Author Archives: Miriam Sandiford

People at a festival

Events roundup: 23-29 May

Here’s a roundup of this week’s top events:

Launch of Race Equality Charter Student Survey

This week sees the launch of the Race Equality Charter Student Survey. Complete the short survey to help shape Kent’s anti-racism strategy. Plus, complete by 17 June for the chance to win one of three £50 gift vouchers. Take the survey now.

Monday: Litter pick and language taster sessions

Give back to your local community by joining the College and Community Life team for litter picking! Get involved on Monday lunchtime to meet new people and earn some employability points while you improve the local environment.

Would you like to learn a new language? Our language taster sessions are for beginners who would like to try learning one of the following languages: Arabic, Mandarin, Japanese and Spanish/Italian. These events are in person and online, and open to all students.

Tuesday: Petting Zoo and outdoor live music

Take a break from revision and visit the Animal Encounters Farmyard and say hi to cows, ponies, donkeys, and loads more at Woody’s! Join us 13.00-15.00 for lots of cuteness.

As part of the Gulbenkian Summer Festival, singer/songwriter Fred Clark will be performing on the Gulbenkian Lawn. Grab some friends and enjoy live music and food/drink from 17.00.

Wednesday: Spring into Summer at Medway

Join us on the Medway campus for an amazing afternoon of fun with Spring into Summer. With a ball pit, chocolate fountain, crazy golf and more! Whether you have finished your exams and want to celebrate or need a break from deadlines and studying, come join us. Plus, the evening will see the Deep End transform for a UV club night.

Thursday: Bubble football and outdoor cinema

Give Bubble Football a go and bounce around with your friends as part of Kent Union’s Give it a Go activities. Come along between 17.00-20.00 at the Sports Pavilion and have some fun, no experience needed.

This week’s outdoor cinema screening is Disney Pixar’s Ratatouille! Grab a seat on the hay bales on the Gulbenkian lawn, or bring your own picnic blanket. The film starts at 21.00 but you’re welcome to arrive before to get some food and drink.

Friday: Managing stress and anxiety with mindfulness and Woody’s Fest

Feeling stressed or anxious? Consider attending this StudyPlus online workshop on how to manage stress and anxiety with mindfulness, 11.00-12.30. This practical workshop will give you an introduction to research-based strategies for coping with stress and anxiety

Woody’s Fest is back! Supported by the UKC Live Music Society, there will be a line up of acts and bands to keep you entertained. Plus a mixture of food and drinks deals that you just can’t say no to.

Student job alert: Student Content Creators

Become a student content creator at Kent, apply by 5 June 2022. See more student opportunities on the Student Guide.

Browse all student events.

Kent hospitality staff member

Job opportunity: Work at Lambeth Conference this summer

Are you looking to earn some extra money this summer?

The Commercial Services & Estates catering team are looking for enthusiastic, hard-working individuals to lend a hand at this year’s Lambeth Conference (18 July – 10 August).

What is the Lambeth Conference?

Meeting around every ten years since 1867, the Lambeth Conference is an international meeting of Anglican bishops convened by the Archbishop of Canterbury.

The conference takes place across venues at the University of Kent, Canterbury Cathedral, and Lambeth Palace during the British summer of 2022.

Over six hundred bishops (and their partners), from all over the world, will travel to the conference.

Bishops

What roles are available?

To ensure the Lambeth Conference is a success, the catering team are looking to recruit extra Food and Beverage Assistants and Bar Bistro Supervisors to help deliver a professional and memorable catering experience.

Person serving food

Duties will include:

  • Assisting with the preparation and serving of meals and beverages.
  • Providing first class customer service.
  • Ensuring kitchen and service areas are clean and tidy.
  • Working within a team to provide a high-quality catering experience.

Applicants must have a can-do attitude, bags of energy, and be willing to muck in! They will need to be able to work quickly and accurately within a busy environment and have a flexible approach to work.

Working at the Lambeth Conference will be challenging, but it will also be exciting and rewarding.

This is a great way to gain experience in the catering industry; and add valuable, transferable skills to a CV!

FREE on-campus accommodation will be available to those working 35 hours or more!

How to apply?

For more information, please email Adam Watkins A.P.J.Watkins@kent.ac.uk.

People working in music studio

Creative Access workshops – exclusive for Kent students

We have teamed up with Creative Access, one of the UK’s leading diversity, equity and inclusion organisations, to offer two exclusive career development opportunities to Kent students who are interested in roles within the creative industries.

The creative industries encompass a broad range of sectors – including music, journalism, advertising and PR, theatre, TV, film, fashion, IT and software, museums and galleries, and publishing – as well as a variety of roles. You do not need to have studied a creative degree to work in the creative industries!

To support students considering a career in these areas, Creative Access are running two online events in May and June that are exclusively available to Kent students. Book your place now using the links below:

Join Creative Access and a music professional for this online group training session via Zoom. You will get step–by–step guidance on standing out in the application process, a chance to hear from a music industry professional, and tips to kick-start your creative career!

Join this online group consultation with Creative Access to learn how to celebrate your skills and experiences in your CV and cover letter, making for an outstanding application!

Note: These events are aimed at students from backgrounds that are typically under-represented in the creative industries. This may relate to ethnicity, socio-economic background, and/or disability (including self-identified mental health conditions), or those facing significant barriers to employment. If you have any questions about eligibility, please contact careerhelp@kent.ac.uk.

We hope to see you there!

A Marathon of Reading – call for enthusiastic readers to perform their work

In association with Kent Review and The School of English Literary Festival, 14 June 15.00-17.00. Open to students, staff and the general public. 

Calling all writers, poets, literary enthusiasts, wordsmiths, and those of you yet to make up your minds!

To mark the production of its fourth edition, the Kent Review is hosting a fund-raising Marathon of Reading as part of the upcoming School of English Literary Festival. We’re looking for enthusiastic readers to perform their work as part of a continuous flow, linking each participant to those who went before and those to come after. The theme of this event is ‘Bridges and Journeys’.

Required: poetry, prose, and any other spoken word forms to be performed in 5-7 minute slots. Your piece can be new work written for the occasion, or previous writing edited to fit the brief (more details below).

The Literary Festival is a programme of events by the School of English on June 13- 14 June, offering workshops, speakers, taster sessions, discussions and much more. The Marathon will take place 15.00-17.00, on 13 June at the Gulbenkian café stage. The event will be both live-streamed and recorded. Being part of the festival is a great opportunity for your work to be heard by broader audiences – both as your own and as part of the collective project.

Please get in touch to express interest with a short proposal of what you’d like to read. As this is a collaborative event, participants will then be given two specific words with which to begin and end their pieces; serving as a bridge between each reader. Going forward, we would also like a copy of each piece performed to create a display of work that will remain in the School of English for posterity.

Note: as this is a fundraiser, participants would be expected to make a donation (recommended: £5) to the Kent Review Fund – but you do not need to be included in the Review to take part in this event.

The Kent Review is an industry-standard anthology of MA and PhD creative writing from the University of Kent, published every other year. As in previous years, volume IV aims to showcase the very best writers Kent has to offer; to maintain the publication’s high standards, this fundraiser is in aid of printing costs.

Send thoughts on proposed reading, questions or concerns to the Kent Review team at e.dee@kent.ac.uk, or sep37@kent.ac.uk.

Looking forward to hearing from you!

Advice and support for PhD students from other academics

Our academic staff reflect on their experiences as PhD students.

A guest blog by the team at Togetherall.

Togetherall is an anonymous online peer-support community, managed by clinical professionals 24/7 and is free to all students and staff at the University of Kent, including PGR students who can register online.

At Togetherall we know how powerful sharing experiences and peer support can be, so we asked academic staff at Kent to reflect on their own PhD journey and what they wish they knew back then. Read the advice from others who have been in your shoes.

“Am I doing something worthwhile here?”

One staff member felt this a lot throughout their PhD journey. When your research feels like it’s going sideways, it’s easy to second-guess yourself.

If you’ve ever felt lost or lacking direction, try some of these tips from fellow academics below.

  1. When motivation wanes, remind yourself of why you are doing this work. Each day is getting you closer to your goal.
  2. Do active, useful, vaguely PhD-related things, like volunteering and activism linked to your research topic. A grounding in the ‘real world’ will help you to stay sane and keep you joyful about your work.
  3. Every day, write down 5 things (no matter how small) you have achieved. Focus on those, rather than on the list of things to do.

Your PhD “does not define who you are.”

While it may not feel like it at times, your work does not define you. It’s one facet of your identity, but there are so many aspects and layers to who you are as a person and the uniqueness you bring to the world.

One professor stated they had to remind themselves constantly that, “your PhD is not your life.” It is a part of who you are, but it’s not who you are.

Getting perspective can be really difficult, but if we can find interesting activities that allow us to be at the edge of our comfort zones, we can feel better and more grounded.

If you feel like you’re in need of a fresh cup of perspective, try some of these tips from your professors.

  1. Remember that you can have a good life outside of academia. Your self-worth does not depend on being valued by this group of people for doing these things.
  2. Have a life outside the PhD, and outside academia. Academia is too precarious for all your energy to be put into it. You need other things to turn to when you get a paper rejected, or progress is slower than you would like.
  3. Success in academia is not a measure of merit. Being good helps, but it doesn’t guarantee anything. Stop measuring yourself against career success.

Academia is “famously bad” at “setting boundaries between work time and rest time.”

It can be really hard to prioritise yourself over your work in academia. Your journey may be filled with unique opportunities, pressure, and excitement, which can make it hard to tear yourself away from your work.

Feel like you need help prioritising rest? Check out what these academics said below on the importance of resting and what it can look like.

  1. Prioritise rest as rest will enable your brain to work better, make you more productive, give you perspective.
  2. Expect to have bad days where you don’t achieve much but don’t push on a bad day – take a break instead.
  3. Go home, hang out with some friends, call your loved ones, and book a holiday!
  4. Invest in yourself with nutritious food, exercise and rest.

“Don’t try to solve your problems on your own.”

Getting your PhD can be a lonely experience at times, which can contribute to self-doubt and burnout. Professors said they wish they would have laughed more and shared their frustrations with friends to help them through it.

If you feel like you’ve been isolating yourself, check out these tips and reminders from academics who have been there before:

  1. Find friends and people you can share your frustrations with. Doing your PhD in isolation is the absolute worst.
  2. Find your tribe of fellow postgrads, and if all else fails have a get together and give yourselves a limited amount of time for a good old moan!
  3. Reach out to others. They may need you. You may need them.

"When motivation wanes, remind yourself of why you are doing this work. Each day is getting you closer to the goal"

“It’s ok to feel lost and lonely.”

It can sometimes feel like everyone else is in control of their life and finding things easy, but this is rarely the case.

If you take the time to share with others, you’ll see that everyone struggles with something. Their struggles may be different than yours, but everyone has challenges.

If you remember one piece of advice from a professor reflecting on their PhD journey let it be this:

“When you conduct your research, it is OK to feel lost and lonely. All of us did, we just tell you after we graduate. Because while we were doing the PhD, we were ashamed to admit it. I realize now that I should have spoken up and there was not shame in what I was feeling. It was normal and there was help out there. I just needed to ask.”

You’re not alone. There are a range of support services available at Kent.

You also have FREE access to the Togetherall community where you can anonymously share your story and get and give support to others who understand what you’re going through.

The Togetherall community is managed by clinical professionals 24/7 and access is immediate – there are no waiting lists. Find out more about the Togetherall community.

Post it notes saying "journey map" and "apply"

How to find summer work experience

Are you looking to expand your experience and skills during the summer vacation? Perhaps make new contacts and build your CV, LinkedIn or any other profile?

Taking on some unsalaried opportunities can give you the flexibility to try a variety of new experiences that fit round your other interests or commitments. If you are taking on any unpaid opportunities the work and opportunities fund could help you to meet any costs associated with this.

  1. What do you want to achieve or experience?
  • Reflect on strengths and experiences so far; consider what is missing or what you would like to experience more of.
  • Identify skills and experiences that fit with your career or personal development plans.
  1. Find out what is available
  • Online work experiences and internships are often short and workable in your own time. Schemes are available and are a great way to make connections and develop sector awareness.
  • Volunteering could be directly related to your programme of study, career goals or something completely different. It could be ongoing or as part of a one off event, at home or abroad.
  • Company Insight days and events are available throughout the year are often online. Attending them shows your motivation and can help you make career decisions.
  • Work shadow or short work experience. – an opportunity to observe and develop your understanding of a role, grow your network and commercial awareness and identify your career goals. You will likely need to arrange this opportunity yourself.
  • Self-directed projects. You could try entering competitions; Search social media, using hashtag to find opportunities. You could set yourself a research project, develop a design, product or business idea.
  • Search for opportunities on the Target connect portal.
  1. Decide on the opportunity you want and apply
  • Check company websites and social media. Find details of key contacts and check for any application or registration deadlines.
  • Check the application methods. Some may have structured application processes others may be undefined, requiring you to make a speculative approach.
  • What tools do you need? CV, cover letter/ email. Include evidence of motivation for the opportunity and prior experience in your application.
  • Ask the Careers and Employability Service for support to develop your CV or help with your application.
  • Remember to log your activities for Employability Points and update your CV and LinkedIn profile with your experiences, new learning and skills!

Good luck with your summer experiences!

Woman dressed smartly on phone with laptop

How to find a summer job

The summer vacation provides an ideal opportunity for students to secure paid work experience and to develop valuable employability skills. Read on to find out more about the types of work available, the top things to consider when searching for summer jobs, and how to apply.

Step one: Know your options

One of the first things to research when looking for a summer job is what opportunities are available. Examples include:

Step two: Identify your preferences

Considering your own requirements in advance will allow you to search more efficiently for relevant opportunities and can narrow down the vacancies to apply to. Some points to consider are:

  • Location
  • Transport links
  • Sector
  • Duties and skills involved
  • Hours and flexibility
  • Wage and overtime options

Step three: Search for opportunities

A good starting point for your search is the Careers and Employability Service website, which contains links to online jobs boards, organised by sector.

Other useful websites include:

You might also find it useful to check in shop windows for vacancies, or adopt a speculative approach. This involves contacting an employer directly (usually providing your CV and a cover letter), even if they do not have any advertised vacancies.

Step four: Apply!

Check the job advertisement for instructions on how to apply. This can vary depending on the role and organisation. Generally, the application process may involve:

Remember: the Careers and Employability Service can support you with applying! Book a 15-minute Quick Advice appointment to have your CV, cover letter or application answers reviewed by an Adviser, or book a 30-minute Interview Practice slot.

And that’s it! Four simple steps to give yourself the best possible chance of securing a summer job.

Good luck!

 

Hannah and Jireh

Kent Stars: Diversity Champions Hannah and Jireh

This month’s Kent Stars are Global Officers Hannah and Jireh. As part of the Global Officers Leadership Development (GOLD) programme, they have been involved in a wide range of activities including the organisation of WorldFest, our annual celebration of cultural diversity at Kent. Hear from our Diversity Champions Hannah and Jireh:

Hannah – My name is Hannah Kirabo, and I am studying Law. I am an international student originally from Uganda and Eritrea, but I live in Eswatini. My main interests include going out to eat and working creatively. I also like to read, take pictures, and spend time with friends and family.

Jireh – Hello! I am Jireh Akandwanaho, a final year Law with French student and an international student from Uganda. Moving to the UK sparked my interest in diversity, especially in cultures and languages. Some fun facts about me are that I am the last born out of seven, I speak five languages and I love Jesus.

Tell us about the Global Officers Leadership Development Programme and your involvement with WorldFest

Hannah – The Global Officers Leadership Development Programme is a programme run by the International Programmes department of the University. It comprises of a series of workshops on cultural intelligence, leadership skills, planning and effectively executing tasks. The bulk of the programme comes from involvement in various activities including Global Hangouts, Campus Tours, Orientation Activities and WorldFest, and I have had the pleasure of taking part in all of these. Leading up to WorldFest I was involved in the marketing and communications, launch video and world quiz. I edited the launch videos that went up on the Global Officers’ Instagram and the University’s instagram story. I took part in the planning of the world quiz – formulating questions, setting up the quiz and running it as an in-person Global Hangout. I also attended the weekly planning meetings for feedback. I thoroughly enjoyed being part of such a successful celebration of cultural diversity!

Jireh – I applied for the GOLD programme because I was interested in working with the Dean of Internationalisation and wanted to support and contribute to making the University a more conducive environment for the international community. My experience as a Global Officer has been so enriching to my cultural intelligence and has developed my leadership skills through various activities for example participating in Worldfest. We were given opportunities to put forward ideas and organise various events for Worldfest as well as handling the marketing aspects. I was part of the marketing team where I got to write a newspaper article about Worldfest in the student newspaper, as I have always wanted to do, and I also made a virtual tour video of my beloved country, Uganda. It was such an incredible experience, thanks to the creative freedom and support we were given by the university to implement and plan our ideas.

What advice would you give to other students?

Hannah – Try new things. The worst-case scenario likely will not happen and, you will be glad you tried.  You meet many interesting people through getting involved and it is a great way to put yourself out there, make friends and discover who you are and what you may be interested in.

Jireh – I would advise students to get out of their shells and get involved in the various activities available to them during their stay at university. Not only do these activities increase their skill set but are also opportunities to network and meet new people. Plus, they are usually fun too.

What are your plans for the next year?

Hannah – I hope to get more involved in the Kent Student Law Society, focus on my studies and look into placements and internships for the vacation period both here and at home. I also plan to continue to try new things and explore more of Canterbury and England at large.

Jireh – My plans after I finish Kent is to go on to take a year out doing some legal internships or graduate roles as I also utilise my creative skills to create various sources of income for myself. Then, I would like to do a Masters and qualify as a solicitor.

Applications for the 2022/23 Global Officers Leadership Development (GOLD) programme will open in July 2022.

Learn more about the Kent Stars campaign.

Life after uni week

Events roundup: 16-22 May

Here’s a roundup of this week’s top events:

Summer Term: Gulbenkian Summer Festival

Throughout the Summer Term, you can get involved in the Gulbenkian Summer Festival at the Canterbury campus. Enjoy live music, outdoor cinema and a pop-up food stall with a different theme each week. Take some time away from your studies to wind down, spend time with friends, and have fun.

All week: Life After Uni Week

This week is Life After Uni Week at Kent, a week of online talks and workshops to help you prepare for graduation and beyond.

Monday: Get prepared for the world of work

Life After Uni Week kicks off with a range of events on Monday, from a session on CVs, cover letters and application forms to making yourself impossible to ignore in the jobs market.

Plus find out why you might want a job in the creative industries, the fastest growing sector in the UK. and jobs in the creative industries. These sessions are taking place online and are open to all students.

Wednesday: Time to de-stress

Take some time to relax with this Exam Calm breathing online session 13.00-13.30 with Kent counsellor and mindfulness teacher Lorraine.

Or if you want something more physically active, join this community bike ride on campus with other students and College Life Officer Tom (who also happens to be a professional Mountain Bike Coach!)

Medway students can also destress with a free 15 minute relaxation massage between 11.00-15.00 at the Drill Hall Library.

Thursday: Revision techniques, goal setting and outdoor cinema

Brush up on your exam techniques with this 15 minute online bitesize session from our Student Learning Advisory Service.

Whether you love goal setting or have given up on it, consider joining this Study Plus Goal Setting and Goal Achieving interactive workshop, 14.00-15.30. Learn more about the benefits of goal setting and common pitfalls.

As part of Gulbenkian’s Summer Festival you can watch American Horror ‘Get Out’ on the big screen in the open air. Take a seat on the hay bales at 21.00 on the Gulbenkian Lawn.

Friday: Stress management workshops

Looking for ways to manage stress better? Why not try a Journaling Tools workshop to help manage time, efficiency and wellbeing, 11.00-12.30 online.

Or if you’re got a lot on at the moment, try this Stress workshop: how to manage it well when you are busy or have a heavy workload, 14.00-15.30 online.

Saturday: Lawn games and Post Office Horizon System event

Take a break from studies and join your College Residential Life Assistants for some light-hearted fun with lawn games in Darwin Rose Garden, 12.00-16.00 on Saturday afternoon.

Learn more about one of the largest miscarriages of justice with this Post Office Horizon System event at the Gulbenkian. The event will be joined by ex-sub-postmasters and mistresses who were wrongfully convicted for theft and false accounting, legal and IT experts, and investigative journalists. Join us 13.30-17.30 to hear stories, panel discussions and a Q&A session.

Browse all student events.

Students at bushcraft event

Building resilience through communities at Kent

Connecting with others with similar interests and outlooks on life can help us manage the difficulties that everyday life can throw at us.

Despite the warming weather, Spring can also mean stress over exams, deadlines, and applications for summer employment or graduate employment, making it sometimes feel overwhelming and draining on our psychological coping resources.

Here are some suggestions on activities and initiatives that can help you find ‘your tribe’ and enjoy the wellbeing benefits of surrounding yourself with support from like-minded others.

College and community life at Kent

The College and Community Life (CCL) Team is dedicated to assisting you in connecting to other students within and across the eight university colleges. For example, you could join a Mindfulness Walk exploring Darwin, Rutherford and Eliot Colleges or  play lawn games at Darwin Rose Gardens with other students.

The CCL team regularly organises events open to all students, providing exciting opportunities to make new friends and connections. Past events have ranged from Harry Potter quizzes to bush craft workshops, so you are bound to find events that connect you with others who share your interests. To find out more about events happening on our campuses, you can follow CCL on social media or check out the CCL events calendar for more information on other social opportunities like the regular Dolche Vita breakfast club or Rutherford Lunch Club.

Kent Community Oasis Garden (KentCOG) 

The KentCOG provides you with a platform to de-stress and volunteer with other students immersed in beautiful nature, right next to the Canterbury campus. By taking care of the beautiful garden and engaging in regular sustainability activities, you can participate in various de-stressing activities with other students interested in sustainability and gardening. In May, the garden will host exciting events such as a house plant swap and a walk where you can identify different species of bumblebees with other students, check out the KentCOG calendar for more details.

Sports teams 

If sports get you going, you may wish to consider giving one of the University’s numerous sports clubs a go. These teams are only open for Kent students and allow you to team up with other students, develop new skills in a friendly environment, and broaden your network across multiple disciplines. The University also holds specific competitive sports teams, which allows you to team up to represent your university with others. So, whether you are a more experienced team sport player or have always wanted to give a team sport a go, take the opportunity while you’re at uni to get some exercise, meet new people and have fun!

Kent Sport

The ALL Active Programme is open to all students and offers a variety of weekly activity sessions. First years and students living on campus can access the sessions for FREE as part of their Kent Sport inclusive membership, otherwise the sessions are £2 per session with a Kent Sport pay to play membership (no set up fee required).

Prefer to walk, run or cycle around our picturesque Canterbury Campus at your leisure? Check out these marked out 1 mile, 2km, 3km campus routes, or grab a map from outside the Sports Centre and next to the Law School building opposite the Library lawn. If you’re on or near the Medway campus, check out Medway council’s Get active pages, including led health walks and cycle rides.

Give it A Go is a programme of FREE active and create sessions being delivered in partnership with Kent Sport and Kent Union throughout the summer term, providing a variety of activities for students to try out, meet new people and develop your skills – these could be craft sessions, sports, trips off campus and much more! At Medway? There is a  Give It A Go Programme at The Hub Medway too!

Student groups

The numerous student groups of Kent can be a great way to find your community and expand your network. The groups are formed by the students, brought together by similar interests, hobbies, or calling towards a particular cause. In fact, there are over 250 student clubs to choose from, with more added each year. In addition, many societies continue to organise events and socials even at the end of the academic year, so it is not too late to take part and join the fun!

Mental health support

We have several peer support groups where you can connect with like minded students who may have shared experiences, check out our Student Support and Wellbeing calendar for what’s on online and on campus.

If you’d like to know more about how we can support you with mental health, disabilities and long term health conditions, specific learning difficulties and autism, take a look at the Student Support and Wellbeing webpage. If you feel you need urgent mental health support please take a look at the Emergency Support page. Have you used Student Support services this academic year? If you want to comment on your experience or give suggestions for the development of support at Kent, please take a quick online survey to share your feedback and ideas.

Written by Antti Lattula, third year student, on 01.05.22

Check out further articles on Support and Wellbeing, College Life and Community Life.