During the school year, students are continually asked to complete assignments designed and evaluated by their teachers. Schools that assign their students projects during summer break do much the same. It is always teachers who choose course materials, set guidelines, and decide which subjects are worth learning. At the end of the summer, students return with half-hearted attempts at fulfilling their teachers' expectations. Since it is students who do the projects, why not let them decide what those projects should be?

Some might say that if students could design their own summer projects, they would do shoddy work or no work at all. However, if students are allowed to pursue their interests, they will be motivated to do their projects. For example, summer assignments in English often involve reading a book and doing a project designed by a teacher. Instead, many students read the Sparknotes page on the selected book and fumble through the project, having learned nothing at all. Letting students have choice would create an environment more conducive to real learning.

Giving students the opportunity for self-guided learning allows them to exercise their creativity in ways they typically can't during the school year and learn new skills. Students typically have more spare time during the summer, so a student willing to take on a large-scale project would have the time and energy to do so. For example, many students who compete in science fairs at the high school level often begin experimentation before the start of the school year. Working on a science fair project as a summer project could produce extraordinary results. A student with less academic interests could spend their summer learning a new skill, like how to cook. Either way, students would return to school having had valuable experiences.

The absence of strict guidelines would reduce stress. During the school year, students have many obligations, such as homework, sports, and jobs. For students who have fewer obligations during the summer, summer break is a welcome relief. For students who have to work or take care of family members during summer break, summer projects are an extra source of stress. For both, more flexibility with summer coursework would reduce overall stress and help them balance their responsibilities.

Letting students have more say in their summer coursework would be better for both students and teachers. Students would rather spend their time doing things that they care about, and teachers would rather not grade dozens of copperplate book reports.