Summer vacation, a time where all students, no matter the grade level, can finally take a break from school and just relax. After high level stress and anxiety caused by AP exams, SOL's, and academic tests, students are awarded with two whole months to themselves. However, some schools require students to complete summer projects to assure they continue learning during their break. This inevitably has led to many arguments over whether or not these summer projects should be teacher-designed or student-deigned. Most definitely should students have the opportunity to design their own summer projects because it promotes creativity, teaches students skill sets needed for the real world, and finally because it helps develop interest within the students.

When assigned a project with no limits, students have the ability to get as creative as possible. Personally, in 10th grade, the film class that I was signed up to take next year required me to create my own short film, the only direction listed. I created a film where the moral of the story was to "trust the process God has written for us" and I gathered my own materials to build props, hired a professional photographer, and rented a whole shopping plaza complex to myself. After two months of hard work, the new school year had just began. I was looking forward to go to film class more than anything and when I learned that we were going to present our short films to the entire school, I was so excited and proud, I promise I felt a burst of energy running down my body, similar to Sonic the Hedgehog all charged up. When the time came to call the winners, I knew I was first.. and I was. I was even awarded a gold medal, a trophy, and offered a program, free of cost, to create a film at Generic_City. Because students can create their own projects, they will have the opportunity to get as creative as they can, and even have a chance to excel.

Allowing students to design their own projects teaches them valuable skills such as responsibility and time-management, both necessary for the real world. Researchers at

Columbia University presented a case study in 2018, stating that employees who were given the ability to design their own summer projects as high school students were among the top 1% of all employees across the globe, in terms of getting work done well before the deadline, and performing best in group projects. This shows the significance of designing your own summer project, where you will need to efficiently plan out the project according to your schedule and cleverly start gathering materials necessary for the project. From past experience, when I interviewed to become a Field Director for a local political campaign, I was asked whether I had ever managed my own project, whether it be for school or outside of school. Fortunately, I was able to say that I had, as I created my very own short film. I talked about my project in depth and surprisingly, that was the only question I was asked, because I was hired before I even finished talking about my story. That proved to me that designing my own project gave me the skills I needed for a job. Designing a summer project not only promotes creativity and teaches specific skills for the real world, but also helps develop interest and passion within the student.

As students are able to design their own summer project, they are given the ability to develop a passion, which may help them figure out what they want to do for the rest of their lives. For example, if one who does not have any hobbies in and out of school, allowing them to design their own summer project may help them develop an interest in a subject they would have never thought about pursuing. In fact, my cousin was in college where he was still undecided about his future career path, until he figured out what he wanted to pursue from designing his own biology summer assignment. He did not know he had a deep interest for aquatic life until he interned at the local aquarium, where he wrote a lab report, reflecting on his experience and what he learned from his time interning. Today, he is named the president of

Generic_City's Aquatic Life Sanctuary and held a world record for swimming in shark infested waters for more than three hours. Therefore, having the opportunity to design your own summer project helps you figure out what you want to do in the future, ultimately allowing you to prepare for your future.

Designing your own summer project, whether you conduct an experiment, participate in a charity service, or create your own short film, allows you to explore different ideas that may not have been available to you otherwise.

It is annoying having to complete an assignment or presentation according to how your teacher wants, but when exposed to little to no limitations when designing your own summer project, you have the opportunity to get as creative as you want, opening doors to limitless opportunities. Having this experience will help you develop skills such as responsibility, time management, planning, and organization, all of which are needed in finding a job. Lastly, if you have no idea of what you want to pursue whatsoever, designing your own experiment aids in helping you discover your secret talents and interests.