Now that it’s summer, we’ve all probably had plenty of time to reflect on this past school year. Some classes might’ve gone really great (a solid B- or above) and some classes might not have gone the way you imagined they would. College is hard – bottom line. Failing a class isn’t ideal, but sometimes it’s just inevitable. However, I’d be willing to bet a lot of money that all of our parents wouldn’t see it that way. So, when you’re faced with the unavoidable “How were your grades this semester?”, here are three valid excuses that should cover you if (*when) you fail a class.
Excuse #1: “My professor was really awful”
Blaming the teacher has been a classic excuse since you forgot to study for that one chemistry test during your freshman year of high school. Once you get to college, this is hands down the most consistently used bail-out for those 8:00 am classes that no one ever goes to. “My professor’s exams were impossible” or “My professor wouldn’t help me during office hours” are simple but effective methods to convince your parents that your addiction to gambling on Chinese basketball is actually not why you failed Art 101.
If you really examine this excuse, it actually has quite a lot of nuance. Professors can be “awful” in many different ways. They could be just awful at teaching – plain and simple. Or maybe they’re awful with clearly communicating assignments and exams. Sometimes, they might be “awful” because they’re smoking hot and consistently wear borderline inappropriate outfits to lecture. Either way, blaming the professor for the big ol’ “F” on your transcript is pretty reliable when it comes to getting your parents off your back. But, at times this excuse won’t cut it.
Excuse #2: “I was on load management”
If Kawhi Leonard can do it and still make hundreds of millions of dollars, why can’t you? As college students, our bodies and minds are pushed to the absolute limit every single day. Sometimes, we simply can’t take it anymore. Load management is incredibly important. On certain days, you just need to listen to your body. And if your body is telling you to play beer die for five hours straight instead of going to your classes for the day, you should follow orders. The ultimate goal of load management is to preserve your physical and mental health so you can perform at your full potential when it really matters. Is your Spanish history class really that much more important than the Pi Phi philanthropy dodgeball tournament? I didn’t think so.
I’d venture to say that a vast majority of our parents want us to always be happy and healthy. So, they should definitely understand that prioritizing our health might result in a failed class or two. You can always retake a class, but there’s only one fraternity intramural basketball league championship every year. Get those shots up and don’t think twice about it.
Excuse #3: “I got hit by a bus on my way to the final exam”
If you run through excuses one and two while trying to convince your parents that failing a certain class wasn’t your fault, you’ll need to get creative. And by creative, I mean quite literally the craziest excuse you can come up with that is semi-believable. My favorite is saying that you got hit by a bus or some other motorized vehicle. As long as the incident is survivable, this excuse is a one-way ticket to not only justifying your “F” but also receiving sympathy from those around you.
Hopefully, these three excuses will provide you with an expansive repertoire of explanations for failed classes this upcoming school year. Obviously, the goal is to pass all of our classes, but sometimes load management is an undeniable necessity.
