Summer vacations is a blessing and a curse. It provides approximately three months of free time for students, while also providing three months worth of opportunities for students to forget all they had learned in the last school year. To combat this, there are summer activities designed to keep the academic engine running in preparation for the upcoming school year. A student-designed summer project is a motivating drive for students, is personalized by the students, and encourages responsibility and accountability.

Motivation is the driving force of all work. Tasks are more difficult to complete, or even start, without a reason for performing such a thing. A student-designed summer project, in name itself, can be quite the motivator amidst the lax summer vacation. It incentivises participation by having the student choose how they wish to execute their task. It also incentivises completion in a similar matter, with a mindset along the lines of "it will be easier to finish this on my own terms". The average student is very fickle with their preferences after all. Beyond their own self-drive, a spark of creativity is encouraged as well.

Nothing is more satisfying than your own work. Just simply having a finished product to call your own, a product crafted by you alone, is incredibly satisfying. A student-designed summer project is customized by the student and for the student. This allows personalization that acknowledges a student's strengths and weaknesses, such as time management or particular skills. It provides personal input that encourages students to speak for themselves while still abiding by the guidelines. However, a personal voice is not the only useful skill they can practice.

Later in the school life, and, eventually, even beyond, students must hold themselves accountable. For example, if their score on a test seemed incorrect, the students are responsible for double checking with their teacher. They can practice these habits with a personalized summer project. The students are responsible for their choices and actions. If they want to try something new, they can try it, as long as they are held accountable for it. If they make a mistake, it is okay, as long as they take responsibility for what they have done. However, their is still difficulty in trusting students.

Whether from elementary school, middle school, or high school, students are not always trustworthy. There are many who learn to work around restrictive school systems, or formulate lies to get past skipping classes or cheating. Just allowing a student to craft their own method of studying and practicing is just begging for trouble. It is possible that students can be lazy and procrastinate. They might even take the easy way out by putting in minimal effort. It is true that such freedom can be troublesome. However, that is only one side of the coin. There are students who are trustworthy, or more willing to work and improve. It is worth the shot to let these young minds practice helpful skills and maintain a studious mind.

A personalized summer project crafted by students provides motivation to work and encourages the practice of responsibility. To improve, one must understand their strengths and weaknesses. To perform, one must have a reason to do so. Even if students are as fickle as they are, they still deserve a chance to create their own method of studying and practice. A summer vacation is a chance to relax, but it should not be a time to forget.