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Jump Start at UBC Vancouver
Registration for Jump Start Vancouver is now closed.
Questions? Please email us at orientations.jumpstart@ubc.ca
Students living in residence
August 27 – 30
If you’re planning to live in student housing on campus (known as “residence” at UBC) in your first year, Jump Start gives you the opportunity to move in early to your winter-session residence room, explore campus, and meet new friends in person. You will enjoy scheduled group events with your classmates, as well as sessions and offerings you can take part in at your own pace.
Who is eligible to register? Jump Start is designed specifically for students coming directly from high school. As a result, registration is not open to transfer students.
When does it start? Move-in for the 2024 Jump Start residence stream will take place on Tuesday, August 27, and Jump Start will go until Friday, August 30.
How much does it cost?
- 2024 Jump Start program fee: $75 CAD + tax (non-refundable and must be paid at time of registration).
- 2024 fee for meals and housing during Jump Start: $253 CAD + tax. This amount must be paid when you accept your Winter Session housing offer.
Note: if cost is a barrier for you to attend, there is a subsidized fee option. When you pay for housing, select the $200 CAD subsidy for the Jump Start meals and housing fee” and it will be automatically applied.
Registration is now closed.
Students commuting to campus
August 28 – 30
If you’re planning to live off campus and will be commuting to UBC in your first year, Jump Start gives you the opportunity to practice your commute, get to know campus and your Collegia, and meet new friends. You will enjoy scheduled group events with your classmates, as well as sessions and offerings you can take part in at your own pace.
Who is eligible to register? Jump Start is designed specifically for students coming directly from high school. As a result, registration is not open to transfer students.
When does it start? The program begins on Wednesday, August 28 and goes until Friday, August 30.
How much does it cost? The 2024 Jump Start program fee is $75 CAD + tax (non-refundable and must be paid at time of registration).
Note: if cost is a barrier for you to attend, we recommend reaching out to the Enrolment Services Advising Centre. They can help coordinate a potential payment plan and explore available options to ensure you can participate in Jump Start.
Registration is now closed.
Indigenous students
If you have self-identified as Indigenous* in UBC’s Applicant Service Centre, the $75 CAD (+ tax) program fee will be waived.
Please note that if you are living in residence, this waiver does not cover the meals and housing fee of $253 + tax. If you need additional support to register for Jump Start, please contact us at orientations.jumpstart@ubc.ca.
*At UBC, we are transitioning to the internationally-preferred term “Indigenous” to refer inclusively to status and non-status First Nations, Metis and Inuit peoples of Canada, in accordance with the BC Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (DRIPA), which defines “Indigenous peoples” as Aboriginal peoples under section 35(2) of the Constitution Act, 1982
Registration is now closed.
Your official welcome to UBC Vancouver
Jump Start is a multi-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!
Are you entering first year at UBC Okanagan? Find information about UBC Okanagan Jump Start.
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.
Still have questions?