Jump Start at UBC Vancouver

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If you’re entering first year at UBC Vancouver and coming directly from high school, you’ll want to register for Jump Start. The five-day program is designed to give you a first look at university life, let you meet your professors and academic community, and help you make your first friends at UBC Vancouver!

Get ready for Jump Start

You are eligible to register for Jump Start once you have accepted your admission offer to UBC Vancouver. Check your admissions status in the Student Service Centre.

Due to the positive impact Jump Start can have on a student’s academic success and transition to university, UBC is committed to ensuring Jump Start is accessible to all direct entry students. If the cost associated with Jump Start may prohibit you from participating, please contact us directly at orientations.jumpstart@ubc.ca.

Registration for Jump Start at UBC Vancouver is now closed.

Why Jump Start?

Make friends

Be ready to hit the ground running on your first day of class. Over the course of the week, you’ll meet other first-year students who are new to UBC just like you.

Meet profs and peers

Spend time with UBC professors and current students before classes start. They’ll introduce you to their research and the academic community, and give you tips to help you successfully transition from high school student to university scholar.

Learn about UBC

Find out about all the UBC services available to you, and discover more about the campus community you’ll be joining.

Choose from three streams

 

As countries around the world continue to be affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, UBC is working closely with public health authorities to determine what a safe return to campus will look like in the fall. This year, we’re looking forward to offering Jump Start both virtually and in-person!

  • Hybrid stream for students living in residence

    If you’re planning to live on campus in the fall, Jump Start is offering a five-day, in-person option to welcome you to life at UBC

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  • Hybrid stream for students commuting to campus

    For those who want to live off campus and commute to UBC in your first year, join our commuter stream for your five-day, in-person orientation

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  • Virtual-only stream

    We understand that not everyone can make it to campus, so Jump Start's five-day, fully-virtual stream includes both live and pre-recorded activities for you to get ready for your first day

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We know that your plans for the fall may be uncertain due to the impacts of COVID-19. If you don’t yet know when you’ll be able to return to Canada, or if you’ll be able to participate in person, we recommend you register for the hybrid stream that matches your hopes for housing in the fall. If you’re not able to make it to UBC in time to participate, or if your housing plans change, let us know in advance by emailing orientations.jumpstart@ubc.ca and we will be happy to switch you into a different stream.

 

We strongly encourage you to arrange your plans so you can attend Jump Start in full. Please let us know immediately if you anticipate arriving later than the first day of your program.

What to expect

Academic

Learning Communities

You will be assigned to a group based on your faculty and stream, which will be led by an upper-year student leader and a faculty fellow. Together, you’ll participate in the full range of activities during the program. The average size of a Learning Community is 15-30 first-year students.

Student leaders

Your Learning Community will be led by two upper-year students in your faculty. Student leaders will steer group activities and help build connections between you and other new students, offer personal support, refer you to resources, and welcome you into the UBC community.

Faculty fellows

Each Learning Community is matched with a professor from their faculty. They will provide the unique opportunity to learn about the expectations of the university learning environment, the academic classroom setting, how to interact with faculty members, and offer a closer look into their discipline.

 

Social

During Jump Start

We’re excited to offer a number of ways for you to introduce yourself and get to know your new friends throughout Jump Start. You’ll experience a variety of small and large group socials, including trivia nights, photo challenges, games, exercise, sports and dance tutorials, and social media contests. Whether you’re participating virtually or in our hybrid streams, there will be lots of ways to meet others!

After Jump Start

The Learning Community group you’re with during Jump Start will continue! Students in your group will live in the same residence area, or be a member of the same physical or virtual Collegia, so you can keep on connecting after Jump Start is done.

Additional resources

Self-directed modules and activities

Make sure you’re introduced to the services and resources that will help you start your year well. During Jump Start, you’ll have access to self-directed activities to help you learn about the unceded Musqueam territory on which UBC Vancouver stands, explore health and wellbeing strategies, understand academic integrity, and more. You can also refer back to this information throughout your first term.

Student Story Sila Rogan

Hear from past students

“Jump Start definitely exceeded my expectations for what a virtual orientation would be like. I actually managed to make friends and connect with a few people! I had a lot of fun playing games and I was often sitting in front of my computer laughing. My leaders were also great! I felt a lot more comfortable navigating Canvas and a lot more prepared for university overall.” – Janet Warnes

“It was a great way to meet new people. I consider myself a shy person, and Jump Start made me step out of my comfort zone and experience new things which ultimately made me feel more prepared for university!” – Ali Zaidi

“Jump Start was amazing! I am currently STILL communicating with all my Jump Start friends on social media. It was such a relief to make some connection before school, even if they were online. With our small group we all are already helping each other out. Our leaders were super fun, and engaging, knowledgeable, and reassuring. I couldn’t have asked for anything better.” – Isabella Guthrie

“I met a lot of great people in Jump Start whom I am still hanging out with. We mostly have classes together too so we helped each other in transitioning during the first week of class. Best decision I’ve ever made!” – Martina Francisco