“Fun,” “exciting” and “interesting” are not always the words that come to a student’s mind when it comes to online classes. They might be more like “stressful,” “late” or “night work.”

With the use of technology growing in schools, the number of online classes being taken is also growing. In 2014 students took 66 students took 135 courses, according to Michigan Virtual School (MVS) aide Kim Killinger. The number has grown to 163 online classes for the 2015 school year for 86 students, a 23% increase according to Killinger.

That would be good news except nearly one-third (32.2%) of first semester’s virtual students failed their courses, according to MVS director Joseph Wenzel.

The number of students taking an online class in the United States is noticeably higher.

Over one million high school students in 2009 took some sort of online class, according to the U.S. Department Education.

Students are starting to voice what they think about virtual classes.  Some students, like sophomore MacKenzie Goss, like their online classes and have some advice for students who are looking to take one.

“ I would recommend that you get it together and that you know how to self discipline yourself because I am having trouble,”said Goss. “I love my online class, but anyone that has taken an online class will tell you this: When a teen gets on a computer they get on social media. It is so hard to stay focused. You have to discipline yourself and have motivation. If you think for one second you can’t do this, you should not do this at all.”

Online classes have some advantages from an administrator’s perspective due to limited course offerings. “There are a lot of benefits of a online class that we don’t provide here in person,”said assistant principal Joseph Wenzel, although he admits, “One of the disadvantages is that you lose that one on one with the teacher.”

It takes a special type of student to do online classes, which may

“I do not really like my online class because I feel as though I do not learn as much,” said junior Saoirse Cox who is taking online Psychology and Film studies. “It is all just ‘do an assignment and check it’ and it is very easy to fall behind it the class.”

There are a few students who take online classes instead of regular classes for a complete schedule. “I feel the same, like I am in a normal class because the teacher talks for like 20 minutes, said junior Arielle Millen. “I love it because you can do it by yourself and you don’t have any distractions.”