“Homework check!” shouts the teacher, as she begins pacing the isles of desks. As she closes in, you start to concoct anAi??excuse to use for not having it done. Ai??When she arrives, Ai??you avoid eye contact and shamefully say,Ai??”I forgot my homework at home,”Ai??or “I didn’t do it because I didn’t want to add to your heavy work load,”Ai??or evenAi??”You didn’t tell us we had homework.”Ai??This has become a typical exchange between teacher and student.

ai???When a student gives me an excuse whether I believe them or not depends on if the student is trustworthy or a storyteller,ai??? said math teacher Mr. Jeff Juell.

Since the beginning of mankind people have been coming up with excuses to get out of things they donai??i??t want to do. Students are notorious for using excuses to get out of school work. Ai??They can range from the classic ai???My dog ate my homework,ai??? to the more complex ones like spilling coffee all over their backpack. Ai??It is up to the teacher whether he or she believes it or not, but its worth a shot, right?

ai???If I didnai??i??t do my homework and I donai??i??t want to get a zero I tell the teacher I have family problems,” said junior Danielle Rahaley. “They usually believe me Ai??because they know my track record.”

There is no limit to studentsai??i?? creativity when they are trying to come up with an excuse; some will even go out of their way to make it real. Ai??While the elaborate ones are effective, something as simple and common as a parent writing a note can do the job just as well.

ai???It is easier today perhaps because parents are more willing to write notes to get kids out of assignments,” said a teacher at Bangor High School. “Years ago if you didn’t do your homework, you got a zero. Ai??Parents seemed more likely to let their child suffer the natural consequences of their actions.”

Giving excuses can become a bad habit, especially if students try to rely on them at the college level or in the workplace, where adults may not be so forgiving. Ai??In high school, it is easy to buy extra time to finish your homework or a project, but in the real world a deadline is typically a deadline.

“I think the only time someone should use an excuse is when there is a real reason for not doing an assignment.Ai?? Kids should not just use them as a wayAi??to getAi??awayAi??with not doing their homework,” said junior Niko Sawyer.

Not only are teachers more forgiving when you leave your backpack at your auntai??i??s house or lose the homework in the clutter of your bedroom, but also they give more chances to make up work and get points back. Ai??Teachers provide all sorts of opportunities for extra and half creditAi??on assignments, which may have something to do with the high school dropout rate decreasing by five percent in the last 20 years.

ai???If I tell them I forgot it in my locker and will bring it to them by the end of the day, I can do it in the other classes and just bring it back finished,ai??? said an SHS student.

Even though an excuse may seem easier than telling the teacher you didnai??i??t do the homework, it will not help you in the long run. Rather than be caught up in a web of excuses, it would be better to just to come clean in the first place — especially if you want to be successful in the future.