Although some believe that summer projects for students should be designed by teachers, it is more efficient to allow students to take charge and design their own summer assignments. Student-designed projects encourage creativity, responsibility, as well as teach valuable lessons on independence and time management that otherwise would not have been taught through teachers' assignments.

To some students, a summer project already seems like a chore. If students are allowed to design their own projects, they would be more enthusiastic about completing it. Therefore, student-designed projects encourage participation. Allowing students to create their own projects also enables them to choose a topic or theme that interests them, sparking creativity. It is much easier for students to work on an assignment covering their favorite athlete or researching a historical figure they admire, rather than studying a teacher-chosen topic that confuses or bores them.

With traveling, summer jobs, and holidays such as Independence Day, a student's summer can be busy with events. Students can design their own projects to be organized around their summer schedule. Students can dictate how they will balance their time to complete it. Therefore, the project can simultaneously be a lesson on time management and responsibility for the students. Teacher-designed projects, on the other hand, create stress and allow for procrastination because teachers often do not consider how their students' summer will be like.

Student-designed projects ultimately allow students to make their own decisions, a skill that they may carry as they mature and come across other assignments that require enthusiasm and responsibility.