No clocks?!

[Rageaholic]

This is one of those things that shouldn't bother me as much as it does.

My University I'm attending has no clocks in any of their classrooms and I have yet to find one in the hall. Now I know some may be thinking, "just bring a watch" which I do (when I remember), but I still think this is very wierd. All the other schools and colleges I've attended had clocks in every classroom. You know, so you could know how long till break or when class leaves. More importantly, wouldn't the instructors need the clocks? Why are there no clocks? WHY ARE THERE NO CLOCKS? WHY ARE THERE NO @#$%ING CLOCKS?!?! *goes crazy*

Aside from it being torture for me not to know what time it is, I think it's wierd. This isn't a casino, it's a UNIVERSITY.

[Stormraven]

Most likely it's to keep the students' attention on the instructor, rather than clock watching. Of course, it won't work - people will find anything else to pay attention to, but that's the usual argument I've seen when clocks were absent from an area.

[Ipecac Drano]

You can restore your sanity and the sanity of your fellow students for a mere $8.94.

[HYHYBT]

Most likely it's to keep the students' attention on the instructor, rather than clock watching. Of course, it won't work - people will find anything else to pay attention to, but that's the usual argument I've seen when clocks were absent from an area.

Almost every classroom I've been in has the clock on the back wall, where people other than the instructor are unlikely to do more than glance at it once in a while.

[Rageaholic]

Most likely it's to keep the students' attention on the instructor, rather than clock watching. Of course, it won't work - people will find anything else to pay attention to, but that's the usual argument I've seen when clocks were absent from an area.

So it's not just this University. Sounds like a typical arguement, but flawed for the reasons you mentioned. If an instructor is losing me, I will either look at a watch, pull out my cell phone for the time (even though they're not allowed and it does make that stupid noise) or just daydream, like most kids did in school when they were bored. Not having clocks may increase my insanity level, but it won't make it any easier for me to pay attention.

[AdminAssistant]

My university has clocks in some rooms, but they never keep the correct time. Everybody just waits for the whistle (there's an old-timey steam whistle they still use to signal the end of class.)

[Eisa]

I'm with you 100%. The main building I have most of my classes in doesn't have any clocks in the classrooms and it annoys me to no end.

[BlaqueKatt]

You know, so you could know how long till break or when class leaves.

Does knowing you only have 15 minutes left somehow make the time pass quicker, or does every minute seem to take an hour?

In boot camp for the Army, not only were there no clocks anywhere, but watches were not allowed-they had "shakedowns" to look for them-you really don't need to know what time it is, you'll be done when you're done, knowing how long just makes you anxious. If you have an hour to do a test won't you get stressed and rush making mistakes if you only have 15 minutes left and still have 50 questions unanswered because you panic? I'd say the lack of clocks should ease stress and anxiety. RELAX!

More importantly, wouldn't the instructors need the clocks?

Again my Drill instructors in the Army didn't need clocks, and they weren't teaching students easy stuff, they were teaching us how to break down and reassemble an M16A2 rifle. How to decontaminate properly and safely after chemical weapons attacks. How to quickly get into MOPP 4 gear. How to monitor and maintain the equipment that detects chemical weapons, and what level of protection you need to be in for each different one-life or death stuff-and my "class" was a full Company of almost 200 soldiers. After a few days you don't realize you just spent 4 hours in a classroom learning-it felt like 20 minutes, because rather than focusing on the clock we were focused on learning what we had to.

I'm with you 100%. The main building I have most of my classes in doesn't have any clocks in the classrooms and it annoys me to no end.

Time is a purely human construct-we are way too obsessed with time. When is the last time you saw a dog or cat stressing out because "OMG I have to be somewhere in two hours, and what I'm doing may take up to 30 minutes!" Yes being punctual is good, but there is a line between punctual and being obsessed with time and over stressing yourself for no good reason at all. You'll rush and make needless mistakes. RELAX!

[Rageaholic]

[QUOTE=BlaqueKatt;68351]Does knowing you only have 15 minutes left somehow make the time pass quicker, or does every minute seem to take an hour?[QUOTE]

It makes no difference other than just knowing what time it is.

In boot camp for the Army, not only were there no clocks anywhere, but watches were not allowed-they had "shakedowns" to look for them-you really don't need to know what time it is, you'll be done when you're done, knowing how long just makes you anxious. If you have an hour to do a test won't you get stressed and rush making mistakes if you only have 15 minutes left and still have 50 questions unanswered because you panic? I'd say the lack of clocks should ease stress and anxiety. RELAX!

1. We're not talking about the army, we're talking about college. It's an apples and oranges comparison.

2. I don't know about everyone else, but lack of clocks makes me more nervous. I don't know how long I've been there nor do I have anyway of knowing how much longer I'll be there. Of course that's just me, but it's enough reason to be bugged by it.

Again my Drill instructors in the Army didn't need clocks, and they weren't teaching students easy stuff, they were teaching us how to break down and reassemble an M16A2 rifle. How to decontaminate properly and safely after chemical weapons attacks. How to quickly get into MOPP 4 gear. How to monitor and maintain the equipment that detects chemical weapons, and what level of protection you need to be in for each different one-life or death stuff-and my "class" was a full Company of almost 200 soldiers. After a few days you don't realize you just spent 4 hours in a classroom learning-it felt like 20 minutes, because rather than focusing on the clock we were focused on learning what we had to.

Again, we're not talking about the army. We're not talking about hard training for life and death situations. We're talking about textbooks, lectures, and multiple choice tests. They are hardly the same.

Time is a purely human construct-we are way too obsessed with time. When is the last time you saw a dog or cat stressing out because "OMG I have to be somewhere in two hours, and what I'm doing may take up to 30 minutes!" Yes being punctual is good, but there is a line between punctual and being obsessed with time and over stressing yourself for no good reason at all. You'll rush and make needless mistakes. RELAX!

That's debatable. Time measurements may be man made, but does that really matter? Man made or not, time plays a huge role in our culture. I may not need to know the time during those three hours I'm in class, but it is frusturating not knowing.

[guywithashovel]

I think the whole argument about people watching the clock and ignoring the professor is stupid. If it were middle school or high school, I could somewhat understand it, but in college, the students are not kids anymore. It's time to stop treating them like that.

When I was in college, I always resented it when professors talked to us and treated us like we were in the tenth grade. This clock thing is a classic example of that.

[AdminAssistant]

I don't mind if my students glance at the clock or their watches, although I'd prefer that their cell phones stayed turned off and tucked away. Hell, I need the clock so that I can make sure that we cover all the material that we need to cover in the allotted time.

[Stormraven]

I think the whole argument about people watching the clock and ignoring the professor is stupid. If it were middle school or high school, I could somewhat understand it, but in college, the students are not kids anymore. It's time to stop treating them like that.

When I was in college, I always resented it when professors talked to us and treated us like we were in the tenth grade. This clock thing is a classic example of that.

I didn't say it was smart.

For the record, I've seen it in workplaces, too - though not as often. (This was in places without phones that would keep time, and using terminals instead of computers.)

[DrFaroohk]

There was a clock up on the wall at the store I used to work at, and the DM said we had to get rid of it because it wasn't part of our planned setup or some random bullshit like that. After all, everyone knows that the sight of a CLOCK in a BUSINESS is just the most unprofessional thing ever.

There's always the "clockwatcher" argument....but wow...someone wants to know what time it is! OMG! Who the hell stares at the clock all day? Well, some people do,b ut they're lazy anyway. Getting rid of the clock isn't going to change anything.

I just like knowing what time it is. For personal comfort, and also because I need to do a lot of things involved with knowing what time it is. Make coffee, clean bathrooms. That extra 15 seconds to walk up to the register adds up. If I have to check the time 10 times a shift, that's 150 seconds wasted. That's like....2.5 minutes. A day. Multiply that by the 2 employees per shift, 3 shifts per day...15 minutes a day! Over 100 stores...that's 1500 minutes per day wasted because there's no clocks allowed where a customer might be able to see it. That's like 25 hours or something isn't it? At 8 dollars an hour, we're talking about pissing away 1400 dollars a week over some stupid little issue.

[Racket_Man]

every classroom I have ever been in from kindergarden to college (several colleges and univ.) have had a clock. most have had a syncronized system (like Simplex meaning all clocks took their time from a "master clock" in the office).

In highschool we had the syncro'ed clocks that even moved BACKWARDS casue the master clock was OLD. you would look at the clock and it read 2:45. you would look at it 5 minutes later and the time woudl read 2:40. sometimes you could even see the hands move backward as the classrooom clock re-syncro'ed with the master

and from what I can remember every business I have ever worked in have had a clock somewhere within view of the employees (and not just the timeclock either). this was esp true in the food places I have worked as we had hard defined open and close times.

yes a clock can be a distraction but to quote "Does anyone really know what time it is???"""

[DrFaroohk]

I hardly think a clock can be a distraction. You know what's a distraction? A newspaper. Taking 20 minutes to stop and read a paper. Hell, even just taking time to peruse the headlines on the rack can be a significant distraction.

Glancing at a clock? I'd wager most of the time it doesn't even detract from the work. The job that normally takes you ten minutes still takes you ten minutes even with a clock out there.