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Enrollment in online education is at an all time high, according to a recent study by the Sloan Consortium. Based on responses from more than 2,200 colleges and universities across the U.S., the study reveals that 3.2 million students took at least one online course in the fall of 2005, an increase of 850,000 more than the year before.

With the rise in popularity of e-learning comes some unique challenges not extant with more traditional classrooms. Students need to be aware of the differences between online and traditional classes and be prepared to make the necessary adjustments. Significant challenges faced by online students include the following:

- Technical problems. Computer hardware and peripheral devices such as printers, modems and routers are not indestructible; as with any other man-made device, they can break down or malfunction at the most inopportune time. In addition to equipment failure, an older computer may be incompatible with some software required for the course. Viruses, trojans, spyware and other malware could infect a computer, causing it to run poorly or not at all. A slow internet connection might cause problems logging into class, retrieving and submitting assignments, and posting to threaded discussions. Any of these problems could cause a great deal of frustration for the student trying to complete course assignments. Therefore, it is important for the student to have access to a backup computer to use in case of equipment malfunction.