Whether intentional or not, every student, no matter how dedicated, has missed a day or two of the school; in some cases, more than a day or two. In a sense, it has become a right of passage, just like Ditch Day. From simply not wanting to attend school to encounter an emergency, there are numerous reasons one might miss or want to miss school; the list is so long that it could be considered endless. So, if you are looking for Excuses for missing school or class just because you want to, you have come to the right place.
FOOD POISONING
This is a fan favorite because when health is involved, people tend to get scared. Although useful and very effective, this excuse can only be used a handful of times because really? How often does one get food poisoning? When utilizing this excuse, make sure to have a few details handy such as what you ate, when you ate it, and if possible, where (like a specific restaurant) you ate it.
“May I be excused? I think I ate something bad last night and my stomach seems to be acting up”
ILLNESS
Just like the aforementioned excuse, this one works like a charm. Who wants to be around a sick person? No one! That’s who. The best trick is to come up with an illness that is both communicable and not exaggerated, for example, a cold or the flu, because you don’t want teachers and fellow students visiting you in your ‘sickbed’ and you don’t want your friends worrying over something fictitious.
“Sir/Ma’am, I have noticed that my symptoms show that I have a cold and I would not want to pass it on to anyone at school. May I be excused as I recuperate?”
MIGRAINE
You cannot go wrong when your excuse for missing school is health-related. Using a migraine as an excuse to miss school is an excellent choice because it cannot be checked for symptoms; it is a discomfort that occurs within the body. A migraine is quite severe, and no one would want to be the reason why you are at school when you’re going through something so horrid.
“Sir/Ma’am, my head hurts and the pain keeps recurring. Is it ok if I am excused for the rest of the day?”
ILLNESS IN THE FAMILY
If you don’t feel like playing the sick card, you can make a family member play it for you. Just like all excuses given above, this health-related excuse works perfectly. Simply requesting permission to leave because your mom or uncle is in the hospital would work like a charm.
“Sir/Ma’am, I just received a text saying my mother is in the hospital, may I be excused to rush down there?”
FAMILY EMERGENCY
Accidents happen all the time, and family members are not excluded from these occurrences. Your little sister has a headache, and you need to take her home; your aunt was in a car accident, your grandma fell down the stairs; get creative! The possibilities are endless. With the invention of social media and as you use family members as alibis, be careful not to get caught in a place you are not meant to be. We do not want you to get in trouble over something like that, and once you’re in trouble, you cannot excuse yourself from serving your punishment.
“Sir/Ma’am, my little sister is having a headache, I would like to take her home so she can rest”
DOCTOR OR DENTIST APPOINTMENT
Everyone from time to time needs to visit the doctor or dentist, so it is not uncommon to use it as an excuse to get out of school for a day or two. Most teachers are aware of the need to visit the doctor or dentist, so they won’t question you when you request a day from school. Doctor visits are usually twice a year, while dentist appointments may happen numerous times depending on the individual. Like most other excuses, you can only use this a couple of times before you start to look suspicious, so thread lightly.
“Sir/Ma’am, I would like to be excused from school tomorrow as I have a doctor’s appointment”
MEDICAL PROCEDURES OR MEDICAL TESTS
As a doctor/dentist appointment, this excuse is treated with the utmost importance; it is even deemed as more important because these appointments are scheduled for an existing condition that needs to be taken care of as soon as possible. As usual, do not use this excuse more than a few times as you’re more likely to get caught and when used, make sure you aren’t seen hale and hearty, seeing as it defeats the purpose of using this excuse.
“Sir/Ma’am I won’t be able to come in today as I am set to undergo a procedure.”
TRAFFIC JAM
Traffic jams are a regular occurrence. We’ve all experienced a traffic jam or two in our lifetime. Seeing as this is a relatable scenario, it can be used to get out of class. All you have to do is inform your lecturer you’re stuck in traffic and notify them that there are no other available routes so you’ll have to miss school.
“Sir/Ma’am, I am currently stuck in traffic and have been for the past hour. I have scouted for another route to school but to no avail.
CAR TROUBLES
Everybody knows that cars are a lot of work and from time to time they malfunction. Engine breaking or tire going flat are two of several reasons to take your car into the shop, and everyone knows this could take all day, so why not take advantage of this inconvenience (wink wink) and skip school.
“Sir/Ma’am, my car broke down several blocks away from school, and I will have to take it into the shop. Kindly excuse me as I try to rectify the issue. Thank you.”
A DEATH IN THE FAMILY
This excuse is a bit dark but works nonetheless. Death happens unexpectedly, it can happen to anyone, and it is a tragic occurrence; this is why you should consider using this excuse as your last resort. If a loved one passes away when you least expected it, or even a long time after a long battle with an ailment, your lecturer is most likely to cut you some slack. Mourning is a process, and the pain does not go away easily, so you’re going to get a substantial amount of time off, but keep in mind that taking too much time off could be detrimental to your education as you could fall behind academically. Some lecturers ask for proof of death, so be prepared for that.
Using this excuse is a surefire way to skip school but think about your options before implementing this excuse.
“Dear Sir/Ma’am,
I hope this letter/e-mail finds you well. I am writing to inform you that my grandma passed away last night after multiple visits to the hospital and several attempts to save her life. I want to request a couple of days off to recover from this terrible loss. Thank you for your understanding.
Your Sincerely,
(Your name)”
BAD WEATHER
This excuse works wonders if you commute to school. A heavy rain, a flash flood, or even a blizzard will most likely get you excused from class, and the best part about it is that you don’t have to give too much information. To make your excuse more believable, you can get a letter signed by a parent or text a classmate to inform your lecturer beforehand that you won’t be able to attend class. It is obvious or at least it should be that you are not supposed to be seen anywhere not in close proximity to your home.
“Sir/Ma’am, on my way to school, a frightful snow blizzard began. I quickly ran back home and barricaded myself in the house. Please excuse me from school today as I wait out the blizzard. Thank you for your understanding.”
LONG DAY AT WORK
Another possible excuse to get out of going to school is saying you came home late from work. This excuse is perfectly suited for students that have part-time jobs. This excuse can be advantageous if you partied too hard on a work night or actually stayed late after work. Using this excuse is better than just saying to wake up late; you could just inform your lecturer that the previous night’s workload was hefty, which led to you being tired the next day. With this excuse, you could get some sympathy from your lecturer, and they would mostly be more considerate to your situation because they would completely understand what you’re going through.
“Sir/Ma’am, as you know, I have a part-time job. I went in for work last night and spent a lot more time than I was supposed to, and now I am spent. Please excuse me from class as I try to gain my strength. I appreciate your understanding.”
NO MODE OF TRANSPORTATION
Finding a means of transportation is actually quite tedious, especially when one does not have a car of their own. One would have to take the bus, take the train, or any means of conveyance they can find. Just like every other thing in life, nothing is certain, unforeseen circumstance occurs, and means of transportation is not an exception. A bus could break down, or the train drivers could go on strike, of which none of these is your fault. Your lecturer would understand your predicament, especially if you live several blocks or kilometers away.
“Sir/Ma’am, on my way to school, the public bus broke down several blocks away from school. Unfortunately, I will not be able to make it to school. I hope to be back in school by tomorrow.”
VICTIM OF THEFT
Anyone can get robbed at any place and any time; that’s why this excuse, as terrible as it sounds, is a solid one. Any reasonable lecturer should be able to understand your situation and empathize with you over what happened. If you are going to use this excuse to skip school, make sure to have a good and plausible story. You could even go as far as to give them little details about the event. You could mention where it occurred, what was stolen, and how you’re feeling (this could help you gain some sympathy). Do not forget to take off and hide any items you claimed were stolen. The chances of theft actually happening are actually quite high, so be careful not to get caught up in one, especially if you just used it as an excuse to get out of school.
“Sir/Ma’am, while walking to school, I was robbed, I lost my watch, wallet, and $170. Forgive me for not coming in today as I try to file a police report.”
“YOU DO NOT HAVE TO ATTEND”
Sometimes you do not have the energy to come up with an excuse and start thinking of ways to implement it, but as luck has it, your lecturer could come up with the excuse of you. Most lecturers give their students a certain number of free passes to miss a class, no question asked. So, if you are in a situation where you do not want to think of an excuse, use this.
FAMILY VACATION
We all have parents and more often than not, they dictate what happens in certain aspects of our lives. Sometimes we can use their authority to our advantage. This excuse is foolproof and could get you off of school for a very long time (obviously not too long because education is key). Just explain to your lecturer that your parents wanted to surprise you with a family vacation and already purchased the plane tickets and you have no choice than to go with them (not like you have a say in the matter)
“Dear Sir/Ma’am,
I want to request for few days off from school to enable me to go on a family vacation, which was planned without my knowledge. I want to take 5 days off from …… (date of departure) …. to (date of return). I optimistically await your feedback. Thank you for your understanding.
Yours Sincerely,
(Your name)”
KID EMERGENCY
Yes! Believe it or not, students have kids, and everyone knows that kids are prone to accidents and mild illnesses. Using this excuse only works if you actually have a kid, so if you do not, sorry, on to the next one. You could just inform the lecturer that the babysitter just called, and your kid is having a fever or tripped and has a huge gash, so they need to visit the emergency room. Most lecturers would be happy that you did not bring your child to the classroom as they could disrupt the class or actually spread whatever illness they might be having, be it a cold or flu, so you leave to attend to your kid should not be a problem to them.
“Sir/Ma’am, please excuse me from today’s class, the babysitter just called and my son is running a fever”
“I WAS ARRESTED”
Yes, a bit extreme, but it gets the job done. Getting arrested is a huge deal and is not to be taken lightly, so that is why it is a great excuse to use. You could call your lecturer and inform them that you were arrested for beating a red light or for not paying your parking tickets. Try not to use serious crimes as a means of skipping class because no one is going to believe you got caught selling drugs and just got a slap on the wrist. With this excuse, you should not expect many questions from your lecturer, maybe a quick “Are you ok?”.
“Sir/Ma’am, I was arrested for not paying some parking tickets, I was taken down to the station to rectify the issue, and I spent all day there. I am sorry for my absence; I hope to be back in school tomorrow.”
“OUR OTHER TEACHER HELD US BACK”
This actually happens all the time. A lecturer would teach way past their allocated time and into the allocated time of another lecturer. Although they won’t take enough time for you to miss the next class, you could always skip it and tell the lecturer their co-worker spent most of their time teaching.
SCHEDULING MISHAP
Nobody is perfect; we all make mistakes, and so do admin staff. Sometimes classes overlap, and you have to choose which you want to attend or might not even know they are clashing. Just inform your lecturer about the mishap, whether it is true or not, and it will work. Be careful when using this excuse be it true or not because it cannot be used more than once as the lecturer won’t believe that the issue has not been rectified.
“Sir/Ma’am, I am terribly sorry for missing your class. I did not know the fact that your course was clashing with another. Hopefully, admin fixes this issue in time for our next class.”
“I WAS HUNGOVER”
You might be thinking this excuse is unnecessary, but thinking is not what you’re going to be doing when you do have a hangover. This excuse is a little disappointing, so it should only be used if it is true and as a last resort. Of course, the lecturer would believe the excuse because it is relatable, but they would be disappointed or lose respect for you, and it might even come with a whole speech, so do not just throw this excuse around.
“Sir/Ma’am, I’m sorry for missing class yesterday, I was hungover”
“I GOT LICE”
We all have hair. We are all scared of getting lice; it is not a pleasant experience. You not going to school due to lice would even get you some applause from your lecturer. Just send your lecturer an email saying you got lice over the weekend and you are golden.
“Sir/Ma’am, I visited a thrift store over the weekend and purchased a beanie; sadly, I now have lice. Please excuse me as I treat this issue. Thank you for your understanding.”
“I DIDN’T KNOW I WAS IN YOUR CLASS”
As unbelievable as it sounds, it does happen. Often, students actually do not realize they are enrolled in a class and miss it for the first week of the semester until the lecturer asks why they were not in class. Unfortunately, this excuse only works in the first week of the semester so you cannot use it at your leisure.
“Dear Sir/Ma’am,
I received your email inquiring why I did not show up for class. I am truly sorry for my absence; I was completely unaware of my enrolment in the class. I promise to be in class on time next week and catch up on what I missed.
Yours Sincerely,
(Your name)”
“I WAS STUDYING FOR ANOTHER COURSE”
Exam weeks are the worst. Everyone is stressed, not getting enough sleep, not eating enough. There’s never enough time to study; that is when this excuse comes in. Obviously, some exams come faster than others, and while exams are going on, classes are still ongoing. During that period, you could use studying as an excuse to miss class.
“Sir/Ma’am, I am sorry I missed your class; I was studying for an upcoming exam that I was not fully prepared for. Forgive my absence, and I promise to catch up on whatever I missed.”
“I LOCKED MY KEYS IN MY CAR”
This excuse does not bode well for people’s idea of how responsible you are, but it works like previous excuses enumerated. All you need to do is inform your lecturer that you locked your keys in your car and you have contacted Triple-A. By the time Triple-A supposedly gets to you and gets your keys from your car, the class should be over.
“Sir/Ma’am, I accidentally locked my keys in my car, and as such, I am not able to journey to school at the moment. I have contacted Triple-A and await their response to my issue. Thank you for your understanding.”
ALLERGIC REACTION
Many of the population is allergic to something, be it peanuts, soy, milk, fish, shrimp, etc. So, a student calling in because of an allergic reaction should not be a surprise to anyone. Be careful not to ingest what you claim to be allergic to because your lecturer would never believe any one of your excuses, whether it is true or not. Also, do some research about allergic reactions, at least find out what an EpiPen is.
“Sir/Ma’am, I will not be able to come in today as I am in the hospital after experiencing an allergic reaction to soy”.
COMPUTER TROUBLES
Not all classes are held in a classroom. Sometimes, lecturers get lazy and decide to hold the class online. The lecturer’s inability to get out of bed and come to the classroom can be used to your advantage. All you have to do is tell your lecturer that you are having computer problems; your computer just went off, your computer fell, and the screen got cracked, or your computer’s motherboard got fried, the excuse is all up to you.
“Sir/Ma’am, I was unable to attend your online class yesterday because my computer fell and the screen got cracked. It is currently in the IT shop and is getting fixed. I hope to be in your next class. Thank you for your patience.”
JURY DUTY
Sometimes it is best to let the legal system do the dirty work for you. Jury duty is an obligation of every citizen who receives a summons from a court to appear on a particular day and time to serve on a jury potentially. Jury duty is a civic responsibility. No lecturer would question this excuse because they know that every citizen has to partake in it. However, be careful because the lecturer might ask for proof of which you have none.
“Sir/Ma’am, I just got called in for jury duty; I might need a few days off to handle my civic duty. I promise to catch up on my studies when I’m fulfilling my responsibilities.”
There are so many excuses to use when trying to get out of going to school or class, and it does not end with this list. Get creative! The sky is the limit. When coming up with your own excuses, ask yourself, “If I were a lecturer, would I believe this excuse?”. With that in mind, go crazy and have fun ditching school.
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