text: Students would like to believe that they would generally do better in online courses compared to normal classes. However, it is extremely likely that students may face a decrease in academic performance when enrolled in a virtual course. The primary reason is that students may be unmotivated to learn on their own. When the initial excitement of taking an online course wears off, students may find themselves struggling to complete their work during their own free time. Without an active in-class instructor to push students to keep studying, students are much more likely to slack off and spend free time enjoying fun activities rather than complete work for an online class. Even the most disciplined students may face their own problems. Students have a lot more going on in their lives than one might think, and in the midst of the chaos they may forget to sign in to their online course every once in a while. In just a few days, online courses can have students drowning in late and/or incomplete assignments, drastically raising stress levels and lowering grades. While the option of enrolling in an online course can be beneficial to some, others may find that these courses significantly lower their academic performance.