Jump Start at UBC Vancouver

Jump Start at UBC Vancouver

Registration for Jump Start Vancouver 2025 will open in early May

Fill out this form to receive an email notification when registration opens.

Questions? Please email us at orientations.jumpstart@ubc.ca.

Are you entering first year at UBC Okanagan?  Find information about UBC Okanagan Jump Start.

Get a Jump Start on your UBC journey

Jump Start is UBC’s multi-day orientation program designed to give you a first look at university life. It is an opportunity to make new friends, explore campus, connect with faculty, and set yourself up for academic success before classes begin.

2025 Jump Start Program Dates

Students living in Residence:

  • Move in day: August 26
  • Jump Start: August 27 – 29

Students commuting to campus:

  • Jump Start: August 27 – 29

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. Take part in a customized tour of campus, designed for students in your Faculty. Get your essentials, such as your textbooks and UBCcard.

What to expect: Academic

Learning Communities

You will be assigned to a group based on your faculty and stream, which will be led by two upper-year student leaders 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 25–35 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, share their own experience of UBC with you, and welcome you into the UBC community.

Faculty fellows

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

What to expect: 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 be able to choose from a variety of small and large group socials, including trivia nights, photo challenges, games, exercise, sports and dance tutorials, and art activities. 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 Collegium, so you can keep on connecting after Jump Start is done.

What to expect: 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.

Hear from past students

  • “Jump Start is such a great way to start the school year. I got to meet so many people who share common interests with me, and many of them I know I will be close friends with for life. It is also the perfect transition from summer to university, and also a great way to meet people and become familiar with the campus prior to classes.”

    Katie A.

  • “I would recommend Jump Start because it gives incoming first year students the chance to adjust to the transition from high school to university. Jump Start also allows incoming students to meet new people, get familiar with the campus, and learn more about what to expect during first year.”

    Emily S.

  • “I would recommend Jump Start because it has given me more time to get to know the campus and the people around me. I feel much more comfortable talking to new people and finding my way around campus than I did when I first arrived. I am glad that I already have this level of comfort now that classes are starting, and that I don’t have to try and figure it all out while also navigating my courses.”

    Keira S.