Staying in pajamas for first period is a luxury Langley students may not have anymore. Fairfax County Public Schools allow students to enroll in up to two online courses per year. While there are numerous benefits, Langley administrators are starting to feel that the drawbacks outweigh the benefits. Creating a schedule tailored to the individual student, by mixing traditional in classroom credits with online courses is utilized by a ton of Langley students this 2015-2016 school year.

Many students rave about these classes and how they tend to be less stressful than the classes taught in the classroom. One of the best advantages of online classes is flexibility; a student can usually take the course any time during the day or week and complete the various custom assignments on their own time. Jonathan Buggé, a sophomore, takes Economics and Personal Finance online. Buggé says,” I can do the work on my own time and I don’t have to deal with a crazy teacher.”

One of the major disadvantages directly correlates to having the time commitment flexibility. Students that have a tendency to procrastinate, struggle with turning in research assignments or taking quizzes by their quarterly deadlines. The lack of constant supervision a teacher will supply only increases the pitfall for the undisciplined student. The flexibility and convenience of online classes are great for the self-sufficient student, but without a formal structure of a traditional classroom teachers and staff believe that these classes won’t engage the student enough to create a beneficial learning experience.

The Langley counseling staff has deemed that ridding of online classes for students that don’t have a special circumstance, such as an active IEP or 504, is the best solution. While many students disagree that the drawbacks outweigh the benefits, Ms. Chern, 10th grade English teacher, said,” Students get a better education when they can come to their teacher and talk face to face, it’s hard to connect with a teacher online.” Although the Langley administration has limited certain access to online classes, adding an 8th class to your schedule is still an option if you want to experience the world of an online campus.