4 Ways To Skip School - WikiHow

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Terms of Use wikiHow is where trusted research and expert knowledge come together. Learn why people trust wikiHow How to Skip School PDF download Download Article Co-authored by Asa Don Brown, PhD, DNCCM, FAAETS

Last Updated: February 11, 2026 References

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  • Faking Sickness
    • |
  • Sneaking Away from School
    • |
  • Making Excuses
    • |
  • Making it Believable
    • |
  • Video
    • |
  • Expert Interview
    • |
  • Tips
    • |
  • Warnings
|Show more |Show less X

This article was co-authored by Asa Don Brown, PhD, DNCCM, FAAETS. Dr. Asa Don Brown is a Clinical Psychologist with over 30 years of experience. He specializes in working with families, children, and couples; while treating a variety of psychological disorders, trauma, and abuse. Dr. Brown has specialized in negotiation and profiling. As a prolific author, Dr. Brown has published four books; contributed to multiple other books; published 500+ articles in professional and popular magazines, journals, and peer-reviewed publications; and has recently published a number of creative and literary works. Dr. Brown earned a BS in Theology and Religion with a minor in Marketing and an MS in Counseling with a specialization in Marriage and Family from The University of Great Falls. He has also received a Master of Liberal Arts from Harvard University. Furthermore, he received a PhD in Psychology with a specialization in Clinical Psychology from Capella University. This article has been viewed 1,731,394 times.

School can be the worst, and sometimes you just need a day to yourself. A little creative thinking is all you need to get out of your classes and enjoy a day of relaxing free time. Here are some methods you can use to skip school and make your absence believable.

Steps

Method 1 Method 1 of 4:

Faking Sickness

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  1. Step 1 Set the scene. 1 Set the scene. If you are going to pretend to be sick, tell your parents that you don't feel well a couple of days beforehand. Your "sickness" will be more believable if your parents see some symptoms before the actual day that you pretend to be ill.[1]
    • To fake a stomach ache, tell your parents that you may have eaten something bad at school.
    • To fake a cold, say that your throat has been feeling a little scratchy.
    • Get started the night before by waking up and telling your parents that you’re feeling sick. Either mimic your symptoms from before, or just say, “I feel like I’m getting sick."
    • Reader Poll: We asked 1473 wikiHow readers if they’d ever taken a fake sick day, and 74% of them said yes. [Take Poll] So, you're definitely not alone.
  2. Step 2 Wake up "sick". 2 Wake up "sick". Get up a little later than you should. Tell your parents you’re not feeling so great. Walk around slowly, like your muscles are achy, and don’t fix your messy, sleepyhead hair.
    • Don't eat too much breakfast. Sick people often lose their appetites, so this will help with the illusion.
    • If you’re faking cold/flu symptoms, cough and sneeze and say you’re feeling dizzy.
    • If you’ve been faking stomach symptoms, rub your stomach and moan that it hurts.
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  3. Step 3 Fake a fever... 3 Fake a fever. Your parents will probably want to check if you have a fever or not, since a fever can be the sign of true illness. To convince them you’re really sick, you’ll need to make them believe you have a temperature.
    • Soak a towel in hot water, wring it out, then place it against your forehead for 1 minute. This will heat up your head and body and make your fever more believable.
    • Boil some water in a kettle, then pour it into a bowl. Lean over the bowl until your skin feels flushed, then step away. This will make you feel clammy.
    • Rub a thermometer between your hands until it reaches 99–101 °F (37–38 °C). Don't go higher, however, or you might risk a trip to the hospital.
  4. Step 4 Put on a brave face at first, then give in. 4 Put on a brave face at first, then give in. If your parents ask if you want to stay home, don't say yes immediately. You need to act like missing school is a really hard decision to make. This will make it seem like you really want to make the effort to go to school but can't.
    • Think about it for a minute or two and say something like, "But I want to go to PE." Then tell them, "On second thought, I'm not sure I can make it all day at school."
    • If you make it seem outright like you don't want to go because you hate school, your illness won't seem believable.
  5. Step 5 Keep up the act to make it believable. 5 Keep up the act to make it believable. Act really sick all morning, then slowly pretend that you’re feeling a little better throughout the day. The next morning, act like you still don’t feel your best, but are just strong enough to go to school.
    • Even though you have a day to yourself, you’ll still have to pretend to be sick all day long, at least while your parents are still around.
    • If you suddenly get better the next day, your parents may catch onto your lie and get mad. They may not fall for it the next time.
    6. Advertisement
Method 2 Method 2 of 4:

Sneaking Away from School

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  1. Step 1 Know the risks. 1 Know the risks. Many schools have monitors, cameras, security guards, janitors and teachers on the lookout for people leaving school.[2] You may have to take some big risks if you decide to skip school this way.[3]
    • Read up on your school’s rules before your bunk off day, and be ready for the consequences if you get caught.
  2. Step 2 Leave school... 2 Leave school at the right moment. If you want to leave the premises for the day, you need to slip away when you are least likely to be noticed. This is best done usually when there are lots of people around.
    • Leaving at the very beginning of the day will probably get you noticed, since most kids are going into the school and not away from it.
    • Go to your first class so you can at least be seen, then slip away in between classes. You can also do this between afternoon classes, or around lunchtime.
  3. Step 3 Keep an eye on the time. 3 Keep an eye on the time. You don’t want to alert your teachers and parents that you haven’t been in class by being late coming back. While you’re out and about, check the time every so often to see how much free time you have left.
    • Give yourself enough time to change back into your school clothes (if you’ve changed out of them) and be back on school grounds by the time the last bell rings.
    • Show up on time for the bus or for when your parents pick you up. This will make it seem as though you were at school all day.
    • If someone sees you and asks where you’ve been, say that you've been in the bathroom sick or at an appointment. Make sure your parents don't hear from a teacher that you weren’t in class.
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Method 3 Method 3 of 4:

Making Excuses

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  1. Step 1 Pretend not to... 1 Pretend not to finish your homework. In the morning, make a big deal about not completing a really important assignment - act panicked, pretend to cry, and furiously try to finish your work. If your parents see you so upset, they might take pity on you and let you stay at home to finish your homework.[4]
    • This won’t work with every parent. Some parents will send you to school so that you can learn a valuable lesson about finishing your work on time.
  2. Step 2 Miss your bus... 2 Miss your bus. If your parents expect you to get to the bus stop by yourself, simply missing your bus will guarantee you a day off. Walk slowly to the bus stop or leave the house too late. Run behind the bus, then act sad that you missed it.
    • Find some place hide so that you don't get caught by your parents, or head home and tell your parents that you missed your bus.
    • If your parents are strict, you might want to wait until they've left for work before heading home; otherwise, they may drive you to school!
    • Know your risks! If your neighbour sees that you missed the bus, your parents may report you.

    Warning: Be aware that not only your neighbors may report you, but also the school bus driver (if your parents have a contract with the bus), your teachers, or the parents of your classmates.

  3. Step 3 Change your parents' alarm while they're sleeping. 3 Change your parents' alarm while they're sleeping. You can move it forward as far ahead as 1 or 2 hours, to as little as 30 minutes. When the alarm rings, your parents will panic about being late and (probably) won’t have time to take you to school.
    • For example, if the alarm is supposed to go off at 6am, change it to go off at 7 or 8am.
    • If one parent sets the alarm, you’ll only have to change one alarm. However, if there are multiple alarms, you’ll have to change them all. Do this at your own risk.
    • Be considerate of your parent's work. If you make them extremely late, they could get in trouble.
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Method 4 Method 4 of 4:

Making it Believable

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  1. Step 1 Fake a note from your parents. 1 Fake a note from your parents. When you’ve skipped a day at school, your school will want to know where you’ve been. Write a pretend note from your parents to explain why you were absent.
    • You can choose any excuse that sounds real, like you had to go to a funeral, had a dentist appointment, or that a pet died.
    • Type the note instead of writing it by hand. Your handwriting probably doesn’t look like an adult’s handwriting to a teacher, so it won’t be convincing. Typing the note is safer, and it will also look more official.
  2. Step 2 Talk about your... 2 Talk about your fake missed day where teachers can hear you. Make up really good details about the day you had when you were out of school - what happened, who you saw, how you felt.[5] Then, use those details to have a conversation with your friends in earshot of a teacher.
    • Say things about how sad it was to see so many crying people at a funeral, or how long and annoying it was to wait at the dentist before you got seen to.
  3. Step 3 Ask to make up for the work that you missed. 3 Ask to make up for the work that you missed. Most teachers know that kids skip school to get out of doing work, so your teachers will never guess that you skipped if you ask for catch up work the next again day. This will also make you appear to be a responsible student.
    • To make it even more believable, act like you really want to do the work, even if you don’t.
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Expert Q&A

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Video

Tips

  • It can be harder to convince your parents that you’re sick if they are stressed out or irritable, so make sure that they are in a good mood the day you decide to fake sickness. The best time to do it is when they are just waking up so then they will be tired and agree more easily. Thanks Helpful 59 Not Helpful 24
  • If you aren't good at acting, just turn your alarm clock off and say that it turned off automatically or that the alarm just didn't go off. If your parents are the ones waking you up, say that you fell asleep right after they woke you up (Varies from parent to parent, on how stubborn/dedicated they are to get you to school). Thanks Helpful 35 Not Helpful 32
  • If you get caught, don’t make a scene - just tell the truth. Lying will probably get you into more trouble, and if you tell the truth, your punishment may be reduced.
    • Also, if you lie, they won't believe or trust you even if you tell the truth. And they will probably threaten to send you to boarding school.
    Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
Show More Tips

Tips from our Readers

The advice in this section is based on the lived experiences of wikiHow readers like you. If you have a helpful tip you’d like to share on wikiHow, please submit it in the field below.
  • If you just need a minute to yourself, try asking to go to the bathroom for a few minutes because a teacher can't dictate how long you can take. Ask right after a lesson or during work time, and the teacher may forget how long you've been away.
  • If your parents take your temperature with an electronic thermometer, put it close to a lightbulb until it reads 100°F or 102°F. Just don't let the temperature get any higher or your parents may worry and find out you're faking.
  • Try to tell a trustworthy friend that you are going to skip so they can cover for you if a teacher asks for you. Try and pick someone who your teacher trusts so they’re more likely to believe your friend.
  • Do not tell anyone in your family that you're faking sick or skipping school to make sure no one tells your parents.
Submit a Tip All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published Name Please provide your name and last initial Submit Thanks for submitting a tip for review! Advertisement

Warnings

  • If you make a habit of skipping school, you might be expelled. Therefore, it's best that you don't skip school unless you're desperate for a day off. Thanks Helpful 80 Not Helpful 17
  • These tips will generally not work if you are home-schooled. Thanks Helpful 71 Not Helpful 26
  • If you get caught, don't lie. Don't try to make excuses, as your parents won't be in the mood for them. Just give a sincere apology. Thanks Helpful 62 Not Helpful 23
  • If your parents are doctors, then skip the fake sick method because they know when people really are sick. Thanks Helpful 46 Not Helpful 17
  • If you are younger than 13, do not ever go out into the world alone. Thanks Helpful 63 Not Helpful 46
  • Unless both your parents work when you're at school, do NOT go home. You will get caught. Instead, go to a nearby park or somewhere you won't run into anyone you know (keep in mind that there are surveillance cameras out in public, so be willing to risk getting caught.) Thanks Helpful 5 Not Helpful 3
  • If you are being bullied or have a similar issue in school, skipping will not eliminate the problem. Tell a trusted adult immediately if this is happening to you.[6] Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
  • Do not overdo it. Just say you don’t feel well. If your parents think you are actually sick, you may have to take medicine, which is bad. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
  • Skipping or missing school is called “truancy.” If you are consistently truant, you and your parents could face legal consequences.[7] Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
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Expert Interview

Thanks for reading our article! If you’d like to learn more about human behavior, check out our in-depth interview with Asa Don Brown, PhD, DNCCM, FAAETS.

References

  1. ↑ https://www.ownyourownfuture.com/how-to-fake-sick-for-school/
  2. ↑ https://nces.ed.gov/fastfacts/display.asp?id=334
  3. ↑ https://www.uopeople.edu/blog/skipping-class/
  4. ↑ https://finance.yahoo.com/news/15-good-excuses-not-school-162009224.html
  5. ↑ https://finance.yahoo.com/news/15-good-excuses-not-school-162009224.html
  6. ↑ Asa Don Brown, PhD, DNCCM, FAAETS. Clinical Psychologist. Expert Interview
  7. ↑ http://www.criminaldefenselawyer.com/crime-penalties/juvenile/truancy.htm

About This Article

Asa Don Brown, PhD, DNCCM, FAAETS Co-authored by: Asa Don Brown, PhD, DNCCM, FAAETS Clinical Psychologist This article was co-authored by Asa Don Brown, PhD, DNCCM, FAAETS. Dr. Asa Don Brown is a Clinical Psychologist with over 30 years of experience. He specializes in working with families, children, and couples; while treating a variety of psychological disorders, trauma, and abuse. Dr. Brown has specialized in negotiation and profiling. As a prolific author, Dr. Brown has published four books; contributed to multiple other books; published 500+ articles in professional and popular magazines, journals, and peer-reviewed publications; and has recently published a number of creative and literary works. Dr. Brown earned a BS in Theology and Religion with a minor in Marketing and an MS in Counseling with a specialization in Marriage and Family from The University of Great Falls. He has also received a Master of Liberal Arts from Harvard University. Furthermore, he received a PhD in Psychology with a specialization in Clinical Psychology from Capella University. This article has been viewed 1,731,394 times. 119 votes - 73% Co-authors: 254 Updated: February 11, 2026 Views: 1,731,394 Categories: Skipping School Article SummaryX

To skip school, one easy way is to pretend to be sick so your parents let you stay at home all day. If you tell them a day or 2 before that you’re feeling a little under the weather, you can make your story much more believable. When you wake up on the day you want to skip, stay in bed a little longer and walk around slowly, like your muscles ache to make it as convincing as possible. If your parents suggest that you stay home for the day, don’t say yes immediately, since this will be too obvious. Instead, think about it for a minute or two before saying something like, “I do want to go in for PE, but on second thought, I’m not sure I can make it all day at school.” For more tips, including how to sneak away from school without getting caught, read on! Did this summary help you?YesNo

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Yes No Advertisement Cookies make wikiHow better. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our cookie policy. Asa Don Brown, PhD, DNCCM, FAAETS Co-authored by: Asa Don Brown, PhD, DNCCM, FAAETS Clinical Psychologist 119 votes - 73% Click a star to vote Co-authors: 254 Updated: February 11, 2026 Views: 1,731,394 Lilly S.

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