Get ready for UBC life

UBC is a welcoming community that values diversity and is dedicated to equity, inclusivity, and mutual respect. Whether you’re from Coquitlam or Cartagena, Tokyo or Toronto, dozens of welcome events help you explore campus and make friends.

Choose a campus:

Vancouver
Okanagan

Vancouver campus

On this page:

Welcome events
Orientations
Campus tours
Campus community

Welcome events

Get excited for what’s sure to be an amazing year by attending one of our upcoming welcome events. This is the perfect time to learn more about UBC and meet some future peers.

Spring

UBC Welcomes You

Canadian students

UBC Welcomes You is a one-hour online event to congratulate those who received a first-round offer of admission to UBC’s Vancouver campus. You’ll celebrate with current students from both campuses, have the chance to win prizes, and hear from some of UBC’s top students including our Loran Scholars.

Spring

Destination UBC Indigenous Student Welcome

Indigenous students

If you are a First Nations, Métis, and/or Inuit high school student in Canada, Destination UBC is your chance to visit UBC Vancouver and connect with the Indigenous community before you arrive in the fall. During this weekend-long event, we’ll give you advice on transitioning to university life, and connect you with current students in your faculty or degree who can share helpful insider tips.

Orientations

During your first week on campus, there will be plenty to do and see. Our orientation events are a great chance to connect with classmates and get the lay of the land.

UBC Student Orientation welcomes you to UBC before classes start. Orientation will help you make friends, navigate the academic transition, meet professors, and learn more about UBC and surrounding areas. UBC’s orientation programs lay the foundation for you to succeed academically.

Early September

Indigenous Student Orientation

Indigenous students

Connect with other First Nations, Métis, and Inuit students through the First Nations House of Learning as you get to know your campus and get ready for an exciting school year ahead.

Early September

AMS First Week

All students

From barbeques and dances to phenomenal speakers, UBC’s student society, the AMS, hosts dozens of events during the first week of classes to get you pumped for the school year ahead.

Early September

Faculty orientations

All students

Find your place in your faculty community and meet other first-year faces from your degree at a student-run orientation event hosted by your Undergraduate Society.

January & May

International Welcome

International exchange students
Visiting students
Transfer students

If you’re an international exchange, visiting, or transfer student who is arriving at UBC in the winter or spring, International Welcome will get you up to speed on study permits, health insurance, employment, and the services and resources available on campus.

Campus tours

A great way to get a feel for UBC before you arrive is to take a campus tour, which are led by current UBC students. They’ll take you to some of their favourite spots to study, work up a sweat, and relax between classes, and show you the best parts of the campus before your first day.

Learn more

Campus community

Foster a sense of a home away from home. Participate in clubs, join an athletic team, or seek out one of our many on-campus support centres.

Clubs and societies

Are you a budding stand-up comedian or avid environmentalist? Do you want to play Quidditch or try dragon boating? UBC Vancouver has more than 350 clubs and course unions for you to get involved with. Take a look at some of the clubs on offer before arriving on campus.

Sports and recreation

You don’t have to be a star athlete to stay active at UBC Vancouver. Join an intramural team or a recreational league, or take advantage of the state-of-the-art facilities and year-round programming at locations like the UBC Aquatic Centre, BirdCoop Fitness Centre, or Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Arena.

Indigenous community

If you’re a First Nations, Métis, or Inuit student, you can visit the First Nations Longhouse to meet other Indigenous students, or access campus services like tutoring, financial advising, or wellness programming. For Indigenous scholarship, you can go to the X̱wi7x̱wa Library, or stop by the xʷc̓ic̓əsəm Garden, which supports land-based teaching and community engagement.

International community

If you’re an international student, or just interested in exploring other cultures, there are places on campus where you can gather to exchange ideas. Visit the International Student Advising building have your questions about living in Canada answered, or check out the Global Lounge to socialize with other students from overseas.

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