Model UN can feel overwhelming. Walking into your first conference, you might see delegates years older than you confidently raising points of order, others with twenty people already lined up to join their bloc, and some who have even pre-written most (if not all) of their draft resolution. Your first committee can be intimidating.

But remember this: you're prepared. You know what to do, and you know what to say. You did your research just as well as anyone else. Model UN is not about cheating or having a bloc half the size of the committee before roll call ends. It's about diplomacy. It's about debate. It's about focusing on the issue and working to solve it. That's the reason every single delegate is in the room—to solve the problem. You know what to do; now go do it.

Still, what happens if things don't go your way? Maybe you've given strong speeches, built your own bloc, but then momentum shifts. People leave your bloc. A debate doesn't go in your favor. News flash: it happens to everyone. You'll need to adapt. Here's some quick math for you—0% of the plans you make before committee will play out exactly as imagined. Zero. Model UN demands flexibility. Some speeches will be carefully prepared months in advance, while others will be improvised in just thirty seconds. Some clauses will be crafted over an hour by ten people with weeks of research, while others will be scribbled on scratch paper in the final minute of a session. You'll need to think on your feet—and so will every other delegate doing their best.

I've walked into many Model UN committees. Some are still intimidating; others aren't. In the end, it's not really about the committee—it's about you. Knowing that your plans will fall apart is actually a strength. Understanding that other delegates are just as uncertain is empowering. The only barriers keeping you from being the best delegate you can be are the ones you build in your own mind.