Welcome week

While the term officially started last week, this week is the first week of classroom instruction, and thus also the first week where the majority of the students can be found on campus. In the US, undergrads, or undergraduate students, are students who have not yet received any degrees. The most common path on college here is to first go for a Bachelor's degree, which in many cases is required to move on to grad school, or graduate school (Master's degree or doctorates). Most Bachelor's degree programs are four years, and students are called (after the year they are in) Freshmen, Sophomore, Junior, and Senior, or as I like to call them young, young, young, and young. As undergrads make up about 75 percent of the Cal student body, they are also the most visible group on campus. At least I'm not the only one walking around looking confused. Anyway, back to the topic. This is the first week of classroom instruction, and also Welcome week. Welcome week is basically just the first week (which this year is three days due to budget cuts, as a professor half-joked yesterday) of the fall semester where all the student organizations organize welcome events and parties. Or as some like to call it, free food events. Here are some pictures from a Christian group's welcome show (music, skits, inspirational talks, and free Korean BBQ), a couple of groups practicing drumming on campus, and the golden bear statue outside of the Bear's Lair.