Through the school year students are required complete many learning based projects that are designed and instructed by teachers, but as the school year ends many teachers fear that students may lose the knowledge gained over the year during summer break. To prevent this from happening many schools require summer projects that reinforce knowledge learned during the school year. Many people argue if a teacher or student designed projects are more effective to help retain knowledge, but student designed projects are believed to be more effective. When a summer project is designed by a student it gives students a chance not only learn while completing the project, but to learn while making it, students receive a real world experience, and students experience a sense of freedom

During summer many students have the desire to quickly complete the assignment a teacher has assigned, by doing the bare minimum, but if the project was designed by the student themselves it would give them the opportunity to learn while both making and completing the project. When you develop a project, a lot of research is need to be conducted, this gives students an opportunity to absorb more information, then if they were just completing a project. Designing a project also gives students knowledge in the topic their project is on, as well as skills on how to make projects and other important research based skills that are not focused on in school, but are necessary in higher level education.

Not only do student designed projects give students an extra opportunity to learn, but it also provides students with a sense of real world experiences that enhance learning, and general skills. After high school graduation many colleges and universities require that students conduct research projects designed by themselves, in order to receive a degree. This may be very difficult for students coming from an environment were teachers design everything, but a student developed projects in school would give kids an experiences in this situation helping them latter in life, and making college projects easier to complete. Also, in many work environments employees are left on their own to complete tasks and projects, and an experience in designing your own project during school years would help people develop necessary skills for an post- graduation career, as well as high school or college jobs. This experience would also gives students something to put under leadership on a college application.

Another essential impact of allowing students to design their own projects during summer, is that this allows students to develop a senses of freedom that is locked up during the long school year. Throughout the school year teachers provide projects that are essential for learning the content, but prevents students form using there creativity and expanding on their freedom to think in different ways. During the summer if students were allowed to develop their own projects they would feel more free, this would allow them to experiment with different ideas and concepts, this also would allow them to figure out which way they learn best. While being away from an instructor such as a teacher, kids could use their own ideas to create a project, that is not influenced by others, and this would show schools and teacher how much a student truly understands not just the knowledge that a teacher is forcing upon them. A sense of freedom is also important for preparing students for their next step in life, whether it is a higher education level, or a career, because, it is important students get an experience learning by themselves.

Summer break projects are one of the essential tools in preventing students form losing the knowledge that they difficulty gained throughout the year, and student designed projects provide a more effective alternative to the rigid teacher designed projects. Many people may argue that teacher designed projects are the most educational and effective way to help students retain their knowledge, because they are made by experts in the subject, and are designed by adults, or that allowing students to develop their own projects is a waste of time, but teacher designed projects prevent students from acquiring real world experiences, freedom, and an extra learning experiences that a student designed project would provide. Summer break projects may be helpful in allowing students to learn but people will only receive the most out of this if they are designed by a student.