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.
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- 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.
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- 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.
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- 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.
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- 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.
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- 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.
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- 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.
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