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What is time? Why do we value time so much? Is time really money? Why do Americans have this compulsion for saving time? Most Americans place considerable value on punctuality and promptness. "Being on time" reflects well on the individual as being a responsible person. We tend to organize our activities around a schedule. As a result, Americans seem to be in hurry and not being able to relax and enjoy themselves. Time is a very important commodity in our culture. Think of "time" as money, where we try to "save" and "spend". Here are some common expressions illustrating the importance of time: "One thing at a time", "I need to spend some time on this", "This will save me a lot of time, "This is a complete waste of my time", "My time is valuable", 'Please arrive on time", "It's about time you did this", "I am having a difficult time", "What is the lead time for this?". "I am running out of time", "This decision will take time" and "The time to act is now!". A few years back, an international student learned the hard way about time management. He had an important meeting with his academic advisor, Dr. "X". Dr. " X" was a very stern, senior rank faculty member who earned the moniker, Dr. No Non-Sense. This professor expected respect and promptness. His philosophy was that if you did not get to class on time or arrive on time for an appointment, Dr. No Non-Sense should not teach the class or meet with you because you were disrespectful and you insulted him. Yikes!!! The international student quickly realized that his meandering would make him late for his appointment with Dr. No Non-Sense, so he quickly picked up his pace. Unfortunately, he arrived at the professor's office minutes late and to the student's consternation, the professor refused to see him because he was already meeting another student. The professor emphatically told the late arriving student that he was late that he had to make another appointment. The international student was devastated and thought the professor did not like him but the student now realizes that time is extremely important in the American culture. You may or may not have a professor like Dr. No Non-Sense as your teacher, regardless, you should make every effort to get to class early and not walk into class late when the professor or instructor is teaching; this is extremely rude behavior and is very disruptive. This Saturday night, November 1, 2014 you should move your watches and clocks back one hour. The best way to remember the changing of the times is: fall back one hour in the fall, spring ahead one hour in the spring. By "falling" back one hour, you will gain one hour of sleep. The sun will rise earlier in the morning and the day will be shorter. Bob Chudy Program Director International Student & Scholar Services (ISSS) Office of Global Affairs