PG Summer continues in August with a wide range of activities to get involved in, including:

Tues 1 August – Enjoy good coffee? Head to the Gulbenkian Arts Centre Café for their free coffee tasting and help influence the future coffee culture on campus.

Wed 2 August – Get creative with this relaxing Craft-ernoon Tea event at Venue. There will be painting and pottery available.

Mon 7 August – Explore how to cope with common feelings surrounding change at this online workshop, led by an expert from Student Support and Wellbeing.

Mon 7 August – Find out how to improve your LinkedIn profile or get started building it at this LinkedIn Masterclass at Medway campus, and online.

Tues 8 August – Meet new people at Kent Union’s Speed Networking and Coffee event in Nexus, with refreshments provided by the Library Café.

Tues 15 August Learn more about Interview Skills for Academic and Industry Roles (Medway session). Want to understand more about the interview process and what the interview panel are looking for? This practical session for PGT and PGR students is for you.  

Fri 18 August – Get outside and volunteer at the Kent Community Oasis Garden. Everyone is welcome, whether you’re an expert, a complete beginner or just coming along for a chat.

Mon 21 August – Learn more about Interview Skills for Academic and Industry Roles (Canterbury session). Want to understand more about the interview process and what the interview panel are looking for? This practical session for PGT and PGR students is for you.

Thu 24 August – Relax with another Craft-ernoon Tea from Kent Union, where you can make something to take home with you.  

Tues 29 August – Kent Union is running a mindfulness session in Woody’s where you can relax and unwind.

Wed 30 August – Learn how to find graduate level employment after uni at this online session from our Careers Team, which will focus on graduate jobs, grad schemes as well as job hunting methods and application tips.

There’s also a weekly Walk and Talk Summer Wellbeing Group, led by a mental health adviser.

See all PG Summer events.

 It’s been great to see our postgraduate community come together at events during the first month of PG Summer, including the Annual Postgraduate Conference, PG Summer Coffee Morning and PG Careers Week events. July brings lots more PG Summer events and activities, including:  

Mon 3 July – The Careers and Employability Service are hosting a practical online session for postgrads to help you identify your employability skills.  

Wed 5 July – Come along to Woolf Common Room for the PG Summer board game, crisps and drinks gathering, jointly organised by the PG Network and Graduate and Researcher College (GRC).  

Thu 6 July -Reflective writing is a powerful learning tool which can help you to understand your own thinking processes, challenge your assumptions and explore logical approaches to arguments. Try it for yourself with this 2 hour Reflecting Writing Workshop at the Drill Hall Library.   

Tues 11 July – Want some advice writing cover letters and applications? Make a start with support from the Careers team at this in-person session about writing cover letters and applications in Sibson.  

Wed 12 July – PG Summer Chill Zone: kick back with free refreshments, Nintendo Switch, board games, table football  and more in Keynes. 

Fri 14 July – Get outside for the PG Summer Lawn Games Afternoon for lots of fun with interdivisional games and refreshments.  

Tues 18 July – Join the PG Picnic hosted by Kent Union on the Registry Lawn – we’re ready for all weathers with picnic blankets, and covered spaces under the stretch tents.  

Wed 19 July – What constitutes good mental health? Explore improving wellbeing at this positive mental health workshop run by a counsellor from Student Support and Wellbeing, starting at the Labyrinth at Canterbury campus.   

Wed 19 July – Find out the essentials for CVs and cover letters, including trends, hints and tips. This practical CV session is taking place in Medway building.  

Mon 24 July – Kent Union are organising a day out to the beautiful seaside town of Margate. You can spend time at the Dreamland amusement park, explore the Old Town and visit the many independent shops and cafes. Spaces are limited so make sure you book your place as soon as possible.  

Mon 24 July – Hosted at the Kent Community Oasis Garden, mycologist and Kent postgrad Dane, alongside Future Foods Creator Jo, will be taking you on an exploration of mushrooms, with talks, growing demonstrations, foraging walks and tasting opportunities.

Wed 26 July – Writing well academically can make a significant difference to the grades you can achieve. Join this two hour Writing Well Workshop at the Drill Hall Library to help develop your academic writing skills.   

Thu 27 July – Take part in fun, interactive activities and enjoy refreshments in a relaxed atmosphere at the Summer Global Hangout in Nexus.

Do you have an idea for a multicultural summer event? Why not turn your event idea into reality as part of PG Summer? You can apply to the WorldFest Bitesize Fund for up to £250 to help run your own multicultural event.  

There’s also a weekly Walk and Talk Summer Wellbeing Group, led by a mental health adviser. Plus, look out for some Division and School level BBQs too! See all PG Summer events.   

The 5-week Mindfulness course, organised by the School of Economics, but open to all students in the University showed that there is an increasing appetite for these kinds of tools to support learning.

The course, facilitated by Mindfulness practitioner Lorrainne Millard, had over 50 registrations.

‘The dimensions of the course that seem to have helped students most were dealing with feelings of anxiety, the ability to focus and feelings of happiness and joy.’ convener Dr Adelina Gschwandtner told us. ‘Most participants were women, 50% from a BAME background. 45% percent were studying at a postgraduate level and most of them came from the School of Psychology (48.5%) followed by the School of Economics (24.2%) and the School of Politics (9%). The overwhelming majority preferred that the course was run online offering more flexibility.’

Tiffany Akurut an MSc Economics student had not taken part in anything regarding mindfulness or mental health before but was persuaded by the virtual nature of the course.

‘No one could see you during the exercises, so you could just let go and just be yourself.’ Tiffany told us ‘Going into a room with other people, I don’t like being in such situations, just cause I’m shy. But if you wanted to speak up, you could and if you didn’t want to, you could just be quiet in the background and just listen.’

The course came at an ideal time for her.

‘Around the time when we were approaching exam season, we had multiple deadlines and I experienced a lot of anxiety that meant I was unable to focus. Then I would feel I didn’t deserve to sleep because of how little I have accomplished during the day. So then I am more tired, which makes me more stressed. So I end up in this cycle that I’m really unable to get out of.’

Portia Chere expressed that travelling to the UK from Botswana to study a financial economics MSc was overwhelming at times. 

‘Yeah, it has been a culture shock, but it was also an exciting opportunity for me to travel from Africa because it is my first time travelling Internationally.’ Portia left her son and husband at home for the year while she studies. ‘I think maybe because being an international student, having to come here alone without my family, was a bit of a challenge to settle in so I really needed something that could keep me motivated throughout the my journey in learning.‘ 

Gladness Sebifelo has been studying an MSc in development economics after studying for her undergraduate at the University of Botswana ten years ago.

‘When I arrived in the UK. I had to start teaching myself to learn again, and because I arrived two weeks late, I couldn’t catch up easily, you know? So that alone gave me a lot of stress. Like, will I make it? Just being in a different environment was stressful. So I was always asking myself what can I do? Where can I get help?’

Before this Gladness’ only experience of mindfulness came from social media ‘-just the memes that you always read that encourage people.’

‘I think I had a stubborn mind. I was like, ohhh will it work?’ 

‘But I was like, 5 weeks. One hour a week. It wont hurt.‘

The structure of the course was varied.

‘It was a mixture of everything. So you do a practical exercise with everyone, like breathing techniques or like a physical exercise and then, Lorraine, would you usually go into the theory behind it,’ Tiffany explained ‘Then you would go into breakout rooms and discuss the weeks homework, what you did, if you’re able to do anything, what you’re accomplished, how it made you feel.’

Participating alongside others who are also struggling with stress and anxiety turned out to be helpful in and of itself Tiffany found.

‘I think sometimes you think that you’re the only person feeling this thing, going through this, but when you talk to other people, you understand you are experiencing the same thing. It’s great feeling that you’re not alone in this.’

‘However we respond to situations, we hold that power ourselves.’  Gladness Sebifelo

‘I know now it’s me who is in control. Nobody else. So if I don’t control the situation I’m in, nobody else will come out and and and do it for me. So it’s all about me and how to tackle my situations.’ 

Portia suggested that the course would be suitable for anyone ‘I don’t think it’s there’s somebody who is tailor made for it, because I think it it cuts across so many things, whether it’s to improve on your relationship with your family, your communication, your wellbeing. So I think everybody can use this course.’ 

Due to the tremendous positive feedback and the large number of registrations this year we are planning to organise the course again in 2023-2024.

Read about Lorrainne Millard’s book Mindfulness and Wellbeing for Student Learning.

Nexus staff can help with any query, signposting you in the right direction. You can ask Nexus for help with accommodation, course queries and admin, KentOne card issues, support and much more.

Between 17-21 July, Nexus will operate online only while the Nexus staff help out at the graduation ceremonies.

From Monday 24 July, Nexus will reopen in Templeman Library. The summer opening times are Monday – Friday, 9:00-17:00.