For most students the pomp and ceremony of university life comes at the end of their college careers - at graduation. But not any more. This year's crop of UCD freshers are being treated to formal ceremonies right at the start of their undergraduate years.

It's called the UCD Welcome Class of 98 and it takes place over three days - Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, September 15th, 16th and 17th. The college's 3,600 freshers have been divided into three groups according to faculty and have been assigned personal welcome days.

The formalities, modelled on proceedings in American universities, take place in the O'Reilly Hall immediately after registration. Disc jockey and TV presenter Dave Fanning, a UCD graduate, is master of ceremonies.

The programme will include a fanfared, academic procession - always a colourful and theatrical event - and a showing of the UCD video. There will be addresses by the college president, Dr Art Cosgrove, and student union president John Nisbet. Each group will also be addressed by a guest speaker.

For example, the September 16th group - medicine, radiography, physiotherapy, social science, science, law, agriculture, business and legal studies, computer science, theoretical physics and modular BA - will be addressed by the Superquinn boss, Fergal Quinn.

Students doing architecture, engineering, veterinary medicine, commerce, commerce international, actuarial and financial studies and economics and finance will enjoy their welcome day on Tuesday, September 15th. Arts and music students, meanwhile, will be welcomed on Thursday, September 17th.

The formal proceedings will be followed by a reception in the atrium and the distribution of college gifts to each new undergraduate.

The changes are being welcomed by the student union. "It's much better than what happened in the past, when up to 4,000 students converged on the college on one day," comments Nisbet. "Splitting it up and making it first formal and then informal is a great idea. We're delighted that the college is doing this for the students." Individual faculties will continue to organise tours and orientation programmes.

And - in case you're wondering - the good news is that UCD Freshers' Week will continue as usual. This year it runs from September 28th to October 2nd, ending with the on-campus Freshers' Ball.