Sweat dripped onto the paper and a quick, sweeping motion distorted the words you just wrote, making them illegible. Whispered curses attract the attention of nearby students. Today the air conditioning is broken, the windows are open and the rattling of an old fan makes it difficult to understand what the teacher is saying. The sound of a student chewing with his mouth open in the back row is apparently in rhythm with the nervous pounding of another student nearby. The professor's words begin to fade into the background and the words on the blackboard blur as the minute hand nears the end of the hour. The rustle of books hastily collected in preparation for the end of class is like a queue and the professor gives almost imperceptible last-minute instructions as the bell rings. Traditional classrooms like this one boast structure and “more sociability,” but online schools are becoming increasingly popular… and for good reason. While the experience offered by traditional and virtual classrooms has differences such as cost, comfort level, and social interaction, they also share similarities such as distractions, student-teacher interaction, peer collaboration, and pre-determined timelines. One of the most significant differences between traditional and virtual classrooms and virtual schools comes at a cost. Student savings are achieved in many ways. There are no costs for transportation or office supplies but, more importantly, there are no moving costs and, in the case of students living with their parents, there is no rent. These are significant savings for those who do not already live near the College or University of their choice. Not only is it cheaper for the student, but there are significant savings for the school as well. Virtual life… middle of paper… despite the known benefits, as the world evolves and technology advances, only attending traditional classes can be like living in the past. Virtual classrooms, however, require commitment from the student. Establishing a structured learning environment at home and overcoming temptations requires self-discipline but is critical to success in an online class. References Fredholm, L. (2001, May 15). Pavlov's dog. On Nobelprize.org. Retrieved August 11, 2011, from http://nobelprize.org/educational/medicine/pavlov/readmore.htmlMcFarlane, D. A. (2011). A comparison between organizational structure and pedagogical approach: online and in person. Journal of Educators Online, 8, 1-43. Retrieved from http://www.eric.ed.gov/PDFS/EJ917871.pdfToch, T. (2010). In the age of online learning, schools still matter. Phi Delta Kappan, 91(7), 72-73. Extracted from