#include <cmath>
#include <cstdio>
#include <vector>
#include <iostream>
#include <algorithm>
using namespace std;


int main() {
    int n;
    cin >> n;
    string s;
    cin >> s;
    char flag = '0';
    char hill='0',valley='0';
    int up_count = 0, down_count = 0;
    int i=0;
    int ans=0;
    while(s[i] != '\0'){
        if(flag == '0'){
           if(s[i] == 'U'){
               hill = '1';
               up_count++;
           } 
           else{
               valley = '1';
               down_count++;
           }
        flag = '1';
        }
        if(hill == '1'){
            while(up_count != down_count){
                if(s[++i] == 'U')
                    up_count++;
                else
                    down_count++;
            }
            hill = '0';
            up_count = 0;
            down_count = 0;
            flag = '0';
            i++;
        }
        else if(valley == '1'){
            while(up_count != down_count){
                if(s[++i] == 'U')
                    up_count++;
                else
                    down_count++;
            }
            ans++;
            valley = '0';
            up_count = 0;
            down_count = 0;
            flag = '0';
            i++;
        }
    }
    cout << ans << endl;
    return 0;
}