Monthly Archives: May 2024

students walking

Changes to academic year from September 2025

If you will still be studying at Kent for the academic year 2025-26 (so the year after next), we are making some exciting changes to our term dates to improve flexibility and help you juggle your studies alongside other responsibilities.  

The start and end of term dates will be broadly the same but the makeup of the term dates will be different. For undergraduates, instead of having two twelve week terms followed by a six week term, from 2025 we will have three ten week terms. So the number of teaching weeks will be the same, the difference is that they will be balanced throughout the academic year. 

What’s changing from September 2025? 

We’re introducing a three-term system for undergraduate study and a four-term system for postgraduate study, with simpler module choices and assessment spread throughout the year. 

Taught Programme Term Dates 2025-2026

Welcome Week  29 September 2025 – 3 October 2025 
Autumn Term  6 October 2025 – 12 December 2025 
Spring Term  12 January 2026 – 20 March 2026 
Summer Term  13 April 2026 – 19 June 2026 
Late Summer Term (Postgraduates only)  6 July 2026 – 11 September 2026 

 Benefits of these changes 

This curricular revision, rolling out from September 2025, is the University’s response to years of student feedback. It offers:

  • Timetables communicated well before the start of term, so you can balance your studies with work and other commitments  
  • Teaching spread over three teaching terms, typically with only two modules per term, so you can explore topics in depth 
  • Assessments within each term, not bunched at the end of the year  
  • Learning about real world connections and career-relevant knowledge and skills   
  • Meaningful assessments which help you to demonstrate and develop skills and knowledge that you will need in your future career  
  • Frequent, ongoing feedback to help you learn   
  • Stronger connections with other students on your course 

Want to know more? 

We will provide more updates about the changes to the academic year next year, so don’t worry if you don’t feel like you fully understand the changes yet. 

See our Education Modernisation webpages and FAQs. If those pages don’t answer your questions you can get in touch by emailing Kent2030Student@kent.ac.uk 

New Oasis Lounge in Medway Building

New Oasis Lounge at Medway

Over the Spring break work has started to move all University of Kent activity at Medway to the Medway Building for September 2024.

Something that has already moved is the Oasis Lounge. The new and improved Oasis Lounge can now be found on the 1st floor of the Medway Building and is a place you can meet friends, study, heat up lunch and grab a drink.

Oasis Lounge seating

You will still find Student Support in the Gillingham Building until the end of the 2023/24 academic year if you need student support or careers advice.

Exams are scheduled to take place in the Medway Building this term.  However, Journalism exams will take place in the existing newsrooms on the first and second floor of the Gillingham Building. You will find where your exam is taking place in your exams timetable.

Oasis Lounge

Students doing food shop

Cost of living support during exams

Earlier this year, Kent Union, along with the University and The Food Foundation carried out a Cost of Living Survey across the Canterbury and Medway campuses for a second year. The survey results highlight areas where we need to improve.

During exams especially, you don’t want money worries to negatively affect your studies. Here are some ways you can get support at Kent, so you can fulfil your potential this exam season:

Nutrition

We know that food insecurity is a growing issue on university campuses across the country. Kent Union’s Campus Pantry in Mandela Student Centre offers short-term support to students who find themselves in need of supplemental food. The first time you visit there are no questions asked, you just need to show your student ID and then you can choose some food items.

It’s important to be well fueled for exams. Some affordable food options on campus include the £3 Meal Deals, or you can bring in leftovers and heat them up in a microwave on campus. At Medway, you can also join a free community breakfast at The Hub on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Plus, don’t forget to hydrate. See places where you can refill your water bottle rather than buying a new one.

Free sanitary products

From the Cost of Living Survey results, we know that some students are spending less on sanitary products because they are worried about money. Sanitary products are not a luxury. On exam days, you can ask an exam invigilator who will give you a free sanitary product.

You can also find free sanitary products in the Mandela Student Centre reception at Canterbury and The Hub toilets at Medway campus year-round.

Travelling to exams

Check out travel discounts for getting to campus, including reduced bus tickets for Stagecoach and Arriva buses, as well as the 16-25 rail card (which is also available to full-time students who are 25+) where you save a third on your off-peak train travel. Please note, there is a planned train strike on Tuesday 7 May, so if you have an exam on this day, you should arrange alternative travel.

Is your technology playing up?

If you are having trouble with your laptop, you can borrow one from Templeman or Drill Hall Library for free so you can continue with your revision and other work.

Staying active

Exercise can be a great way to de-stress during exam season. If you are in your first year or live on campus, you have access to free Premium membership in Canterbury, or Premier Medway Park membership at Medway campus.

Even if you are not living on campus, we have different gym membership options for every budget at Kent Sport. There’s a monthly gym membership and the free Pay to Play membership where you just pay when you visit the gym facilities for £5 per session, or take part in an ALL Active sport or fitness class for just £2 per session.

See all gym membership options this summer.

Our cost of living website has more support including specific hardship funding available.

Image of a Southeastern Train

Train Strikes During Exams

Please be aware of planned train strikes if you usually travel to campus by train. Currently industrial strike action is scheduled on Southeastern Trains for the first day of exams, Tuesday 7 May. We recognise the impact this may have on your studies and are here to support you. The Southeastern Trains website has further details and helpful information.

If you have an in-person exam on a train strike day, please make every effort to make alternative travel arrangements as these exams cannot be rescheduled and it is in your best interests to complete your exams as scheduled. Our Campus Travel updates webpage can help you plan an alternative journey.

Bed and Flex in student accommodation on campus is available to book throughout the exam period for any student wanting to take advantage of this you can find booking details here.

Travel disruption in itself is not normally a reason for mitigation (see Credit Framework for details). However, if your circumstances mean that alternative arrangements to attend your in-person exam on Tuesday 7 May are not possible, you can apply for an End Of Year Mitigation through the Extenuating Circumstances portal in Kent Vision. You will need to detail your normal travel arrangements and how you are impacted by train strike action in your request.

For all other exams related matters, please follow the usual exams guidance.