At the end of the year, the only thing the students can focus on is the prospect of summer break - a time filled with laughter, bikinis, and the absence of school. Unfortunately, these dreams are dashed when the hated summer projects are assigned. The idea of these dull, time-consuming projects swallowing their break would make any student feel dreary. However, the only problem with assigned summer projects is that they are often nothing more than busy work. The solution is simple - if summer projects were tailor-made to excite and interest creative minds, they could transform from a boring chore to the most valuable experience in a student's life so far. So, we should allow students to pick their own summer projects according to their personal taste because the projects will be more creative and they will have many more positive effects on the students's lives; although some may disagree.

Although many view children as naive and unable to have in-depth ideas, children have an incredible talent for these skills. For instance, I have never met an adult that would be able to come up with a completely furnished fairy castle, a complex story arc involving multiple close shaves with terrifying villains, and an entire gown made only of tissue paper, glitter, and their mother's scarf; yet, I have witnessed children create these beautiful, nuanced universes in which they can completely lose themselves time after time. Clearly, children and teens are much more adaptive and able to create interesting, all-encompassing ideas than adults, so we might feel called to ask why it is assumed that students in school require adult supervision and help when creating something to study. This positive aspect of students' minds should be extended to school - especially summer projects. Students will happily spend the summer creating something centered around what they love most, be it graphic novels, painting, or the like.

Along this vein, not only will students be inclined to work on their projects if they are interested in them, they will also be prouder of the work they do. Personally, I have completed many projects that were assigned to drill the same information over and over; even if I am interested in a subject, it is extremely hard to be invested when I am drowning in monotony. However, when I am presented with a unique, self-directed project, my creative juices start flowing. For instance, I was recently tasked with designing a way to treat Cystic Fibrosis with Gene Therapy. I knew nothing about this treatment, however, I researched the subject and ended up creating an extremely interesting presentation that I am immensely proud of. When students are assigned interesting, challenging projects, they throw themselves into them and are able to create things they actually proud of.

In contrast, many would argue that, without the direction of teachers, students would flounder and could not even come up with an idea let alone research and design it. However, this does not take into account students' ability to adapt and flourish in challenging situations, or that the only reason these students haven't shown enthusiasm and creativity in teacher-assigned projects is that they have not been given the chance. No student will excel if their teacher treats them like they're incapable of intelligent ideas. I have seen so many smart and able students' lights dimmed by overprotective teachers who do not let them use their brains. For instance, a friend of mine has dyslexia, which makes classes were one has to focus on spelling or reading long texts very difficult for her. Because of this, she was kept behind in multiple classes when she was growing up despite the fact that she is incredibly smart. However, when she started attending highschool, people finally started giving her a chance, and she is now excelling in Latin and is a talented artist. Clearly, students are able to handle much more than they are given credit for, and should be allowed the freedom that comes with self-designed projects.

Obviously, inflexible teachers and unhelpful outlines only hinder a student's success by not letting them use their creativity to design something they love and can be proud of. Undoubtedly, summer projects should be student designed because they will foster creativity and give the students an immense sense of pride in their work. Furthermore, this principle could be extended to all areas of school because children are much more able, creative, adaptive, and impressive than our suffocating school system allows in certain areas. Given this freedom, our new generations can lead happier, healthier, and more creative lives.