Problem: Article: Remember: practice makes perfect. Before you debut your tag for the world to see, start off with something that’s for your eyes only. Grow accustomed to using spray-paint where you won’t be embarrassed by any mistakes or mishaps. Use a canvas that you can practice on and repaint as needed without being arrested, such as:  An actual large canvas A sheet of plywood A wall that belongs to you beforehand. Keep in mind that you want your tag to appear fluid and dynamic, regardless of how small or large it is. At the same time, realize that you will often need to move quickly to keep your lines nice and neat. Avoid mistakes that could be caused by a stiff body, aches, and cramps. Limber up beforehand. Also keep in mind:  This goes for your whole body, not just your arms. Expect your waist, hips, legs, and feet to have an impact on the quality of your work. The larger the surface area to be covered, the wider your range of motion will need to be. A larger canvas means you have to reach, lean, and bend to a greater degree, and more often. Expect the paint’s ingredients to separate over time. Always give it a vigorous shake before you use it, even if you only set it aside for a few minutes. Check the directions on the can to see how long you should shake, both before its first use and (if mentioned) again after a short pause. If you don’t shake it up, the consistency will be uneven. This means that it will be extremely thin at times (which makes for a weak coat), and thicker at others (which could cause clogs). If you need to attach a separate spray cap to your can, expect this to release some paint as you do so. Stay away from your canvas so it doesn’t get any spray-back. Place your finger (or better yet, a loose strip of tape) over the cap’s nozzle to catch what comes out. Remember that many paints have toxic ingredients. Even those that don’t should never be inhaled or ingested. Wear protective gloves and mask to reduce this risk. Before you try your hand at spraying your tag, start with simple lines sprayed from various distances. Judge the effect of how near or far you stand from your canvas. Expect a wider dispersal the farther back your stand.  For neat, crisp lines, you need to work up close. For fades and shadows, you need more distance. Remember that the paint is going to dry immediately upon contact. Expect prolonged spraying over one area to result in a wet buildup. Avoid drips and runs by keeping the can in motion constantly, especially if you’re aiming for very thin lines.  Again, some experimentation may be needed here. Constant motion is always key, but do some practice lines at various speeds to see what effect each has on your lines. Another reason not to dawdle is if you decide to tag some place without permission. Once you’re confident in your spray-painting skills, decide where to apply them. Avoid the temptation to simply tag a surface on impulse. Think before you act. Things to consider include:  Whether the area has already been tagged, in which case you should choose another. How visible it is, since you may be better off improving your skills on less visible areas. If it’s legal to tag this space, and if so, whose permission you need to obtain, if any. If it’s illegal to do so, and if so, if you’ll be easily noticed or caught.
Summary: Practice first. Stretch Shake your can up. Put your spraying cap on well away from your canvas. Experiment with distance. Move quickly. Be choosy about locations.

Problem: Article: You have to find that teacher who is not too strict, maybe a little oblivious, and forgiving. Get on their good side at the beginning of the year so they're more likely to trust you when you come to them with excuses later. Laugh at your teacher's corny jokes and smile and try to be a good student for the most part.  Notice how your teacher reacts when other students forget their homework to gauge how much you can get away with. Notice if your teacher collects homework or usually just walks around and glances at your worksheet to make sure you did it. Try to get an idea of what your teacher likes. If they have pictures of their cat everywhere, you may be able to use that to your advantage later by telling them your cat is very sick or had to be put down and you were too devastated to finish the assignment. Remember that your teacher probably got into teaching because they are passionate about their subject. Participate in class as much as possible: if they believe you love history, too, they're probably more likely to be sympathetic later. Find out how much homework counts toward your final grade. If homework only accounts for 20% of your grade and you ace all your tests, projects, and class participation, you might be able to get by without doing homework and still get a decent grade. Say your computer or internet wasn't working, or your printer broke. Be aware that this is a common and pretty flimsy excuse, so your teacher may not buy it. If your teacher expects you to email them your assignment, ask them the next day if they got your email. When they say they didn't, act confused and explain that you definitely emailed them and that you can't believe it didn't go through. They probably can't check to see if you are lying and will probably give you an extension. Try to pick something your teacher won't ask about too much or won't want to call your family to verify. Say your mom and dad are having marital problems. Get teary-eyed if you can do that on command.  Claim the death of a family member. Make it someone close enough that it would affect you, but not so close that the teacher will find out about it. A great aunt or uncle works as they tend to be older. There is also no limit on the amount of great aunts and uncles you have, whereas with grandparents there is a limited number of times you can use that excuse. Plus, you don't want to tempt karma by saying your grandma died unexpectedly. Say that you are having a private family issue and you don't feel comfortable talking about it, but you can't do the homework. Tell your teacher your pet died. But be aware that if your teacher happens to be having a conversation with your parents and says something like "Sorry about the dog!" they may find out you were lying. Say you thought the assignment was due the next day or you wrote it down wrong. When the teacher says they are collecting your work, look worried and ask your classmates, "What homework?!" But be aware that "I forgot" excuses are very common and often not effective. Tell the teacher you were in the bathroom when they assigned the work and you completely missed that you had homework. However, if your teacher has a good memory or writes homework on the board or on a school website, there is a high chance this will not work. . You can either fake sick to stay home from school completely, or just go to the nurse's office before class and tell them you have a terrible stomachache, headache, or menstrual cramps (if applicable). Ask if you can lay down for the period. This works best if you are somebody who rarely gets sick(maybe once or twice a year) then you will be more trustworthy if you appear sick. Discuss with them that your study habits aren't great and that you feel overwhelmed by the amount of work you are getting. The guidance counselor will offer you advice about how to manage your homework for the future, and can also speak to your teacher to extend the due date. Don't be cocky or blow your teacher off. Go to them before the class begins and tell them you simply couldn't get it done. Tell them you had too much work, you had to study for a huge exam, you were exhausted or feeling unwell, or you didn't understand the assignment. Show that you don't feel good about not doing your homework. They may give you an extension or tell you not to worry about it this time. If you do this too often your teacher will stop being sympathetic, so make sure it only happens once or twice.
Summary:
Get to know your teacher first. Blame technology. Blame a family crisis. Blame your memory. Fake sick Go see a guidance counselor during the class period. Be honest.