College is a great time to grow, learn and overcome bad habits and tendencies, like making excuses.

It is often easier to think of ways to explain an action than to just admit that it was wrong. People tend to think that all of their actions, even the bad ones, can somehow be justified.

Responsibility comes with age and the older we get, the harder the responsibilities become. People will expect more and want more.

College is one step closer to the real world. Excuses won’t get anyone very far in this not-too-distant land.

Bosses expect to have reliable employees. It is not a positive quality to hear an excuse come out every time expectations are not met.

College is a learning environment filled with plenty of opportunities to grow and practice handling situations in a more professional way.

Professors are aware of the excuses students tend to make. They’re two steps ahead in some classes, with policies that give students leeway but don’t accept excuses.

These policies might give students a number of free absences regardless of their reasons or drop the lowest quiz score, regardless of if a student getting to their computer in time or at all.

Professors hear the same excuses every semester and are tired of them.

They do not want students going to their office hours during “dead week” to figure out how to boost their grade after not following the policies given during first week of classes.

Professors do this because they want to prepare students for the responsibilities that will be expected of them later in life.

Making excuses may seem like a good idea at the time, but they really aren’t. Excuses, like other bad habits, feel good at the moment but tend to blow up later.

They’re like lies, and in some cases, they actually are lies. It is better to tell the truth and admit to wrongdoing than drag an issue out.

Making an excuse is like trying to fit into a pair of jeans that are too small. It might feel better to lie and say they fit, but the best solution is finding a pair that are the right size.

Kristina Martinez can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @kristinacsuc