Summer break is a time for fun, games, sleep, and for some students work, but a subject that most students dont like to ponder on long is school. However, some school systems are now deciding to combat that. They are doing this by implementing summer projects to ensure that learning continues throughout the three month long break. Designing these projects should be tasked to students rather than teachers because it allows work to acclimate to students needs, it teaches valuable character traits, and allows for students to be hands on with their learning.

For many students like myself time is hard to come by, whether it be sports, work, or other time consuming activities there never seems to be enough time in the day. In summer things are no different, with school being out many teens pick up summer jobs and increase their hours. This creates a problem for students weighted with the task of completing timely summer projects such as reading a book and completing the time consuming tasks that go along with it.

If students were allowed to design their own projects it would allow them to fit learning in to their own time without the dread of having to do extra activities. By allowing students to work at their own pace each student also has the capability to work on and finish a summer project to their liking.

Allowing students to dictate the design of as project also teaches them valuable character traits. Having only oneself to rely on for direction pushes students to be more independent and think on their own. This is because there wouldn't be an outline from a teacher to reference the students work to. Through independence students also learn to be more responsible. This is due to the fact that students are still in charge of turning in a completed project. The task of what they learn and how they choose to do their project is up to them too, meaning the grade they receive will also be up to them. Furthermore, most grading systems weight project grades higher than regular classwork grades so regardless of who designs the project the learning, grading and repercussions remain dependent on the student.

Students should also be able to have a hand in their own education. Many students after graduating school feel lost, and feel as if they were not taught valuable information to prepare them for the future. By allowing students to be able to dictate and design summer projects, it allows them the authority to prepare for what they feel they might need moving forward to the next grade and in the future. Ultimately, not only do students benefit, but teachers do as well. With a different project from each student on what they know and learned allows new teachers better insight on their students by being able to see what they know, how their mind works, and their strengths and weaknesses.

However, some still may argue that a teacher should be in charge of summer projects because students wouldn't complete their projects and proper learning would not take place if left for a student to decide. This statement is easily refuted by the notion that if the student wants the better grade the work they turn in must coincide. It can also be argued that those same students would not be dependable to turn in any project despite the creator because if they wont turn in a self organized project, why would they turn in the project designed by a teacher?

Education can be described as the knowledge you obtain, although school contributes to a major portion of education it does not account for all. Students should be allowed to design their own projects during summer break because it allows them to complete the project they are best suited for to the best of their abilities, and have a say in how and what they learn. It also teaches students lessons past books such as overcoming adversity through solving problems alone and responsibility through completing a unsupervised assignment.