Summer assignments are important to help students continue learning over the summer. This is why these assignments should be designed by teachers, rather than students. This is due to the fact that teachers are going to assign challenging projects, which most students would not; additionally, teachers may use this assignment as a way to prepare the students for the following year.

Everyone wants to enjoy their summer break, go on vacations, and chill at the beach. Summer assignments are a great way to put a pause on the fun. Knowing this, students are not going to purposefully give themselves a challenging project that could benefit them in the long run. They would create assignments requiring the least amount of effort and time in order to get back to playing videogames or tanning on the beach. This defeats the purpose of the summer assignment because an easy project that does not challenge you will not continue your learning throughout the summer.

Additionally, this may be a great opportunity for teachers to help prepare students for the type of assignments they will be recieving the following school year. Students are unaware of what to expect, so they cannot prepare themselves adequately. Teachers have also been with these same students all year and know what they are good at, and what they need to work on. Assigning them a summer project may help these students work on their weak points, and gives them plenty of time to improve before the next school year.

Some may argue that if students are not actively trying to challenge themselves, then they are only hurting themselves. However, many students likely are not sure what type of project would benefit them best, or are unaware of what they need to work on to improve. They also likely assume that they do not need to be challenged or believe that they are already prepared for the next school year.

Overall, students would benefit more from teacher-designed summer assignments. Teachers know what students need to be prepared for and where their weak spots are. Often times students are unaware of how to help themselves improve. This last assignment can lead students in the right direction and assure that they are fully prepared for the following school year.