The undergraduate ring is designed and presented in the sophomore year of each class.
![mit brass rat history mit brass rat history](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/lbTnOTpH4ww/maxresdefault.jpg)
After graduation, the ring is turned around, and the Cambridge skyline is visible to the graduate, as a reminder of times spent at MIT. In addition, the skyline of Boston is facing the student, representing the outside world awaiting. This represents the hardships imposed on students at MIT. The Brass Rat is traditionally worn on the right hand with the Beaver "sitting" on the wearer until graduation. Among other reasons the beaver was chosen as mascot (and therefore for the front bezel of the ring) because it is an American animal, and considered to be the engineer of the animal world. The phrase "Brass Rat" is derived from the alleged resemblance of the gold (hence brass-like appearance) beaver to a rat. On earlier versions, the Building 10 facade was featured on each shank, with "MIT" under it on one side and the class year on the other. An MIT campus map and the student's name are engraved on the inner surface. The side surfaces show the Boston and Cambridge skylines. The class ring has three main sections: the bezel, containing MIT's mascot, the beaver the MIT seal (seal shank) and the class year (class shank). The ring is redesigned each year by a committee of MIT students. Massachusetts Institute of Technology's class ring, often called the Brass Rat, is a commemorative ring for the graduating class of students at MIT.