Why summer projects should be student-designed

The sun is shining, there is a slight breeze in the air, and no one is wearing pants that go past their knees. These are all signs that summer break has officially started. Summer break is the time that all students look forward to, as it means that there aren't any more tests to take and homework to complete. It's a time when students can finally have the opportunity to have fun with family and friends without having to worry about academic stress. However, there are some schools that require students to complete summer projects in order for learning to continue during their break. With this, the question that arises is whether schools should make the teacher design the projects or allow for the projects to be student-designed. These summer projects should be student-designed because it gives students the opportunity to develop research skills, choose topics that they find interesting, and result in an increase in positive mental health.

To begin with, summer projects should be student-designed because it gives students the opportunity to develop research skills. Suppose a teacher assigns a project with specific guidelines and one topic to develop a solution to. This may make the expectations for the student clear-cut, but this type of project learning limits students in what they can explore. With the ability to design your own project, students learn how to research various topics before deciding on the one they will come up with a project to. Not only does this contribute to the development of enhanced research skills among students, but it prepares them for research in the future. In pursuing higher levels of education, it is crucial that students are knowledgeable on how to research about topics efficiently and accurately. Thus, those research skills are developed from student-designed projects and they benefit current and future educational advancement.

Furthermore, summer projects should be student-designed because it gives students the opportunity to choose topics they find interesting. For example, when I was in 6th grade I had a summer project of choosing an influential president and explaining what that president did for the country. At the time, I was interested in science instead of history. As a result, this project seemed lackluster and an arduous task to complete over my summer break. However, if I had been given the opportunity to choose a topic that interests me, I would have found the summer project exponentially more exciting and something to look forward to. Many students feel the same way about this, as they wish to choose the topic they will research and create a solution to. Therefore, it is evident that summer projects should be student-designed so that students can have a genuine interest in the project they are completing.

Lastly, summer projects should be student-designed because it results in an increase in positive mental health. Time and time again summer projects are dreaded by students and a task that many do not look forward to. As a result, students are left unhappy during summer break in regards to completing a project their teacher designed. This is either because the project has limitations, is about an uninteresting topic, or is difficult to complete. These factors can leave students feeling demoralized from completing their summer project and can make summer break a dreary time. Despite these conditions that come with teacher-designed projects, these problems can be solved with student-designed projects. When given the chance to explore what interests you and choosing whether any limitations exist regarding your project, inevitably students are inclined to complete summer projects. From the perspective of a student, you have more motivation to work on a self-designed project. This increased motivation correlates to an increase in mental health. When regarding this benefit, summer projects should be student-designed.

Summer is the time to relax and unwind from the stresses of the school year. It's a time of mornings spent sleeping in, afternoons laying out by the pool, and nights sleeping on the roof, counting the stars that gleam in the sky. That is why students look forward to summer break. As a result, schools should not contribute in reversing the association students make between summer break and enjoyment by assigning teacher-designed projects. With the intention of continual learning occurring over summer break, schools should allow projects to be student-designed. It gives students the chance to explore their passions and make new discoveries without any limitations. Teacher-designed projects only serve in holding students back from doing projects that truly hold meaning to them. Taking into consideration all of these factors, the most logical decision schools can make is having summer projects that are student-designed. This will allow students to have a good time in both the academic and non-academic part of their summer break.