Find out what’s on this week as we reach the end of the Spring term!

Monday 31 March: Finding a job as an international student and working abroad

Are you an international student based at the Medway campus? Join this in-person session to help you to find a job as an international student.

Interested in working abroad as part of your degree, summer break or after graduation? Learn more at this information session which includes an introduction to GoingGlobal – a platform available for Kent students to find opportunities and detailed information about working abroad.

Tuesday 1 April: Pets as therapy (Medway), editing and proofreading webinar and Research Café

Spend some time with a cute therapy dog at The Hub in Medway over Tuesday lunchtime. Take the time to relax and connect.

Are you missing out on a higher grade because you haven’t taken the time to edit and proofread your work? The Skills for Academic Success team are running a webinar to help you learn how to edit and proofread effectively.

Postgraduate researchers are invited to come along to the Research Café, which is an opportunity to share, learn and connect with other PGR students. The Café will provide the opportunity for two or three researchers to present their research in a friendly and supportive environment.

Wednesday 2 April: Plant pot painting (Medway), planting seeds, Easter Extravaganza

At Medway you can join a Crafternoon at The Hub where you can paint plant pots – perfect for adding a personal touch to your greenery.

Come down to Kent Community Oasis Garden and help get the garden growing by joining our monthly seed sow activity. Plant this month’s vegetable and flower seeds in seed trays and compost to grow in the polytunnels on site. No experience necessary.

ResLife are hosting an Easter Extravaganza for all students who live on campus. As well as enjoying fun activities with chances to win Amazon vouchers, you can also enjoy some free food! There’s a choice of nachos or a hot dog and churros or ice cream. Plus look out for Kent Bunny who will be handing out Easter Eggs.

Thursday 3 April: Exam support and Drag Bingo

If you have non-essay-based exams, join this webinar to learn about how to answer multiple choice questions (MCQs) and short answer questions (SCQs).

Join Delilah Tickles and Anita Wee for a hilarious, glitzy night of Drag Queen Bingo at Mungo’s on Thursday evening. Expect hilarious commentary, four rounds of bingo, sing-alongs, and a chance to win weird and wonderful prizes.

Friday 4 April: Gardening at Kent Community Oasis Garden and volunteering

On Wednesdays and Fridays between 10:00-14:00, you can join an open volunteering session at Kent Community Oasis Garden. It’s a collection of students, staff and community members working to create a sustainability hub centred around growing food. Everyone is welcome.

Interested in volunteering? Join this online session to find out how volunteering can give you valuable skills and experience and how you might get started with volunteering.

Opportunities and reminders

• It’s time for continuing undergraduate students from England to apply for student finance. Apply now to make sure your funding is in place for September 2025.
• Online Module Registration for your 2025/26 modules is open until Friday 4 April.
• Over the next couple of months, some University communications sent by email, such as student updates and announcements, will use a new address format: @lists.kent.ac.uk to help improve security.
• Parkys’ Preloved, the new charity shop on campus, is now open and supporting the Parkinson’s Centre for Integrated Therapy.
• Complete the Kent Sport Student Activity Survey by Friday 4 April to give your feedback and be entered into a prize draw to win £250 Kent One card credit.
• Are you a postgraduate student? Fill in your postgraduate survey by 9 May for the chance to win £250! Check your student emails for your personalised survey link from Jisc.

It’s time for continuing undergraduate students from England to apply for student finance.

Apply now to make sure your funding is in place for September 2025.

Before you apply:

• Check your tuition fees for 2025-26
• Find out what type of funding is available and if you can get any extra help
• Get an estimate of how much Maintenance Loan you’ll get using the Student Finance Calculator
• Find out if you’re eligible for student finance on GOV.UK.
• Check what identity documents you’ll need to apply. For most students this can be a valid UK Passport number on your application
• Speak to your parents or partner and let them know you’ll need their National Insurance number if you’re applying for funding based on your household income

Tuition fees for 2025-26

The UK government announced back in November 2024 that tuition fees across the country will increase from August 2025, as such the amount of Tuition Fee Loan students can apply for has increased. Maintenance loan amounts have also increased. Here’s a reminder of tuition fees at Kent for the 2025-26 academic year.

During the spring vacation period, which is from 5 April to 6 May, most of the University’s services are still available, some with amended opening hours. Many are closed on the national bank holidays, which are Friday 18 April, Monday 21 April and Monday 5 May.

Here’s a list of services and opening times:

• Borrow books and study: Templeman Library at Canterbury opening times, and Drill Hall Library at Medway opening times 
• Ask Nexus: From 7 April – 6 May, Nexus is open Monday – Friday 09:00 – 18:00, Saturdays 12:00-18:00 and closed on Sundays. Nexus will be closed for the Bank Holiday weekend Fri 18 April – Mon 21 April.
• Food and drink on campus: Canterbury catering opening times will be different during the Spring Break. See vacation opening times for catering outlets on the Canterbury campus.
• Support: Student Support and Wellbeing reception remains open 09:00-16:45 throughout the Spring break, apart from national bank holidays. You can also get support and counselling from our telephone, text and app 24/7 from our wellbeing partners Spectrum Life.
• Exam preparation and study support: The Skills for Academic Success team is available throughout the Spring break, apart from the national bank holidays. You can book face-to-face and online appointments on all areas of study support, including exam preparation.
• Reception areas: Some receptions will be operating on different opening hours during the vacation. See reception opening hours.
• Sport and exercise: You can still use facilities and join classes over the break. Please note the Sports Centre and The Pavilion will be closed on Good Friday (18 April) and Easter Monday (21 April). Check out Kent Sport opening hours.
• Campus Shuttle: The Campus Shuttle, between the Canterbury and Medway campuses, doesn’t run out of term time.
• Careers advice and activity: The Careers and Employability Service remains open 09:00-17:00 throughout the Spring break (apart from the national bank holidays), so you can continue to book appointments and work on your career.
• Mitigation and further support: Student Engagement is another point of contact for support over the break if you need help (apart from the national bank holidays). We are here if you need help to submit an end-of-year mitigation request, if you think you might need to miss an exam, if you have an emergency and need help with costs over the break, or if you need to speak to someone about personal circumstances.
• Kent Students’ Union services and campus shops: See the KSU webpage for Co op, Campus Pantry, Library Cafe and KSU Advice Service opening times.

And of course, Campus Security staff are on duty 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

We wish you a restful break!

Find out what’s on this week including revision sessions and Canterbury Varsity. Let’s go Team Kent!

Reminders:

• Industrial action is taking place at Kent this week.
• Online Module Registration is now open.
• Exams timetables will be released on KentVision this week.

Monday 24 March: Exam revision sessions and placements

Skills for Academic Success (SAS) are running exam webinars including essay writing in exams and effective revision. See all SAS exam workshops.

Confused about placements? Join this online session by the Careers Team to find out what placements could be available to you and where to find them.

Tuesday 25 March: Crafternoon and Finalist workshop (Medway) and finding a part-time job

At Medway, you can join a Crafternoon at The Hub where you can enjoy painting your own plant pot. There’s also a session at Medway for Finalists about considering how ‘work ready’ you are and helping you create an action plan to prepare for life after uni.

Thinking about finding a part-time role? Come along to this session in Keynes to find out what steps you can take to secure a part-time role.

Wednesday 26 March: Free lunchtime piano concert and eVisa drop in

Enjoy a free lunchtime concert ‘La Belle Epoque’ piano duet by Benjamin Frith and Heidi Rolfe in Colyer-Fergusson.

Are you an international student? Kent Students’ Union Advisers will be in Nexus in Templeman Library to help you check your eVisa and UKVI account between 14:00-16:00.

Thursday 27 March: Help with CV and cover letters (Medway)

Need some help with your CV or cover letter? You can join a helpful workshop at Medway campus on Thursday to find out practical hints and tips to create a CV and cover letter with impact.

Friday 28 March: Study support drop ins, Climate Café and Bumblebee Walk

The Skills for Academic Success team will be on hand for drop-in appointments in the UELT building. Drop-ins are for quick queries; for example, checking referencing or a brief appraisal of the structure/coherence of an assignment.

Feeling concerned about the climate and nature? Drop in to Climate Café, a chance to share your thoughts and feelings in a safe space, while taking part in an activity for change too. Led by students, for students.

Spend an hour up close to nature by taking part in the monthly Bumblebee Walk at Kent Community Oasis Garden. You’ll be identifying and recording bumblebees that you see and reporting the results to Bumblebee Conservation Trust.

Saturday 29 March: Coach trip to Howletts Wild Animal Park

On Saturday, if you live in on-campus accommodation you can join a coach trip to Howletts Wild Animal Park. Tickets are £5, which covers the cost of the travel and the park entry. You’ll see animals including elephants, rhinos and tigers!

See more student events.

Opportunities

• We have a new printing portal for dissertations, leaflets and more! It connects to your usual printing credits and your printed materials can be collected from the Templeman Library reception.
• Kent Sport is keen to understand t barriers to exercise for students on campus and how they can improve the service. So, whether you’ve never used the sports and fitness facilities on campus before or you’re a regular user, complete the Kent Sport Activity Survey for chance to win a £250 credit on your KentOne card.
• Do you want to find out more about yourself and map your journey to success? Sign up for the free Destination Success 3-day bootcamp (16-18 May 2025).

See more student opportunities.

From Monday 24 March to Friday 4 April 2025, Online Module Registration (OMR) is open for you to choose the undergraduate modules that you wish to study in 2025/26.

You will receive an email when OMR is open. Prior to this, you should read your Subject Requirements and view our guidance to make sure that you are fully prepared.

OMR is not a first come, first served system in March. In order to give you the best opportunity to register for your preferred choice of module, please ensure that you have submitted your selections by Friday 4 April 2025.

Upcoming industrial action

Despite constructive and continued negotiations throughout today, some staff who are University and College Union (UCU) members will be going on strike next week from Monday 24 March until Friday 28 March.

This will lead to some classes being cancelled, although not all staff are UCU members so the impact will be different in different areas. We are sorry if this affects you and we will do all we can to minimise the impact on your studies.

We have put some key links and info below to help you prepare – keep an eye on your inbox for any further updates on what this may mean in your area.

Online Module Registration will open as usual on 24 March and exam timetables will also be shared next week as planned.

What to expect on strike days

• Some of your classes may be cancelled; union members don’t have to tell us if they are taking strike action so we won’t always know in advance.
• If your teaching session is cancelled because of strike action, it will have no impact on your attendance record. Sessions where no attendance is recorded are not included in your overall attendance percentage.
• You might see UCU members picketing on campus; these are peaceful protests which will be stewarded by the Union.
• Other services may be affected but we’ll work to make sure all essential support services are running as usual. Our libraries and catering outlets will also be open as usual.

How to prepare for strike days

The impact of industrial action can be hard to predict and is likely to be different in different areas. It’s best to plan ahead as far as you can and get in touch if you’re not sure about anything:

• Talk to your lecturer – to find out if they are taking part in strike days. Not all staff will be on strike and many classes will go ahead as scheduled so it is best to ask in advance so you can plan around it.
• Keep receipts – if you arrive at a lecture or seminar to find it has been cancelled, keep a record of the direct costs you incurred so we can reimburse you.
• Still submit work – if you have a deadline on a strike day. You still need to submit work unless advised differently by your School or lecturer.
• Meet with your lecturer after strikes – for support and advice on how to catch up with missed work.
• Ask for help if you need it – see our support webpage for who to contact if you have questions or concerns about industrial action.

How to prepare for a strike day.

KSU’s SpeakUp! tool: Use KSU’s academic reporting tool ‘SpeakUp!’ to record any missed teaching and to let us know if you have incurred any direct costs as a result of this.