We’ve all done it at one time or another. Whether it’s for the dreaded 8 a.m. class or the four-hour night class, most students at Belmont have made up an excuse to get out of class.
Whether the excuse is believable or completely ridiculous, from time to time, a student will do anything to get a couple more hours of sleep or just have a day off.
Full disclosure: I am guilty of this, I once told a professor I was unable to make it to class because I commuted and was stuck in traffic (I lived in Thrailkill.)
While that one was a winner for me, here are some classic excuses from Belmont’s very own students.
“I once told a professor that it was too nice outside to go to class. She agreed and told me to enjoy the sunshine for her!”
“If I’ve learned one thing about using excuses to cut class, I always tell them I have a bad case of diarrhea. It’s embarrassing to say anyway and, the teacher will like how you confided in them and told them this and always believe you.”
“Saying you went to a cheap Chinese restaurant and got food poisoning. That always works.”
“I had to take out the trash.”
“My talent agent ate my homework.”
“I heard Taylor Swift was at Bongo Java and I had to go meet my future wife.”
While students believe their excuses to be golden tickets, professors know a fast one when they hear it.
Here are some ridiculous excuses that some Belmont faculty has heard.
“I have out-of-town guests and I needed to take them to the Jack Daniels Distillery. This would be a silly excuse no matter what, but at Belmont it is absolutely absurd!” – Dr. Maggie Monteverde, assistant provost for International Education and Study Away.
“The most ridiculous excuse I’ve ever heard was a student tell me that his roommate beat him to the shower and so he couldn’t make it to class. He could have come to class smelly. We didn’t care.” – Susan Barnes, public relations.
“Several semesters ago one of my students told me he would miss class because he would be in New York City doing a photo shoot for Banana Republic. Later, he told me he was one of the Top 10 finalists in a Bravo television show to select a top model. Of course, several times I’ve heard the excuse of students absent from class because they were performing out of state or promoting their new hit single.” – Dr. Bonnie Riechert, public relations.
So next time you plan on pulling a fast one on your teacher and skipping class, you might as well tell them the truth. No matter how good you are, they’ll always recognize an excuse. They’ve heard them all.