.

While teacher-designed assignments provide the structure needed for students who aren't in school, they don't help students to the fullest possible extent. Therefore allowing students to design their own assignments fosters creativity, originality, and expands the limits of students' minds, as they are given the opportunity to take all of the ideas and innovations that are forced to stay in their minds during the school year and form them into a project that demonstrates the best of their abilities. Through this mental exhibition, they not only retain what have they learned throughout the school year, but they are also inclined to learn even more, because they have the freedom to learn what they want to.