The best excuse for not handing in your homework

I think the most foolproof excuse is this: "I have to be honest, teacher, I was so absorbed watching the 349th episode of the captivating TVB drama Come Home Love that homework ceased to exist for me!"

Everyone will believe you, 100 per cent. (Note the sarcasm.)

Christy Cheung, 16, St Paul's Co-educational College

Gone up in smoke

"I worked so hard on this assessment, *insert teacher name*, I really did ... Except I woke up this morning to find that all my files, including my homework, had been deleted! I have no idea what happened! I am truly sorry!"

Hey, you have to use the fact that your school uses laptops for everything to your advantage sometimes, you know ...

Anushka Purohit, 15, Renaissance College

(Say in a heart-broken voice) "Miss, some psycho broke into my home and tried to grab my TV. I reached out to find the nearest I could use as a weapon but ended up showing my art homework instead. It was so horrible that he ripped it apart and ran away!"

Parul Methi, 11, King George V school 

Our maths teacher gives us a lot of homework. One day I forgot to do it. So I went to school the next day and told him: "You said do questions 1-10. You didn't say to bring them in!"

Worked well, to be completely honest, because all he said was: "Do questions 1-10 on page 57 of the textbook!"

Snehaa Senthamilselvan Easwari, 15, South Island School

"Well, I was so busy thinking about a good excuse that I forgot to do my homework!"

Duma Cheng, 15, the YWCA Hioe Tjo Yoeng College

"It was very cold last night. So I burnt all my homework papers and worksheets to make a fire and keep my family warm!"

It's such a sad story!

Martin Tsang, 15, Law Ting Pong Secondary School

"I was late for school so I paid a stranger to give me a ride in his car. The stranger turned out to be a dangerous criminal, and his son hadn't done his homework, either. So he threatened me, saying if I didn't give him my homework, he would do something awful to me. I had to protect myself, right?!"

Edwin Yankey, 13, Law Ting Pong Secondary School

"Miss, my grandpa used my homework paper to pick up a dead cockroach last night. Before anybody could stop him, he squashed the horrible insect, tore up the paper, and put them both in the bin.

Shan Shan, 14, St Stephen's Girls' College

"I was helping my siblings with their revision so I couldn't finish my homework on time." That would definitely impress my teacher.

Bervinder Kaur, 14, St Antonius Girls' College

"I was soooo busy. I had to study for three tests this week and had four essays due! IB life!!"

Gerald Koh, 16, West Island School

For our next Top 10, tell us, what do you look forward to most at the end of the school day? Send us your answer, together with your name, age and school, to reporters.club@scmp.­com with "Top 10: end of the school day" in the subject field. Our favourite answers will appear in next week's Top 10!