From the classic, “my dog ate my homework” to something new and creative every year, teachers have heard it all. We have all made up irrational and senseless excuses so our teachers won’t be upset or disappointed with us for not doing what we were supposed to do.

It is safe to say that not everyone does his or her homework and not everyone can be completely honest about it from time to time.

But what drives students to come up with these entertaining excuses throughout the school year? High school students are hit with a load of homework right from the start of the school year. We are expected to balance our schoolwork, social life, work, and after school activities and to know how to do that right from the start.

Although teachers may allow the excuses from time to time, students cannot depend on this and not do their homework. Over the years of high school, balancing projects and homework with the other aspects of your life become a lot easier. Different students in different grade levels will have different reasons behind their excuses.

Freshmen and sophomores might not do their assignments because they think its too easy, they’re bored, they do not know how to balance between all of their homework, or they might not simply see the point of doing it. Amanda Dvorak, pre-calc and calculus teacher, states she hears most excuses from ninth graders.

Juniors and seniors will have more complicated reasons as to why they aren’t doing their homework. They may not understand it, busy with work or after school activities, forgot all about it, etc. Sometimes they don’t have the motivation or lack energy. Other times, they don’t do it because they don’t have time between work and other activities.

“Seniors are the ones that I hear most excuses from because of extra curricular activities or work,” says Sherry Poole, government and AP government teacher.

Teachers are at the school all day, five days a week. Some see hundreds of students, others only a few. Of course they have heard the same things over and over again but every once in awhile they hear something new.

“One of my students told me they used their homework assignment as a Kleenex because they were watching a Hallmark movie so they couldn’t turn it in since it had their tears all over it,” says Poole.

Although most of the time, students could be lying about the reason as to why they didn’t finish their assignment on time, a lot of the time they are telling the truth.

“I did have a student say they were in the hospital the night before and I didn’t believe them. I had to call their parents and their mom informed me they were telling the truth,” says Dvorak.

Moral of the story: just do your assignments because chances are your teachers have already heard your planned excuse.