Summer projects are not a foreign idea to most highschoolers. Due to the fact that students forget what they learned in class over the summer, teachers will often assign work during vacation. This work is designed by the teachers, and typically covers some topic that the students will be learning about at the start of the new school year. These projects are considered by many to be an unavoidable slog which exists only to ruin their precious vacation; yet, some claim that allowing students to design their own projects would lessen this burden. These individuals say that giving students the freedom to choose the focus of their work would encourage a love for learning that may not be otherwise found in summer projects. Some dispute this claim, however, arguing that students are not capable of creating their own projects. Although some may argue otherwise, summer projects should be student-designed, as giving students the opportunity to manage their own projects is beneficial for developing their critical thinking skills and fostering independence.

When discussing how academic freedom affects students' critical thinking, it is important to consider in what ways such projects benefit these individuals. Summer projects are a thought exercise; therefore, allowing students to design their own projects provides them with a skill set that will stay with them into adulthood. Such activities teach students how to develop and execute original ideas, how to organize long term projects, as well as how to plan their assignment around an established deadline. In addition to teaching them important skills, student-designed projects are intended to stretch the limits of these students' mental abilities. Not only does this help to inspire a good work ethic in an individual, but it also leaves behind a love for academic study that cannot be found elsewhere.

The open ended nature of student-designed summer projects encourages independence among students, both in thought and in action. Although teacher-designed projects are intended to be guiding, they are often limiting in the content they aim to cover. Assignments which are meant to direct an individual's attention towards a particular school of thought are often a detriment to independent development among students. For example, a student inspired by the life and works of

Jane Austen may find themselves stifled when forced to write a paper on how

Joseph Heller utilizes characterization in his novel,

Catch-22 . Giving students permission to pursue topics that interest them, rather than content for which they have no passion, inspires curiosity, passion for learning, as well as an independence that could not be found in teacher-designed projects.

Some argue that not all students are capable of developing their own summer projects, whether it be for lack of work ethic, motivation, or a general desire to learn. These individuals believe that some students require the guidance inherent in teacher-designed projects in order to perform well academically. Although it is true that allowing these projects to be student-designed may be difficult for some students, encouraging these individuals to think and work in an independent manner would be more beneficial than allowing them to do otherwise. Not only would giving students free rein to design their own project provide them with skills that would help them in the future, it would also break many bad study habits and inspire within them diligence in academics.

Critical thinking and independence are incredibly important to growing students. Developing these skills at a young age provides them with a unique viewpoint regarding academics and learning that will benefit them greatly as they graduate and begin to enter the workforce. Independence, especially in thought, provides individuals with freedoms and opportunities that they might not otherwise have. Similarly, critical thinking skills enable students to prosper in environments where others may instead be stifled. It is imperative that the significance of these concepts is not downplayed, as they show that students would benefit greatly from student-designed summer projects more so than teacher-designed ones.