Taking courses online has been a common way for students to either catch up or get ahead in their classes. Students are able to take these courses through Virtual Loudoun during the school year, along with their in person classes, or during the summer. These classes tend to be more independent and fast-paced than regular classes. 

“I had a lot of difficulty over the summer, but I would say it’s worth it. I just had to work harder,” said senior Diya Parikh.

Parikh has taken Geometry over the summer between eighth and ninth grade, and Health and PE the summer before her junior year. Before taking Geometry, Parikh was on track with her progress in math, but wanted to get ahead, as many students do. 

“It gave me a bit of an advantage, and knowing more math helped me look more impressive to colleges,” Parikh said.

Over the course of taking Geometry and PE, Parikh has found many negative consequences to taking an online course, and realizes that this may not be for everyone. 

“You might not be able to have as much free time in the summer, since it’s a lot of commitment, and it’s quite fast paced, so you might not learn the material in the best way possible,” Parikh said.

When taking these classes over the school year, it can get even harder as students have to balance in-person and virtual classes at the same time. Taking these classes isn’t always an option, though, as it was for Parikh. Some students don’t have space in their schedule for mandatory classes such as Health and PE and Personal Finance/Economics due to going to Academies of Loudoun at some point during high school. 

Regardless, this can be a good option for students who are willing to put in the extra work to get ahead, catch up, or get an extra spot for electives.