How I did it: Step 1: Late last semester, I signed up for the Model UN class at my university.


I had some prior experience so the professor was glad I joined the
class. I went to the Chicago AMUN conference in Fall 2008, where I did
not perform too stellarly. Honestly, I just wanted to go on the trip
and was not too concerned with actually participating. This time
around, I still went mostly for the trip (shame on me, lol), but I had
a much better idea of how everything works and a much cooler partner.


Step 2: Committee selection


We chose committees three weeks into the class, after looking at the
size and topic agenda of each. I went for a small committee
(Sustainable Development—twenty delegations, so about forty people)
that interested me. Like I said, I got a really cool partner and a
powerful nation (France) to boot.


Step 3: Research


We did major research in the three topics on the agenda. I took two and
wrote my share of the position paper; my partner wrote the one
remaining. To be honest, I could've done a better job in this part, but I didn't really sign up for the class to work my ass off. I did, however, print out tons of papers for possible reference during the conference

Step 4: The conference

Our group flew to DC on a Friday morning and the actual committees began meeting early in the afternoon. We managed to set the agenda just the way we wanted it. The first topic up was the one my partner knew the most about, and I was glad to sit more in the background managing information movement and talking to a few key delegations. We kicked major ass and had a great time while we were at it.

Lessons & tips: Tips:

1. Do your research, y'all. Even if it doesn't encompass the entire history of the issue. A few key points go a long way. You don't want to look like an idiot in committee (trust me, it happened to me the first time I went as I had done almost no research).
2. Know your country. This might seem obvious, but so many delegates use the conference to voice their personal opinions and not those of the countries which they represent. This also makes people look quite stupid.
3. Get serious but not too intense. You don't want to be the person who eats, breathes and sleeps operative clauses. Don't make people feel like they have to work with you during break. 
4. Talk to people during committee. About anything, really. The conversation generally gravitates towards the committee topic eventually and it's a good way to get to know people personally prior to hashing out resolutions/reports. 
5. Have fun! You will meet very cool people from all around the country and the world. I had a great time with students from New York, France, Nigeria, and the UAE. Also you will probably be in a very cool city (NY, DC, Chicago, etc), take some time to explore it; don't stay cooped up in the hotel. It is a great experience.

Resources:

• class
• nmun.org if you're going to NMUN (NY, DC, Prague).
• amun.org if you're going to AMUN (Chicago).

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Nov 02, 2010, 12:56AM PDT | 0 comments | 1 cheer