text: A lot of students learn better from hands on experiences. While just listening and writing down what you learn is sometimes good enough, some classes like biology, chemistry, and physics are easier to understand through labs. Online classes do not normally provide the materials needed for labs. While some labs you can do with materials at home, some require more dangerous materials like an open flame, sharp objects, or dangerous chemicals. Even if students can do the lab at home teachers are usually there to help or explain how the lab relates to the subject students are learning.