Ever feel yourself sitting in class and needing a mental break out in the halls? Or having loads of homework to do and deciding one of your assignments needs to be sacrificed for the greater good of the rest? Well, you’re not alone. Many of your fellow students feel the same and come back to class using the same old excuses as you. So, in the interest of getting the inside scoop, I asked some teachers and students about the most common excuses circulating the halls of Magnet.

Cosgrove 

An iconic yet misused excuse that many students utilize when returning from a vacation away from class. As everyone knows, Mr. Cosgrove is the ultimate G and Magnet would be unbearable without him so when passing him by in the halls you can’t help but get caught up in some light conversation that can quickly turn into you hearing one of Mr. Cosgrove’s many life stories to spice up the topic. Before you know it 20 minutes have passed and you are yet to even use the bathroom but all is well because you know you now have the “I was chatting with Cosgrove excuse” tucked away in your back pocket. Now, although this excuse is a valid one it is also often abused because students know that their teacher will brush off their prolonged absence when they rationalize it with Mr. Cosgrove. But in the recent year teachers have stopped believing and instead getting more angry. Anyway, I think I can speak for everyone when I say, thank you, Mr. Cosgrove, for all that you do and provide us with <3.

“My helpful nature has been misued at times by students… the problem is the students actually lie about it and if you’ve noticed I’ve had less or no conversations recently.” – Mr. Cosgrove

“Karma will come back for you.” – Mr. Cosgrove

Guidance Counselor 

This is an excuse I have never used before but according to various teachers, this is one consistently flowing out of their student’s mouths after being out and about. First off, due to the Guidance Counselors being tucked away far from most classrooms, this simple statement already provides a student with an extra bit of time compared to a short bathroom break. Also, there is no unsaid rule on how much time a student is allowed at Guidance so a teacher may often be limited to any further commentary on the amount of time the student is gone. Once the student returns, there is a plethora of reasons why the student needs to be at guidance so teachers will most likely be less inclined to interrogate you about it.

Nurse or Stomach Hurting

Although this excuse may be an awkward one for students to blurt out at times, it is a guaranteed, no-questions-asked one. Whether you ask for permission by telling your teacher up front that you need to go to the nurse or explaining for forgiveness by telling your teacher that your stomach hurts when you come back, it always works. Before I get ahead of myself, this excuse is, of course, not only said as a lie but can be very much a personal and real statement. Nonetheless, the main beauty of this excuse is the fact that it is unheard of for a teacher to challenge any excuse along these lines. The best situation to use the “I am having stomach problems” excuse in is when you get carried away on a little bathroom break and need to justify why you were in the restroom for so long.

Bathroom Line

Now this excuse is so simple yet so effective and is one that is typically used if a student is running late to class. Do you ever chat with your friends for a second too long in the hallways on the way to class and think, “Shoot I’m going to be tardy!” Well worry no further because here is the excuse made just for that situation. Granted, the lines in the bathroom in between classes do get to be very long and tend to truly be the reason a student is running late to class, it is a great way to shake off a possible tardy you may be threatened to receive.

Traffic 

If you are a student at AMHS, you know how treacherous the traffic can be going to and from school. The 526-morning traffic on the Don Holt bridge can be a killer and it is always a toss-up whether it is going to be completely backed up or not, and of course the train coming off the exit from I26 can cause hours of a hold-up if you don’t find your way around. Anyway, these poor traffic conditions frequently hinder a student’s ability to make it to class on time so as long as there is actual traffic and you are running into school late alongside other classmates then this excuse will never fail although it may not always save you from a tardy.

Homework

From what I have gathered, Magnet students typically don’t need homework excuses, and if they do they don’t bother to use an excuse and simply just say they didn’t do it or didn’t get around to it because they had so much other work. It is also common for a student here at Magnet to ask for an extension the day before the due date and although sometimes there’s a good excuse, chances are there isn’t. For a teacher, a plea for a last-minute extension is comedic and frequently denied unless presented with a good reason. Altogether, late work does not largely impact the day-to-day workings of AMHS.

Altogether, although an excuse is for sure needed from time to time, most teachers at Magnet are pretty understanding and typically don’t get on students’ backs about their extra long bathroom break or trip to the guidance counselor. Instead, it is when it becomes a frequent habit that it becomes a problem. And if you are one to abuse any of these excuses maybe consider laying off a bit so they don’t become completely unbelievable and monitored.