Today, students go to school to pass, rather, than to learn. Students' views have changed because children have lost motivation. They see school as rather a task than something that will help them in the future. I, for one, see school as more of a prison. My assignments are chosen for me and I am forced to go to school from September to June. The break I look forward to, summer, is a time for relaxation and fun. A school project during summer, for learning, is anything but fun, unless it could be. A student-designed project would allow students to express their themselves in a different way, get more freedom from their teachers, and bring change and fun to a student, during their well deserved break.

In school, students are rarely able to show their creativity and passions through the set curriculum. Students' identities are set based on whether, how well they do or do not do in school. Teachers do not get to see their students' strengths outside of how, "book smart" they are. Student-designed projects, however, would be able to change this. Through student-designed projects, students would be able to show a different side of them self. A side that shows their passion for helping others, who do not have the same opportunities as them, rather than reading a book written by Shakespeare, or a side that likes to learn about the environment, and how to protect our Earth, rather than writing an essay about politics. Students will feel better if they know that their teachers and schools are genuinely interested in them. Students need to know that they are cared for and that someone is interested in seeing them succeed. Students are so much more than what they show during school. There is potential in everyone, but students can not show it when they are trapped. Students need to feel reminded that smartness and intelligence is not just based on grades or scores.

Children are forced to attend school by law. We are forced to take tests and do projects that we do not have a say in, or else, we fail. There is no freedom, however, that could change. During our summer, we should get the decision to design our own projects. Our break should not be controlled by teachers like they do normally. When given the choice to do something we enjoy, we will see it less as work, but rather as fun. The common saying, "If you do what you love, then it will never be considered work," is very true in this instance. When doing something enjoyable we often forget that we are doing it. We see it as more of a hobby, rather than a task to complete. While projects should be student-designed, they still can be approved by a teacher to instill that it assures learning. A chance to choose our own path may be seen as risky, but it is really for the better. Learning should be fun and interesting and not a task. We students forget that we are supposed to be learning because we are always being told what to do. Freedom will allow us to see school in a different way. We will feel motivated and interested in the projects we choose, which will allow learning to happen.

Student-designed projects would provide a change for students. School assignments are all given and set upon by teachers. There is a certain curriculum, which does not provide change or freedom. There is hardly leeway for students that enjoy different things. Teachers do not realize that students are all different. We all have our own strengths and weaknesses and different preferences. Student-designed projects would allow students to switch things up a bit. Students would be able to be the teacher for once and do something they find enjoyable. Some students like to write, so they could choose to write a report on something they find interesting, while others may take the artistic route and paint something completely different, but while they are still learning. Summer is a break and should be different than what school is normally like for a student. A student works hard throughout the whole school year, so they deserve a reward or change. Student-designed projects would be something they could look forward to during their summer vacation, and not something they might dread. An assignment during the summer is already a task, so why not make it a fun task.

If a school requires students to complete a summer project they should be student-designed because it would allow students to express their creativity, while still learning, freedom, and change. Students will be more motivated and interested when given a choice. Summer is a time for a break after a long school year, so a given assignment should not be something uninteresting to a student. Learning should not be forced and there are many ways to change the minds of students and how they perceive school.