While some students despise the thought of a summer assignment, others can see it as an opportunity to learn or experience new things. However, there is always one feeling towards assignments such as those, that feeling being "

I really don't want to waste my summer on school work.

" Moreover, since its a summer assignment, many times, a student's work ethic and motivation just might not be as clear and strong as it was during the school year. However, all of this can be remedied if the project wasn't as focused on a teacher-designed assignment; instead, more as a student-oriented one. If the student were left to their own ambitions, he or she will not only be more passionate about their topic, but will have a stronger motivation and can learn more because of their experiences.

If the student is passionate about their work and research, their product will most likely turn out better than if the teacher assigned them a specific topic. This stems from their work ethic and motivation. Keep in mind that this assignment must be completed over the summer, where students typically would rather have a break from school work than to complete it. If the assignment was about something the student likes, he or she would most likely be more passionate and do their work.

However most of the time when a student does not like the topic they were assigned, the students would rather work on it to get it finished than to take the time and actually learn from their project. While one can argue that it would be easier for the teacher to give every student the same project topic since every project would be consistent and easier to grade, others say that the teacher can simply make a standard rubric where any topic could possibly fit the criteria.

Moreover on work ethic, if the student were able to choose their own topic, their work ethic and motivation would be stronger and more defined than if they were forced a subject. Like stated in the paragraph above, if a student got to work on an assignment they were passionate about, then their work ethic would be better than if they were not passionate about their assignment. If the student was not passionate then their only motivation would be to finish the assignment, not to explore their interests. The motive relies on how passionate the student is about their topic; and if he or she is interested in what they are writing about, then it is most likely they will create a better product in general and also have a fun time learning about it. This same concept applies to more than just school and can apply to many other subjects such as, for example, a job. While many people would rather work in a job that made them happy, a lot of them work in places that employees might not necessarily enjoy. As a result, their passion and motivation for their work goes down, which eventually leads to a lower work ethic which then results in a bad product. They would rather just work on it to get it done instead of actually enjoying their work and being passionate about the subject. In the end, it is better if the student were assigned a project where they were free to investigate their own topic and create a project based on that.

Furthermore on the topic of learning, if the project was student-designed, the student will essentially learn more because of their experiences in researching. The saying "

mistakes are the best teacher

" rings true in this scenario, where the students are essentially learning from their experiences. Instead of giving the students a list of what to do or what type of research question to answer, if the assignment leaves that to the students, then they are essentially forced to learn researching skills and techniques. The student will be left to do their own research and deem which sources are reliable, which is teaching them more than if the teacher assigned them a specific database to use or where to find the information. These experiences will only help the student with important life skills such as investigating and researching. They can also help prepare them for the future such as college or even straight into the workplace. One can argue that having the teacher force them an assignment is teaching the students work with something they don't enjoy. While that may be true, the purpose of the assignment is to inspire the students to learn and if the students don't enjoy the topic they were assigned, it defeats the entire purpose of the assignment since it discourages them from learning more over the summer.

When it comes to a summer assignment and having students complete a project, leaving them to their own ambitions is the best idea since it helps everyone all around. Not to say that having the teacher design the project is the worst option, but considering that their purpose is to help students learn, leaving them to their own design would be more beneficial. Depending on which subject, may it be English or science, it encourages students to dive deeper into specific subject areas such as writing a book report for an English assignment or researching forensic science for a science project. All around, having students design their own project is the best way since it helps both the student and the teacher, where the student can have fun learning about the subject and the teacher not having to waste their own resources on a project. In conclusion, a student-designed project is more beneficial since it not only leaves the student to create a more passionate product, but also gives the student more motivation and encourages the student to learn more about their project.