What I Learned in My First DeCal Class
DeCals are underrated. These student-taught classes at UC Berkeley are usually held at night, once or twice a week for one or two units, and cover subjects outside of traditional curriculum. They boast an overall attendance of 3,000 to 4,000 students every semester. I wish I had taken a Democratic Education at Cal (DeCal) class earlier in my undergraduate career instead of waiting until late sophomore year. Here is what you need to know, and why you should consider trying a DeCal out sooner than I did.
The DeCal Basics
There are many reasons why every undergrad should consider taking DeCals. I’ll spare the minute details since our student writers feature those in a DeCal Deep Dive, but here are the key points:
- DeCals are student-taught lectures, usually held at night, in small classroom settings.
- DeCal class units can help you reach the minimum unit requirement to be considered a full time student, and there are many options to choose from when registration opens at the start of the semester.
- Classes start a week or two after the semester begins, and end the week before dead week.
- Anyone can make a DeCal or enroll in one, but DeCals in popular demand won’t guarantee that everyone who applies will get in.
Why They’re Awesome
Now, I get it. We’re all insanely busy students at the top public university in the world. It took four semesters of convincing for me to throw this extra commitment into my schedule. So why should you, another busy UC Berkeley student, do the same?
“You Get a DeCal, You Get a DeCal!”: The great thing about DeCals is that there is a class for everyone. Like I mentioned in Tips for Choosing Classes @ Cal, being such a large university means so many niche topics are covered with an in-depth curriculum that’s appealing to the student population because they’re also taught by students. You can take Speedcubing, a class on Taylor Swift, a Pokemon DeCal, Oral and Dental Health—the options are endless.
“Yeah, I’ve Got Time!”: As one or two-unit classes, DeCals have very manageable workloads and schedules. Most lectures take place at night, meaning that it’s unlikely to conflict with classes and office hours. If you’re in a student club with night meetings, no problem! DeCals meet only one or two nights a week, and the various options mean you can easily find one that appeals to you and fits your schedule.
My final presentation for the Music and Medicine DeCal I’m in this semester. The topic our group focused on was how keys and pitch memory play a part in music therapy.
“The Whole Gang Is Here!”: Unless the DeCal is specifically meant for a certain major (like, for example, Introduction to Python for Astronomers), you will get a really diverse classroom when it comes to majors and reasons for taking the class. I am taking a DeCal called Music and Medicine, and the student demographic is not just biologists/aspiring doctors or musicians; it’s a combination of both, people interested in both subjects, and students who aren’t even musicians or biologists but are interested in the topic. I wanted to take it to learn more about the music therapy aspect of the course.
Because of the shared interests and shared experience of learning the same curriculum, it’s easy to make conversation and make friends. I have made friends with two musicians in particular in my DeCal, after we were grouped on an assignment where we had to use a website to create a basic song.
Lastly, it can be a great way to hang out with friends and floormates in a chill academic setting. My friend group likes to bake sometimes. As someone who watches a lot of Great British Baking Show (and wants to learn how to bake), I’ve been trying to convince them to try the Intro to Baking DeCal at some point, for the shared experience and inevitable, hopefully delicious, chaos.
“I’m Ready, Promotion!”: A good bunch of DeCals are directly tied to some majors, and others pave the way for professional opportunities as well. Beyond the Python DeCal mentioned above, there’s also a Pre-Law DeCal, PreMed 101, Graphic Design and Photography principles, and more!
My DeCal Experience
As mentioned above, I am in the Music and Medicine DeCal this semester. The class has two student teachers who have been teaching the class for multiple semesters now. They are both pre-med students, with one having a musical background.
An 80-minute lecture on a Monday night may seem tiring, but the instructors do a great job of using activities throughout that keep us engaged. This includes, among many activities, Jeopardy and bingo related to the course topics, guessing which country a song is from, and testing auditory reaction times. You get to learn a lot about the class and their musical interests with these activities.
Some of my favorite parts of this class include the guest lecture we had last month where a licensed music therapist visited the class and told us about her work and the science behind why it’s effective. We determined what emotions lyrics elicited, and also got to hear her play and sing. Another favorite is the final project that’s due in four hours as I write this (it’s fine, we’re almost done!). We can write about anything related to the course, and it can be either a slide presentation, a music demonstration, or a combination of both. My group is focusing on music theory, specifically how chords elicit certain emotions, and how pitch perception helps us remember songs!
Caption: An exercise we did in class where we used a website to create a song. The instructors challenged us to relate the music to a certain emotion, like fear or joy.
How I Chose My DeCal: This class stuck out to me because as someone who has two grandparents, one living and one deceased with Alzheimer’s, my family and I have done a lot of research into therapy techniques, especially when one of my parents started taking care of my grandmother full-time. As she began to forget more and more, what she never forgot was the lyrics and music of her favorite artist when she was young, Pedro Infante. When she watches his old movies she always sings along, especially to her favorite song, “Cien Años.” We found a lot of evidence about music therapy being effective for Alzheimer’s, and after watching a documentary on the subject called Alive Inside, I have always wanted to know more about music therapy and its health benefits beyond dementia and Alzheimer’s patients. This class was just what I was looking for.
Inspired by DeCal
Now that I have an improved understanding of music therapy and how the brain works biologically, I want to take a DeCal in the future that specifically focuses on Alzheimer’s. Luckily, there seems to be one offered every semester that has volunteer opportunities at senior homes!
Beyond that, I will keep my options open and branch out. The Baking DeCal is definitely a must for me, and there’s a very popular one about the History of Free Speech at Berkeley that looks fun and has some top-notch guest speakers.
In addition to taking more DeCals, I’m also considering teaching one. After trying out vocal directing in a few productions this school year, I’ve found that I really enjoy teaching, and knowing some people who’ve taught DeCals makes the idea seem doable. I don’t know if I would take over an existing one or make a new one, though—we’ll have to see!
The Time to Take a DeCal is Now!
Don’t make the same mistake I did with waiting so long to take a DeCal. It’s a really valuable and iconic part of our curriculum, and everyone should try it. With how chaotic our schedules are, we should reward ourselves with fun classes that aren’t as rigorous. In that department, there’s no better option than DeCals.
Nolan Zils, Class of 2027, is majoring in Media Studies and minoring in Journalism and Creative Writing.
Want More?
- Want more tips for classes? Check out my article about how to choose them, and what to consider
- Read Lucas’ article on DeCals for a more in-depth look at the curriculum.
- Thinking about teaching a DeCal? Take a look at our feature on students’ experiences teaching them.