“The dog ate my homework” is a phrase that has been roaming the halls of schools for generations. But over the last decade and a half, the dog-homework gamut has lost its popularity to technology woes such as “My WiFi is down” and “My computer keeps crashing.”
Excuses have served many students in a moment of pressure. From overbearing extracurricular activities to simply forgetting homework, students and adults alike have made up excuses to avoid the embarrassment of telling the truth.
Many teachers are aware of excuses, which is why Dr. Kevin A. Stein, a communication professor at Southern Utah University, explored what motivates students to create excuses in college.
In the study, titled “Student Excuses as a Unique Form of Apologia Rhetoric,” Stein analyzed more than 300 emails from 18 different professors and found that students use various language and strategy techniques.
“There is a theory in communication called attribution theory, and it says that when other people make mistakes, we tend to blame their personal failures on character,” Stein said, explaining that excuses are a way for students to argue in their favor and place the blame of their failure or setback on another variable, such as time or environment.
But not all excuses are lies.
Adam Karpinski, a high school student, juggles school with marching band competitions, practices, parades and private music lessons. With all of those activities, it is hard to find time for homework.
“I think probably my biggest [excuses have been] ‘I had band,’ or ‘I did it but lost it,’” Karpinski said.
When Karpinski explained that he doesn’t have free time, his teachers were hesitant to believe what he said.
“I use them [excuses] to either get out of an assignment or to try and get more time to work on it,” Karpinski said. “[Excuses] help students in trying to get more time to get a better grade.”
One student explained how she went to extreme lengths to have her excuses believed.
Isabelle Anderson, a graduated high school senior, said that one of her classes required confirmation by text to get absences excused. To achieve this, she changed her best friend’s contact in her phone to read “Mom” and had the friend text Anderson fully excusing her absences. The teacher, unaware of the ruse, accepted the “proof” and granted the excuses.
While a number of excuses are based on deception, Stein’s study found that many of the most common excuses are true — excuses such as feeling embarrassed by a grade, a scheduling conflict, circumstances out of the student’s control, or even correcting their actions.
And excuses aren’t exclusive to students. Employees also use excuses to cover mistakes, avoid embarrassment, or simply get out of work.
Jennifer Tamayo-Soto, a Chick-fil-A branch manager, oversees hundreds of employees. She explained that she has heard plenty of excuses over the years.
“There was one person who called off because the Lakers were playing on that day,” Tamayo-Soto said.
While excuses are common, Stein explained that in higher education, excuses are even more frequent. However, he found that how students give excuses makes a difference. When students behave in a positive manner, teachers are more likely to respond in the same way.
Stein shared an example of how honesty and kindness can go a long way toward student-faculty communication.
Stein recalled an instance when he received a notification from a student who had been in a car accident. At the time, Stein gave the student the benefit of the doubt. He later received pictures from the student, indicating the student wanted to show proof of the excuse.
To read the full text of Stein’s study, visit the Relevant Rhetoric online journal.
