At some schools, an average student would be required to complete summer projects. These schools assign summer projects to students to assure that they continue learning over their break. But, one part of these summer projects that should be considered are if it should be teacher-designed or student-designed? These summer projects should be student-designed because students could become motivated towards completion, it could be designed to work with student's summer schedule, and it could be a better way to review over topics.

On the other hand, some people believe that these summer projects should be teacher-designed. Those who agree with this argument believe that teachers would be able to design it to focus on what he or she wants their students to retain, learn, or experience. This reason to this argument makes sense because teachers want their students to remember the topics they learned in school, but they also want his or her students to learn/experience new things. Even though this reason validates itself, some students would not be able to gain the motivation that is needed to complete the project.

These summer projects should be student-designed otherwise some students may not be able to become motivated to complete the project. As a student who is diagnosed with ADHD, I have struggled with staying focused on a task. Even if the task is as simple as just read five pages of this book. Some of this is due to if I find the topic to be interesting or if I would find any enjoyment in it. As example, over the years that I have been in school, which is most of my life, during the summer my school would give the students summer projects to complete. During the summer break, I would constantly find myself losing the motivation to complete the project each day. Although most of those summer projects would be certainly easy in the eyes of most people, I would become bored by just reading what I needed to do. Then the project becomes just another task to complete under all the other tasks that I have during the summer break.

Summer project should be student-designed due to students having a hectic schedule to maintain over the summer. As summer is seen as a time of the year when students can relax and take a break from school; however, this is far from the truth. Most student in middle schools or high school, two grade levels that give summer project, have jobs or they will travel with his or her family during the summer. But when schools slap these projects on top of their hectic schedule, it is almost like the schools is ordering the student to not complete the task. If schools were to find a way to condense the work or make it a little review, then more students would be able to find a time during their hectic schedules to complete the project over the course of the summer.

For some students having their summer projects be student-designed helps him or her to remember/review over previous topics easier. For example, if Generic_Name, a high school student, was given a summer project to find a way to remember the elements on the periodic table. To complete the summer project, Generic_Name has to include the name, number and its group. Jack is allowed to do complete it with a partner, friend, or on his own. Generic_Name chooses to do the project with his friend and they were able to come up with a song that would help them to remember the element of the periodic table. When Generic_Name starts his next year of science, he would be able to remember those elements easily as a result of making the song.

Summer projects for students should be student-designed and not teacher-designed. First, students could become less motivated to complete the task due to distractions or boredom. Second, most student have busy schedule during the summer, from working a job for most of the week to going on a family vacation. Lastly, student may not be able to find a project for review to be fun or interesting if they can not take control of what they can do. But if students are to be giving summer projects, then it should be student-directed to benefit the students.