Some schools require students to complete a summer project during their break to make sure they are continuing their learning. However, it is discussed whether these projects should be student-designed or teacher-designed. Both types offer their benefits and disadvantages. On the one hand their is the student's choice, on the other their is the teacher's idea of how the end product should look like. Summer projects should be student-designed because this would allow for students to choose their projects, making them better, although they may not know exactly what they will be learning in the coming year.

If students are allowed to choose their projects, they will be better. During summer break, students like to relax and do activities they are interested in. If they have to do a school project, they may not mind as much if it is something they are passionate about. This interest in what they are doing would cause them to make a better project, rather then if they had to just do a project they were assigned to. This could also allow for further learning caused by the project since they would be looking up new information. It could also have students remember what they have learned longer because it is something they take interest in. Students who are allowed to do projects they chose will make a better project that has also enhanced their learning.

One problem that might arise with a student-designed project is that they might not have full knowledge of the course material they will be learning after the summer. While their project might be very good, and they may have learned a lot of new information, they may not have learned or gone over the topics that will be discussed in class. They may have also not completed the project to the particular standards their new teacher has. While it may be a valid concern that students might not complete the project to the exact standards of the teacher, it is still preferable for students to design their own projects. If the teacher or school designs the projects, it may cause disinterest in the students to complete the project altogether. Also, while the student's projects might not be exactly what the teacher hoped for, they would accomplish the stated goal of continuing their learning over the summer. It could also give the teacher an opportunity early on in the year to correct the students where the may have gone wrong, and a rubric could be provided initially so students know how their project will be graded. Even though students might not know all of the course material they will be studying, they would still produce good projects and their projects would accomplish the stated goal of learning over the summer.

A self-designed project would make students more interested and thus more likely to learn over summer break. This would be preferable to a teacher-designed project because the teacher might assign a topic that is not interesting to the student and they might not learn or complete the assignment. If the topic is something the students are passionate about, then they will remember what they learned better then if they were assigned the project. It might also cause them to enjoy the project, which could increase their future desire for learning and being interested in school-related activities. Most students are under the impression that academic subjects are boring, but if they could complete a project that they enjoy, then this impression could be altered.