For college students, time is much more than a unit of measurement.

Whether it is completing an exam in under an hour or learning how to juggle 16 hours worth of classes, time management can easily make or break a college student’s academic career.

It is ironic, then, that clocks around campus never seem to be on time.

Take a stroll down any OCCC hallway and you’ll notice that many clocks differ anywhere from five to 10 minutes.

A few minutes may not seem like much at the moment, but showing up to class in a timely manner is vital to student success.

Some professors might be lenient when it comes to getting to class in other time zones, but others are understandably stricter.

It is not unheard of for an instructor to mark a student as ‘tardy’ or even ‘absent’ if they walk in even a few minutes past the course’s starting time.

One or two of such penalties may seem insignificant, but racking up enough of them could ultimately damage grades.

In addition, some professors give out crucial information at the beginning of class — something a well-intentioned student could miss out on due to a faulty clock.

While many students probably rely on their cell phones or iPods to check on time, not everyone owns such a device — and even for someone who does, such electronics are fallible.

Most of us can probably attest to a battery’s knack for dying at a particularly inconvenient time.

Some newer clocks around campus, which are mounted flush against the wall, are synchronized using a college-wide system.

Replacing older clocks with a similar system doesn’t seem like much to ask for.

If OCCC is truly invested in its students’ success, college officials should care enough to give us accurate clocks.