text: Students will have the freedom to learn about and pursue their interests if they design their own projects. A teacher might have to restrict a project to a specific theme or subject, such as Medieval Europe. However, providing students some flexibility within a subject to work on the aspect that they feel most passionate about will lead to more enthusiasm. For example, my ecology teacher assigned students a research project on biomes. I was extremely curious about the tundra but less so about the grasslands. Unfortunately, I had to research the grasslands instead of the tundra. I was largely apathetic about the subject, and although I learned some new facts, I believe doing a project on the tundra would have been a more educational experience for me. A student-designed project allows students to nurture their curiosity while completing academic work.