Some schools instead of letting students have a break during the summer, instead make the students complete summer projects. Why schools do this is for the students to continue thinking and learning during the break. Most schools have the teachers design these projects, but the real way they should do it is by having students design them. The reason it should be this way is because it will encourage students to think for themselves, will let students learn and practice a topic they are interested in, and for the fact that a student can learn in a way helpful to them.

Independent thinking is a virtue that every single person should have. But sadly independent thinking is not something students get to practice very often. But summer projects that students get to design themselves is a perfect way for students to build and improve this skill greatly. Rather than the student half heartily completing a project that a teacher designed, the student would instead think up and complete a project themselves and will learn a great deal in the process. For example when I was in Tenth grade my history teacher had my class complete a project based on World War One, and those where the only instructions. If it had been a simple project where we each had to make a poster board for an event during the war. Instead each person in my class designed a project entirely their own. One person did a poster on trench warfare, another person came up with a song about how the war was started. I came up with a game that showed how hard it was to prevent the war. This project encouraged each person in that class to think for themselves and we were all better for it.

Having to complete a project about a boring topic can be brutal. One reason is that when people are not interested in something they can have a hard time doing it. A student designed summer project could be a perfect solution for this. The reason being is that instead of a student struggle to complete a project they don't care about, the student can and learn and practice a topic they are passionate about. For instance one time in my Filmmaking Class I got to complete an independent project on anything I wanted. My project was a film about cars, and for my entire life I have always loved cars and car movies. In doing this project I finally got to make my own car movie and in doing so I learned about a great deal about cars and film making it self. From how to make cars interesting to a viewer to how to film inside of one. This was an opportunity I was incredibly thankful for and will help me in my future of film making

One could say that if a student is given too much free reign on a project during the summer they will not complete the project or will make a half baked one. This is not true as all people and all students learn differently and require different needs and when given the time and resources will make something great. For example for me they best way to learn is by doing it through something I am passionate about. Like I love to bake and in my eighth grade civics class I got to make a cake about Presidential elections and because of they way I got to learn about it I still remember it to this day. This could be possible for every student if the project was more fitted for the students needs because that F average student could really be just struggling to learn and not out of laziness not completing the project but out of confusion or shame. As well as these projects would be during the summer the student would have even more time to practice and learn.

Summer projects that students themselves are a great way for students to learn. From promoting independent thinking, to having the student learn about a topic they are interested in, and the student getting to learn in a way helpful to them. These could really help students in getting ready for a new school year and the rest of their lives as these are skills not easily forgotten.

That is why schools should let student design their summer projects themselves.