I'm in a little bit of a bind and I need some opinions

bazkook

bazkook

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Here's the deal. My 8 ball APA team is going to Vegas next weekend for the national team championships. However I start college classes again this upcoming week and I will miss the full second week of classes of course. I can complete all the assignments I will miss either a week early or while I'm in Vegas. No worries about that. But considering it will be only the second week of school and the teachers will not know me well at all,I don't want to leave a bad impression. I will tell them the first day of class about missing that week but I haven't decided on what to tell them yet. I thought about telling them I have to go out of state to attend to some personal family things. I'm not missing Vegas for anything though,short of a death in the family or something similiar. I know the trip is not an excused absence but what kind of excuse would you give? Would it be better to just tell the truth and say that the trip had been won long before school was starting?
 
bazkook said:
Here's the deal. My 8 ball APA team is going to Vegas next weekend for the national team championships. However I start college classes again this upcoming week and I will miss the full second week of classes of course. I can complete all the assignments I will miss either a week early or while I'm in Vegas. No worries about that. But considering it will be only the second week of school and the teachers will not know me well at all,I don't want to leave a bad impression. I will tell them the first day of class about missing that week but I haven't decided on what to tell them yet. I thought about telling them I have to go out of state to attend to some personal family things. I'm not missing Vegas for anything though,short of a death in the family or something similiar. I know the trip is not an excused absence but what kind of excuse would you give? Would it be better to just tell the truth and say that the trip had been won long before school was starting?
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find out if they have an attendance policy and work around that. For the ones that do, you'll have to come up with an excused approved absence. You may even have to go to the Dean's office and get it approved. ( I know this because I did something similar a couple of times at UGA).

For the ones that don't have an attendance policy just found out what subject matter they are gonna go over during your absence and review it. Also find out quiz/tests dates etc...

The lower lever classes I had in college that had no attendance policy only saw me on test days. Most of the upper lever classes too, lol.
 
Doesn't your great-uncle Vinnie live in Las Vegas? I heard he not been feeling too well :-)

No but seriously kids, stay in school. Pool is fun but an education is forever.
 
corvette1340 said:
find out if they have an attendance policy and work around that. For the ones that do, you'll have to come up with an excused approved absence. You may even have to go to the Dean's office and get it approved. ( I know this because I did something similar a couple of times at UGA).

For the ones that don't have an attendance policy just found out what subject matter they are gonna go over during your absence and review it. Also find out quiz/tests dates etc...

The lower lever classes I had in college that had no attendance policy only saw me on test days. Most of the upper lever classes too, lol.
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There is no standard attendance policy,each teacher makes up his or her own maximum number of unexcused absences before a student receives an F for not attending. I go to Georgia College and State University,if any of you are familiar with the school. What kind of events did you get excused absences for from the dean?
 
Priorities

I have never made much money from pool.....i make good money as a result of my education!!!!! And that allows me to play pool.
 
AuntyDan said:
Doesn't your great-uncle Vinnie live in Las Vegas? I heard he not been feeling too well :-)

No but seriously kids, stay in school. Pool is fun but an education is forever.
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Well considering it's my first time and could be my only time in the near future going to Vegas,I'm not missing it for the world. I'm usually not one to miss classes just because I don't feel like going. I also thought about making up an excuse about having to attend a business convention out of town. When I worked at Sears,they had annual conventions in Vegas but I never was able to attend one.
I'm not dropping out of college. I'll just be missing about 4 days of classes. Just wanted to clarify that for.
 
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When I was attending college there was a local doctor that would write excused absence slips for $10.00 each. Ask around at school somebody should know one that does the same thing.
 
bazkook said:
There is no standard attendance policy,each teacher makes up his or her own maximum number of unexcused absences before a student receives an F for not attending. I go to Georgia College and State University,if any of you are familiar with the school. What kind of events did you get excused absences for from the dean?
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yeah, I know there isn't a standard attendance policy. That's why I said check with each class to see what each classes' have. I said I had to go to a funeral in Texas one time and I can't remember what I said the other time. I remember it was to play in a big golf tourney with a huge calcutta in Panama City but I can't remember the excuse I gave.
 
It sounds like you are going to Vegas no matter what. So here is my 2 bits.

You should receive a class syllabus the first day of class. If there is not an attendance policy in place at your college and each teacher has their own, it will be spelled out in the syllabus. If the teacher is a hard nose on the matter believe me they will spell it out so they can say "you were warned" when they go to bomb someone out. Just make sure you know what the rules are.

If there is no policy in place and they are not taking attendance you probably are ok if you miss a two classes at the beginning of the semester if you apply yourself.

If the teacher is taking attendance I feel that honesty is the best policy. So approach them with your situation and let them know you will get the class work done. You may be surprised how much they will work with you. If they tell you no deal you can check to see if there is a add-drop period. If you are taking a class that has multiple sections you may be able to change to a section with an instructor that will work with you.

Just remember that APA, BCA, VNEA all have tournaments in Vegas every year and you will get other opportunities to make it out there to compete. Your Transcripts are forever and the education will pay off for the rest of your life.

Good luck in Vegas and DO NOT let the trip trash out a semester. Think of it this way. If you delay graduation by a semester, you just lost 4 months of salary at the time you graduate plus the living expenses, tuition, books etc of the semester that got delayed.
 
Having been in a position of authority, I will tell you this:

If someone was responsible enough to discuss class absence ahead of time, I would be impressed, and I wouldn't much care where they were going or why.

If I later found out they lied about where they were, I would feel compelled to nail their ass to the floor.

Tell them you won your way to a national billiards tournament. But only if they ask.
 
Oh yeah,

I fergot to mention...Three words...

Possible Swine Flu might be a good excuse...

They will not want to have been around you or have you in class. If it is your first time to Vegas you will come back home tired with bags under your eyes and looking like you have been out of it for a while.
 
I appreciate all the good advice guys. I will be upfront with my instructors and certainly not lie to them. I realize that the APA and other pool leagues have tournaments every year but the level of competition in my area is very high and the chance of winning the trip is slim. Plus I want to enjoy my younger years before I enter the real world.
 
IbeAnEngineer said:
Oh yeah,

I fergot to mention...Three words...

Possible Swine Flu might be a good excuse...

They will not want to have been around you or have you in class. If it is your first time to Vegas you will come back home tired with bags under your eyes and looking like you have been out of it for a while.
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:lol: That's good. Good thing I'm coming back on a Sunday. I'll have a day to recover before going back to reality.
 
Forgot to mention as well the trip has already been paid for and booked,airfare and hotel. It was booked about a week after we won. It was only until the date for the trip was approaching that I realized school started back around the same time.
 
I think if you go directly to your teacher, tell him/her in advance you will be out for those days, not necessarily get into details of the reason but you had already made ulterior arrangement and other people are counting on you to be there, the teacher should be more flexible since it is the beginning of the class.
Good luck in Vegas.
Edwidge

PS only give details if asked by your teacher
 
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bazkook said:
I appreciate all the good advice guys. I will be upfront with my instructors and certainly not lie to them. I realize that the APA and other pool leagues have tournaments every year but the level of competition in my area is very high and the chance of winning the trip is slim. Plus I want to enjoy my younger years before I enter the real world.
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You'll enjoy your later years, too, if you get good grades that allow you to get a good job. :grin:

I agree with many of IbeAnEngineer's points, and I'll add this: consider putting in extra effort in your studies when you return from your trip. Don't just catch up, pull ahead.
 
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