So I've got a family birthday tomorrow, but I've also got the last session of a Uni workshop I'm supposed to attend and being this is some sort of "training year" for a PhD I don't think sponsors look too kindly on absenteeism (or at least, I'm not wholly certain on how huffy they'd get about it and I'm not feeling great about gambling it). I've already decided to wag the session, and though for the first 10 or so sessions they had I strict register for the last two they haven't - however with it being the last session and the one they know people will want to avoid I'd imagine it'd be more likely they'll take a register just to catch people out. So do I: A) Lead with the "I've got flu" response from the off, potentially drawing more attention to myself, especially if they don't have a register and I didn't need to. Or... B) Don't say anything, as there is a good likelihood that they might not still have a register and I'll go unnoticed. If they did notice my absence I could say I was ill retrospectively but didn't see the need to mention it as they hadn't had a register for the last few weeks, though that does look a bit more suspicious. A or B, place your bets now!
No "ignore the family birthday and attend to the session" option? How am I supposed to push you towards asociality now?
I don't understand but i think the short answer is that your sponsors will be watching your results not your attendance. So, B) I suppose. Why would you even make up an excuse about the flu? This seems utterly random to me but Im guessing it counts as courtesy somehow. Happy birthday to whoever and good luck with the PhD.
Family has to work unfortunately, so it's not as simple as that. I guess if the session was something important then I would be more likely to attend, but it isn't - it's been about statistical biology which for me at least is a massive waste of time. Beyond that, the sessions are boring and horrendously poorly organised so the amount of learning I'm going to get from it is dubious at best. The consensus seems to be option B, so that's what I'll go for - which appeals to me anyway as it's the more lazy option. Let no one say I don't deliver on unexciting threads.
Family is verily important, especially as the work session - personally - lacked importance in the first place (also learn the meaning of "tomorrow" Arthgon, Jesus!). It would appear I've slipped under the net as I'd hoped option B would allow me to, so apparently my paranoid fears were unfounded, as you might expect with an "unexciting dilemma". If it had been an "exciting dilemma" maybe there'd have been more unwarranted rectal probing in the explanation I've given you, but as such there was no more than the usual amount.
Yeah, I'd say you should skip the family thing altogether and fulfil your other obligations. I mean, it's not very considerate of your family to hold this event on the same day that you have something else to do. Good luck coming to a decision.
So, you essentially wanted to hide that you have a family from your school? Next time this happens, just say,
I would have said, "a family commitment". There is some subtle convention that family time is not an excuse but an infectious virus is, so whenever you want to pause in your workaday life and be with your loved ones, say you have the flu. This is an interesting tradition. Personally, when I need an unarguable excuse, I go all out and say 'explosive diarrhoea'.
Re: That is indeed the sacred convention, as was handed down by generations of lazy people who wanted to shirk responsibility due to something better coming up. At the very least, if you say you're away with a family thing you can get a reputation for being unreliable, whereas as long as you say you're ill sparingly you shouldn't get that reputation. Some lecturers are fine with people not being around for something family related, but if your superior is someone who doesn't particularly enjoy their family's company they're most likely just going to be irritated about an absence that they think is frivolous. To sum up, lies and dishonesty make everything better all the time.
Agreed, they grease the wheels of high density, fast paced living, to which I say fuck that. I am no nationalist or patriot, but I consider the straight-talking cultural heritage of Australia to be both coarse and grating, as well as refreshingly cathartic. When everyone stops playing the bullshit game and puts their cards on the table, it frees up an amazing amount of neurons for, yknow, reality. Then again, maybe it's just that it's easy to move a thousand miles away from anyone who pisses you off in Australia, and I'm just autistic.
