Model UN: Lessons Learned

Model United Nations will look good on your college applications when you win awards, but here’s the real reason why you should join Model UN:

1. There are dozens of life skills that can be learnt in Model UN, but the most significant ones by far are speaking and people skills. The ability to articulate your thoughts spontaneously and clearly are crucial to future success. Especially during moderated caucuses, it is key to be on top of your toes to respond accurately to other countries’ policies and ideas. In addition, people skills, in other words, the ability to communicate even with those you barely know is vital for future workplaces. Throughout MUN conferences, particularly during unmoderated caucuses, where you freely speak about your countries’ plan of action on the topic, you must effectively speak in order to get your point across, providing a valuable experience.

2. The process of preparing for conferences is similarly, extremely important to learn from, in terms of researching and writing. These experiences will help you gain much more knowledge about countries and their policies, allowing you to become aware of the world’s current situation and events. Exposure to first hand experiences with impromptu and prepared speeches allows you to become familiar with formulating spontaneous and engaging speeches that will capture your audiences’ attention.

3. Lastly, Model UN teaches values that can be carried on through life, patience, especially with individuals whom you disagree with. During United Nations conferences, relationships between countries are a global affair, therefore diplomacy is absolutely necessary. Since Model UN is modeling the United Nations, then the obligations to patience are still important. Delegates must be able to make plausible and beneficial decisions, while also commending compromises even if they may not necessarily align perfectly with your country’s intentions.