About a week ago, the hot August days were coming to an end, beach goers were hitting the shore for one last trip, and thousands of students went away to college for their freshman year. Some of the universities that these students attend are quite large, with multiple buildings spread out across an expansive campus. Even when a freshman has finally figured out which buildings house each of his or her courses, getting across campus on time can be very difficult. When a student has classes that are scheduled back-to-back, this often leaves them with only 10 minutes to make the trek. If clocks in one building are different than another, this can further reduce the amount of time a student has to travel from one class to the next. Add in that one professor who always teaches two or three minutes over the class period, and students don’t stand a chance at being prompt to class. This is just one of the many reasons why it is vitally important for Universities to install an IP Clock System throughout their campus, so that all buildings have uniform time and students are able to easily follow their schedule.

Being late to class may not seem like a big deal, but there are many reasons why a few minutes can be cheating students from achieving academic success. Below are just a few of them.

1. Grades

Grading factors such as homework, exams, and participation frequently appear on college syllabi. However, more and more professors are choosing to include attendance and punctuality as part of their grading rubric. This means that even if a student attends every class, frequent lateness will result in a grade reduction. While punctuality is not often a large percentage of the total grade, it can make all the difference for a student who is on the brink of an A by tenths of a point.

2. Reputation

An important part of the college experience is learning to function in the real world, which includes learning to present yourself in a positive manner. Excessive tardiness, regardless of the reason, can make a student appear to be irresponsible and undependable. It is important to avoid this sort of unfavorable reputation in college. Professors will be much more likely to grant paper extensions or be lenient about a missed assignment if the student has proven themselves to be generally responsible, which can truly make a student’s life easier when work starts piling up.

3. Seating

In many schools, especially large universities, classes fill to their maximum capacity, leaving few, if any, seats available. For the student who arrives late, this often means walking into a crowded classroom, and searching for the one empty seat amongst the crowd of students. Not only is this inconvenient and sometimes embarrassing, it is often disruptive to the class. For students who take class in a large lecture hall, the only option may be to take a seat far in the back, which makes seeing, hearing, and concentrating significantly more difficult.

4. Organization

With typically only 50 minutes in a class period, teachers often take the first couple of minutes of class to quickly take care of some announcements and business. They may discuss assignments that are due, exams that are approaching, changes to the syllabus, or a number of other important topics. If a student is just a few minutes late, they may miss these notices, which can make scheduling and staying organized much more difficult. Not only that, but there is nothing worse than showing up to a class not knowing that an exam has been scheduled for that day.

Freshman year is an exciting time full of personal and intellectual growth. It can also cause a little anxiety, particularly when it comes to maintaining a new schedule. One way that students can ensure that they are getting the most out of their college experience is to consistently get to class on time. Arriving promptly to lectures is much easier when universities install an IP Clock system throughout their campus, guaranteeing that every clock in every building is the same. With an IP Clock System, students can learn to be consistently punctual, setting a lasting foundation for academic achievement.