text: When students spend hours and hours studying topics they have no interest in over the course of 12 years, it often creates a disillusionment with learning and the pursuit of knowledge. Summer is a time of escape from this tedium for students, and asking them to complete further teacher-designed projects over the summer would exacerbate the problem. If the school allowed students to choose a premise or topic of study for their projects, it would increase student engagement with and interest in completing the assignment. Granted, it would still be school work, and most students would still be frustrated with its presence in their vacation, but offering choice would allow more students to actively want to work on their project, learn more, and pursue their topic. School crushes intellectual curiosity. I've observed this in my life in the contrast between my and my peers' enjoyment of novels. I love to read, and do it often. Most of the people I know never read a book unless it's for school. This is because, from a young age, I had the choice to read, and reading was its own reward. For other students, they were forced to read, either in school or by their parents. In this system, reading was a means to reach a reward, whether it was a good grade on an assignment or a treat from their parents. Reading for fun offers them no reward. By forcing students to do projects they didn't choose over the summer, it further perpetuates the belief that learning is only good for getting the grade they want. Letting students choose their project would partly restore the connection between learning and enjoyment.