Summer is a time for students to relax and unwind from the hectic school year. For some students, schoolwork continues to follow them while on vacation. The projects assigned over the summer for students are meant to keep students stimulated with learning while on a break. Some designs of these assignments are less effective in fulfilling this purpose. There is a split between whether teacher designed or student designed projects are more effective in the long run for students' education, but the outcomes of one style positively outweighs the other.

Student designed summer projects can result in a positive entrance to a class, a better grasp of educational topics, and the opportunity to work around a student's summer schedule.

One summer, I had to complete a large packet, read a book, and examine several sections of a textbook. I felt so overwhelmed by the tasks at hand I found myself emotionally drained. The project took me the entire summer to complete and by the time I turned in my work I had an immense amount of hatred for the class and decided to drop the course. Teacher designed projects are made without the student in mind, resulting in negative tension between pupil and course. With the implementation of student designed projects, students can create a format of learning that they find most suitable for their learning styles. Students would be able to decide what is and is not favorable in order to create a positive connection for the content at hand. Using such design, students will more more willing to learn and comply with the course and less likely to pull away from the material.

After returning to school from my vacation, I realized I did not learn anything from my summer project. My purpose of doing the summer assignment was to just get it done, rather than to learn and prepare for the class.

Without grasping any information, I found that my participation the a summer long project was pointless. In my Spanish class, the projects are formulated where the students have to teach the class, which requires me to create a presentation that will be found intriguing by my class. When I create projects that allow me to be creative and enjoy myself and others, I am able to learn properly and perform well in my classes, which is the case for most student. If students were able to design their summer projects, they would be able to excel in the given courses.

Some may say teacher designed projects will introduce the exact information needed for the upcoming course, but teachers should be able to teach what is needed in school. It is understood that summer projects are assigned to keep students learning, but any information teachers feel students should know should be taught in the classroom by the teacher rather than by the students on their own. Most students will comply when given a summer assignment, but many students may not have the ability to complete a summer assignment with the time given. This past summer I was working and attending two classes at the nearby community college. I would expect to be able to partake in these activities as I was no longer in school, but with the addition of two summer projects, it felt as if my summer had never begun. One summer assignment was long and had due dates all throughout my summer, but the other was a self paced note assignment that allowed me to learn the way I wanted and had interactive activities which many of my fellow classmates enjoyed. I completed the project that I found more interesting before the one I found dreadful as I had no motivation for it. When a project is designed to accommodate the needs and lifestyles of the students, the work can still be done efficiently while allowing students to enjoy their summers and learning.

Learning is a vital element for the academic success of students. The implementation of the learning assigned over the summer should be designed to lure students into engaging into the content rather than forcing them into large amounts of information without applying attention to possible activities in which students may partake during their time off. Summer assignments that provide a welcoming and fun introduction are more likely to keep a student interested in a course, proving more effective for their futures. Keeping the students' interests in mind while using a student designed summer project will lead to positive results on both the students' and teachers' ends, ensuring satisfaction from both parties.