Kent Postgrads – we need to hear about your positive experience as a Master’s or PhD student. Send in a short video or blog and earn yourself some Amazon vouchers or funds on your KentOne card.

We’re looking for new and fresh content for our upcoming marketing campaign, and we know potential students love to hear from our current students. Our postgraduate community are an amazing diverse bunch with some interesting stories, so we’d love to hear yours.

Here are a few key themes below, if your story fits one of these profiles, please do get in touch.

• Budget and money managing – how are you managing your money? How has Kent supported you especially during the cost of living crisis
• What does an average week of study look like for a Master’s student – how many hours a week do  you study? What days are you on campus? How do you manage your time?
• Studying for a Master’s whilst working – how are you managing the work, study and life balance ?
• Are you a postgraduate student who has young children? – How do you balance study and childcare? Do you use the creche facilities on campus? Have you been given any additional support?
• Do you commute to campus for your degree? How easy is the campus to get to? How often do you need to come in?  Are there certain discounts you receive?
• Do you live on campus? Why did you choose to stay on campus? How are the facilities? How is the postgraduate community on campus? How much does it cost? Are there any benefits or perks of staying on campus?
• We’re you worried before doing a Master’s? How have you been supported in your studies at Kent? How did you overcome your concerns?
• Did you receive a scholarship? What was the application process like? How did you prepare for your studies ?

Content we would need, either of the following:

Blog post – Ideally up to 500 words with an image of you as the author (head to shoulder shot) and up to two relevant images.

Video post – Ideally 60 second video clip in portrait format with a Kent backdrop i.e. on campus, society club, etc.

You will also need to sign a consent form for use of your images on the Kent website and marketing channels.

Deadline for student stories will be 30 December 2023.

If you’d like to share your story and earn Amazon vouchers or funds on your KentOne Card, please contact Yasmine from Marketing. Email: Y.Wahid@kent.ac.uk 

Each year the Graduate and Researcher College offer one or more funded places at the annual “Life Beyond the PhD – Cumberland Lodge Doctoral Students Conference”.

This annual conference offers PhD students and early career researchers from across the UK the opportunity to share their experiences with each other and to take part in invaluable training in communication, public engagement, and interdisciplinary working, while also being encouraged to think about the impact of their research within its wider social context.

Tharsagini Nanthaprakash from the School of Biosciences was selected by the Director of the Graduate and Researcher College, Professor Gordon Lynch, to attend the 2023 Life Beyond the PhD conference, please see their reflection on the event below:

“The uncertainty of what lay beyond the dissertation was both exciting and daunting. It was in this state of mind that I attended the “Life Beyond the PhD” conference. The Life Beyond the PhD conference at Cumberland Lodge covered many aspects, from writing a covering letter to facing interviews, presentation skills, and storytelling. Experts from academia, the civil sector, and industries were there to discuss the variable carrier opportunities. Other than that, the conference gave me the opportunity to meet fellow PhD students from different disciplines. The whole environment was filled with positive vibes, on top the location of Cumberland Lodge was a bonus for anyone who loves nature. It was one of the best four days, with lots of training and practicing of different skills with lots of fun and good food. A big thank you to the Graduate and Researcher College, University of Kent for fundingme!”