You’re sitting in class when suddenly get that sinking feeling. Oh, no! I forgot to do my homework, you realize. Now what? How to get out of this situation as gracefully as possible? It’s important to know how to handle these situations.
Consider Your Approach
When it comes to excuses for late homework, there are two things to consider. First, think about your instructor. Are they a tough-as-nails taskmaster, laid back and cool, or strict but fair?
Next, consider your history in the class. Is this your first time missing an assignment, or do you find yourself saying, “I didn’t do my homework because…” more than once a week?
Think about these things carefully, so you know which approach to take. For example, should you use a bit of disarming humor, apologize sincerely, or come up with airtight excuses for missing homework?
Are There Valid Reasons to Skip Your Homework?
If you’ve forgotten your work, or simply couldn’t get it done, there may be some good excuses for missing homework. Teachers will often forgive an assignment or give an extension in any of the following situations:
- You were ill, and have a doctor’s note.
- A death or illness in the family.
- You were in an accident.
- The teacher didn’t provide you with the information you needed to complete the assignment.
You might also have some excuses that could earn a bit of leeway. These are things that probably could be avoided if you were diligent, but aren’t caused by laziness or lack of caring:
- A computer crash.
- Working an extra shift.
- Misplacing your backpack.
- Realizing too late that there was something you didn’t understand.
If you’ve been a good student, you might be able to use one of these excuses with a sincere apology to get a one time extension. Just don’t push your luck.
How to Tell Your Instructor You Didn’t Do Your Homework?
So, what’s the best way to break the bad news? You’ll need to be the judge of that. There are a few options. You could:
- Send a preemptive email explaining your situation.
- Catch the teacher before class to tell them.
- Upload a note via blackboard.
If you want to keep things on the serious side, use this template to explain the situation. Think of it as an apology letter to teacher for not doing homework.
“Dear Professor Chase,
I wanted to reach out to you before class and explain an unfortunate situation before we meet tomorrow. I was unable to complete the Romeo and Juliet analysis because of a power outage in my apartment complex. Prior to this technical issue, I had the assignment 75% completed. I will bring that with me today. If you could please issue a one time extension, I can finish the rest of the work by the end of the school day.
Thank you for taking my situation into consideration. I promise this will be a one time occurrence.
Sincerely,
Michael Smith.”
Let`s Have Some Fun!
If you get along with your teacher and are sure they will sympathize, you could try some funny excuses for not doing homework. Sometimes, a bit of humor helps everyone relax. It can make a dismal situation seem just a bit brighter. However, you should use extreme judgment here. Your plan to be funny could backfire.
- You deserve a break from grading papers, and I decided to help.
- It was aliens!
- Would you believe the dog really ate it?
Any Other Solutions for Missing Homework?
Obviously, the best choice is staying on top of your work. You might also stay up late to get missing work done. Then again, you might need good excuses for being late to school. All-nighters can have that effect.
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Posted by Chris M.