Life

6 Excuses You Used When Your Homework Wasn't Done

by Megan Hanson

Even the best students procrastinate sometimes. I'm willing to bet that at one point or another, you had to come up with an excuse for why your homework wasn't done. I was a pretty good student, and even I still got away with a few absurd lies. I actually convinced one of my college professors that I had emailed him my final paper and he just lost it. I still feel a little bad about that one.

Now that I'm a few years out of school, I have a lot of friends who are teachers or tutors or nannies, and maybe you are, too. You might be on the other side of that awkward conversation, listening to your own students come up with every excuse in the book for why they don't have that assignment that was due today. This week is National Teacher Appreciation week, so take a minute to say thank you to the educators in your life! There are tons of creative ways to thank a teacher. For my part, I'm going to come clean. Here are six ridiculous excuses that I have used for why my homework wasn't done, and I bet you have used one of these, too.

1. I Was Surfing The Crimson Wave

Cher from the '90s classic Clueless was a master of excusing her way out of just about anything, including late homework assignments. You might get lucky and make your teacher uncomfortable enough that he or she just lets you get away with it.

2. My [Insert Distant Family Member Here] Died

Who didn't take a trick or two out of Ferris Bueller's book? Who would have guessed that your Great Aunt Mavis would kick the bucket the night before your big paper was due?

3. I Turned That In Already

Rita from Sister Act 2 was all about unapologetic snark. When you're backed into a corner, go bold and blame your teacher. "No, ma'am, I turned that in a few days ago. Did you lose it? I can re-write it and get it to you in a few days."

4. I Missed The Bus

There are lots of creative versions of this one, but one way or another, you had transportation problems all day and just couldn't make it to school. Maybe the bus driver hates you and deliberately leaves you behind, or the garage door wouldn't open, or it was raining too hard and it wasn't safe to drive. It wasn't your fault, you had to stay home.

5. I Have a Weird Medical Problem

Because a standard stomachache wouldn't cut it, you decided to forge a doctor's note with a totally improbable explanation as to how you got pink eye or the bubonic plague at the last minute.

6. I'll Be Honest, I Didn't Do It

There's nothing quite like the truth and hey, if I were a teacher, I would respect the honesty of a student who didn't make up some crazy excuse and just told it to me straight.

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