Summer is the time for most students to take a well-deserved break, and to relax until the next school year arrives. However, the question of whether or not students should have homework during this time is very relevant, and many can't seem to find a consensus on the multiple aspects of that question. One part of said question is whether or not projects should be teacher-designed or student designed. There are many advantages and disadvantages in both viewpoints; however, one is more logical than the other. Summer projects should be teacher-designed because they would be more challenging and relevant than student-designed projects, effectively keeping students brains active over such a long break. Being teacher-designed also enables students to have a glimpse of what their future classes for that school year looks like, and enforces a more equal and realistic standard on the actual work itself.

One advantage of having teacher-designed projects would be the aspect of challenge and relevance that it would bring in opposition to a student-designed project. The teachers certainly have the credibility to assign work specific to their class, while many students (if given freedom to design their own project) may not have an idea of what to do or how to start. The challenge of potentially new material also helps keep their brains fresh, and sparks a sense of interest towards the class. Having teacher-designed projects is also useful in reviewing material for classes that may have more levels. For example, many students forget basic algebra that they learned a couple years before taking Algebra II. Being given a project or homework from the teacher to guide them through re-learning some of that material would be beneficial not only for keeping their brains sharp, but for the helpful review for the class that comes with it.

Although one might say that it's unfair to do work over break and that the students should have the ability to choose the work they must do, it is less practical to operate in such a way. It is much more beneficial for the students in the long run to be able to keep their minds sharp over break, because it is easier to ease back into school and is helpful in becoming more intelligent overall. As a student myself, I have experienced summers where I have had summer homework, along with others where I have not. It was much easier to get back into school when I had summer homework to keep me occupied during the summer, and there was also a sense of accomplishment that came along with finishing it. Having the tangible assignment and deadline was also something that forced me to work on it and not procrastinate. On the flip side, if I hadn't had those certain restrictions it would have been much more difficult to me to work on and complete the project. Realistically, if projects were student-designed, it would also be much more difficult for teachers to accommodate every student individually and keep the criteria equal if they were to give them too much freedom. Therefore, it is just simply easier and more practical to have one guideline provided from the teacher.

Another advantage for the students is the fact that they would be able to have a glimpse of what the work for their future class entails, allowing them to have more flexibility in determining whether they would want to continue taking the class before the school year begins. It is generally easy to pick up on a teacher's way of teaching/the difficulty of the class when assigned summer projects directly from the teachers themselves. This allows students to have the option to switch to a higher or lower level if they find that the work doesn't match what they were expecting. If students were to design the project themselves, it would be much harder to pick up on how difficult the course actually was, which could be an unpleasant surprise at the beginning of the year.

Overall, the mere practicality of having teacher-designed projects outweighs the advantages of having student-designed projects. It is more beneficial for both the students and teachers as they come into the year feeling a little more prepared for the class. Looking forward, we should strive to implement (or re-implement) summer homework in schools because of the advantages of keeping a sharp mind and having more flexibility with the classes. However, we also must keep in mind that there should be certain restrictions on what the teachers can assign so that students can enjoy their break and not be overwhelmed or stressed by a sheer mass of work to complete. Generally, it is important to keep the minds of the students active in order to help them ease back into the school year easily.