Hello there.

For those who don't know me, my name is Hannah. Originally from Sweden but now living in Vancouver, beautiful British Columbia. I moved across the world to be a student at University of British Columbia (UBC).

When I started this blog, my purpose was to share a bit of my life and my experiences with friends all over the world. 1 year, 4 months and 25 days ago I attended Imagine Day. I had a great time and now, I want to give back to the UBC community and make it possible for new UBC students to have just as a good time as I did. But we need you to make this happen... (Keep reading for more info).

At UBC, we have North America's biggest one-day orientation for incoming first-year, transfer and exchange students. We call it Imagine Day. By saying that it's big we really aren't exaggerating. There are approximately 7 000 students who attend Imagine Day.

A sunny UBC

"That's a lot of people," you may say to yourself. "How does an event of this size run smoothly?" Well, this day is made possible thanks to all the volunteering UBC students. There are more than 1 000 volunteers involved in Imagine Day!

I see what you're thinking. You're thinking, "Oh wow, that sounds absolutely amazing. I wish I could be a part of this day!" Guess what... you can!

Pep rally at Imagine Day

With this many students involved, you might wonder how Imagine Day works. All new UBC students are welcomed to Imagine Day, where they are divided into smaller groups of about 10 people. These people are led by a MUG leader. MUG simply means My Undergraduate Group. There are faculty specific MUG leaders, as well as International Welcome MUG leaders. Then there are a whole bunch of other people that are a vital part of this day running smoothly. They are the Squad Managers, EcoTeam and Welcome Team (description here).


"But Hannah... Why should I apply to be a MUG leader? Like, what does it mean? What's in it for me? What's the meaning of life? Why do some people not like pie?". Great questions, you! I'm going to attempt to answer them.

Why YOU should apply
Being a MUG leader is great. At least, this is what I've heard from everyone I know who has ever been one. Confession: I was never a MUG leader. So, in this section I've gotten some help from some friends that have shared their personal experiences with being involved during Imagine Day.

"I think the best part of my whole experience was the connection I made bringing people and places together. (...) I got to introduce students to new people, a new campus, and the many opportunities that they have here. Seeing the enthusiasm that these students had for UBC reminded me of how lucky I am to be here, and challenged me to do more in order to make the most of what time I have left"

"I have had the please of being a MUG leader 3 times now, each time even more exciting than the last! Getting to connect with the students prior to their arrival at UBC allows me to ease their minds a little before they arrive on campus in an absolutely frightened state (...) Being able to nudge these new-to-UBC students in the right direction is a pleasure and a feel-good experience. Especially when the day is capped off with the pep-rally (my favourite!)  

Some of the best moments I have had as a MUG leader are working with the other MUG leaders, reconnecting with my Muggies post-Imagine Day and seeing how well they have settled in (...) You don't have to be loud and crazy, just love UBC and be passionate about sharing your own experience."

"MUG Leading is amazing for several reasons:

1. Screaming.
2. The Pep Rally.
3. You feel very knowledgable.
4. You can tell your first years all the little-known cool things about campus that nobody knows about, and so they feel like they're in on something.
5. Face paint and you get a T-shirt
6. You have a lot of flexibility to make the role your own.
7. Screaming
8. Some of your first-years will think you're God-like."