Warm and soothing waves of light, the eloquent smell of nature and the outdoors, summer is indeed here. For some, summer is a much needed break from the institutional grind of schooling in America, however for others it irritates their stress. Often, students worry about the projects assigned over the summer, because they're usually tedious and require an exorbitant amount of time to complete. Although it is noted that they're a source of stress to many students, schools maintain that these projects are needed to continuously engage the students in the learning process. This predicament can be resolved by allowing students to design their own projects, which adequately shows their learning throughout the summer. Summer projects should be student-designed, in order to engage students in learning, allow them to be cooperative amongst each other, and prevent the monotonous nature of education in America.

Student-designed summer projects allows the students to better engage in the learning process. Students in America struggle throughout their life attending school while accepting the burden of friendships, family and other stresses and anxieties. Summer becomes that safe haven for them, to completely decompress from their issues and take a break from the mental strain of schools, with all the tests, exams and projects that're encompassed within it. Students who are allowed the opportunity to design their own project become eager to create a product which displays their learning over the summer. Once in my freshman year, I was given an option to complete a teacher-assigned book report, or to construct an independent book report. Being allowed this opportunity made me eager to chose a book that satisfied my interests, and not be punished to endure reading a four hundred page book about trivial history. This point illustrates the impact that student-designed summer projects can instill, without the students feeling punished by the school. Learning should be a process of critical thinking and analysis, however when this process is interrupted by an external predetermined body it is detrimental to one's education.

Student-designed projects promote cooperation in classmates and encourages them to continuously learn with their contemporaries. Cooperation is a skill which gives people the ability to build upon each others strengths and weaknesses, and is the source of many significant discoveries. Often we see that the scientific community caters to its researchers by promoting peer-reviewed journals and research to be conducted. This sentiment holds true with education in America. In order for students to learn over the summer, they should be encouraged to produce their own projects with individuals whom they spend their time with during the summer. I recall being pestered by taking on the burden of conducting a lab report by myself, which caused me to feel stressed out and disengaged. One day in physics class, my teacher allowed me to conduct a lab with many of my friends to make the lab procedure dynamic. I found that by being with my contemporaries, I was inclined to learn more about physics, and to collect accurate and precise data. Students who create their own projects are allowed the opportunity to learn through cooperation, which betters suits them especially during summer break. Many students are already flustered by the work load they receive during the school year, furthermore projects in summer break should bring students together in learning not steer them away in frustration.

Students that design their own projects can prevent the monotonous structure of education in America. We've all seen the stereotypical depiction of education in today's society. Classes upon hallways upon schools of mindless zombies who've been bombarded with unfulfilling tasks, which demoralizes their sense to learn. Why should summer projects further foster this reality into summer vacation? Isn't the point of summer break to allow students to have time to themselves? Education is a crucial institution in America, however we must not mistake it for being the only source of learning. Learning is a life skill that ascends the classrooms and school hallways, and enters the hearts of students throughout this nation. To allow students the chance to dictate their own project gives them empowerment to extend curiosity and discovery to outside the classroom. Having done project based learning in school, I can undoubtedly state that the monotonous nature of school deprives students our freedom to learn without restrictions. Of course the material must be covered, the criteria and standards must be met and the exams must be taken, but summer time is different. Summer time should be the students' time, therefore permitting student-designed projects gives students the freedom to learn unrestricted without the monotone school structure.

Although some may believe otherwise, summer projects should be student-designed to produce engagement in learning, cooperation amongst students and disrupt the monotonous school-oriented learning process. Education has always been a field where curiosity, and desires to innovate have been facilitated to bring about improvement in society. We can't always judge the circumstances to which things are, without providing a valid solution as to how those things ought to improve. Summer projects is that annual cycle where this principle can be enacted in the future. Projects designed to be student oriented can reinvigorate that desire for young people to go research and explore, while shattering the illusion of what education is depicted to be in America. What better way can we allow the continuous process of learning over the summer, than by putting the keys of that exploration in the hands of the future generation?