The Judicial Polygot

I’m 14, and I recently participated in my first MUN — that’s short for Model United Nations.

Now, I won’t lie and say it was easy or that I had it all figured out, because I didn’t. It was all very new. Terms like Moderated Caucus and Yield time sounded like another language!

Honestly, I was so scared that I ended up researching so much that I felt like I knew more than the creators of MUN!

Here’s how it went — what I did, what worked, what didn’t, and a few tips for anyone trying their first MUN.

—

• Step 1: Choosing the Right Committee

I was in the United Nations High-Level Advisory Body on Artificial Intelligence, with the agenda:

Challenges to AI in promoting democracy and the rule of law.

It was a complex topic, but it spoke to me — and that made all the difference.

Tip #1: Choose a committee and agenda that genuinely interest you. If you don’t like the topic, you’ll feel stuck and may even hate the whole experience.

—

• Step 2: Understanding the Basics

I started by learning basic MUN terms using AI tools and online resources:

What is a moderated caucus?

What does yielding time mean?

How does the committee flow work?

Then came the real research — and it felt like being thrown into the ocean without knowing how to swim! Topics like surveillance, bias in AI, and solutions were overwhelming.

What helped a lot was participating in Mock MUNs. They boosted my confidence and helped me understand what I was doing wrong.

Tip #2: Attend every mock MUN or practice session — it builds confidence.

—

• Step 3: Deep Dive into Research

I researched a lot — over 20 pages of notes!

Next came lobbying, where delegates pitch topics for the moderated caucus. It’s crucial — these are the topics you’ll discuss.

Tip #3: Be active during lobbying — pitch ideas and engage.

—

• Step 4: Dealing with Fear and Expectations

The day before MUN, I was terrified. Many delegates had attended 20–25 MUNs already.

I couldn’t erase the fear, so I focused on what I could control:

Practiced my speeches.

Rehearsed my points.

Reminded myself it’s okay if things don’t go perfectly.

Tip #4: Be mentally prepared for things to go wrong — and be okay with it.

—

• Step 5: The Actual MUN

Day 1: I was underconfident, but I pushed myself to raise my placard for every speech and caucus. By the end of the day, I had a feel for when to pitch in and how to structure my points.

A key lesson: No matter how much you prepare, you can’t fully predict how the committee will unfold. I ended up changing most of my prepared document as discussions evolved.

—

• Final Takeaways

Yes — others did better.

Yes — I wasn’t perfect.

But — I gained so much confidence and had fun along the way.

And guess what? I’m already signed up for another MUN in July!

Tip #5: Be ready to do badly — and do it anyway. You’ll learn and grow.

• Final Thoughts

If you’re thinking about trying MUN — go for it.

Pick a topic you care about.

Prepare well.

Accept that things won’t go perfectly.

Participate actively.

You’ll walk away with confidence, new skills, and great memories.

Good luck — you’ve got this.

If this blog helped you, don’t forget to share