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Jump Start at UBC Vancouver

Jump Start at UBC Vancouver

Registration for Jump Start Vancouver is now open

Deadline to register is July 2.

Check out our Frequently Asked Questions.

Need to contact us? Email orientations.jumpstart@ubc.ca.

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

Register for Jump Start Vancouver

Login using your Campus-Wide Login (CWL)

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.

Jump Start will run Sept 2 – 4, 2026. For students living in residence, move-in day is Sept 1, 2026.

Who can register?  Jump Start is designed specifically for students coming directly from high school.  As a result, registration is not open to transfer students

Students living in Residence

If you’ll be living in UBC student housing (residence) during Winter Term 1, Jump Start gives you the chance to move in early, connect with classmates, and join on-campus events and programs tailored to new students.

Dates

  • Move in day: September 1
  • Jump Start: September 2 – 4

Fees

  • Program Fee: $75 CAD + tax
    (Non-refundable; paid at time of registration)
  • Meals & Housing Fee: $276 CAD + tax
    (Paid when you accept your Winter Session housing offer)
  • Financial support available: A $200 subsidy is available for students who would not be able to participate in Jump Start without financial assistance. If the cost of housing and meals would be a barrier for you, you may select this option when you pay your Jump Start housing and meals fee.

Students commuting to campus

If you’ll be living off campus during Winter Term 1, Jump Start gives you the chance to practice your commute and get connected to your Collegium – a dedicated ‘home base’ on campus for first year commuter students.  You’ll also connect with classmates, and join on-campus events and programs tailored to new students

Dates

  • Jump Start: September 2 – 4

Fees

  • Program Fee: $75 CAD + tax
    (Non-refundable; paid at time of registration)

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

Students at Jump Start Vancouver

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 dance tutorials, and art activities. There will be lots of ways to meet others!

Students at Thunderbird Stadium

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.

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.