Did you come to Kent via Clearing? Would you like to share your story with others?
The University is putting together short films of Clearing students to help others in the same position this summer. All filming we be carried out remotely.
Complete the quick sign up form to get involved.
This week sees the launch of the KentVision portal and events to support your next steps including the Year In programme, postgraduate study, and your future career.
Kent Vision launch
The new KentVision student portal will now launch later this week. Learn about the new system and watch the video for tips on how to get the most from Kent Vision.
Events for you to try this week:
Have you read this?
Keep an eye on:
Let us know what you think of these updates by emailing communications@kent.ac.uk
The Careers Team are still here to help you with career support and advice over the Easter break.
As well as career-focussed events for you to attend online, you can also book in for Quick Advice sessions which are 15 minutes and can cover CV, applications, cover letters, your LinkedIn profile or job-hunting advice.
If you need longer, you can book an appointment with a Careers Advisor to get more in-depth advice about your career.
Are you in your final year and thinking about your next steps? Have you considered completing a year learning a new subject? This is an initiative where students can broaden their degree experience by adding an additional year but in a different subject. You could obtain skills and experience in Computing, Data Analytics, a Language or Journalism.
Your additional year can be taken between stage 2 and 3, or after you have completed stage 3. The programme will be added to your degree title, letting employers know about your increased employability.
This is a real opportunity to learn about a completely different area and gain some industry skills, which employers value. The deadline for finalist students to apply for the Year In programme starting in September 2021, is Sunday 9 May, so get your application in soon!
For more information about Year In, please visit the website.
Most of us are spending more time online than usual during the pandemic. Scammers are taking advantage of this.
The pandemic also provides scammers with opportunities to exploit our desire to protect ourselves and those around us, for example by selling counterfeit face masks or hand sanitisers.
Tips to avoid being scammed
1.Only purchase goods and services from legitimate retailers and take a moment to think before parting with money or personal information.
2.Learn how to spot a fake email. Some red flags are if an email is about an order you didn’t make or if it’s asking for money or vouchers, even if it is from someone you know. Their account may have been hijacked.
3.Do not assume everyone is genuine. It is OK to reject, refuse or ignore requests. Only criminals will try to rush or panic you. We have recently been made aware of scam phone calls to Kent students. The scammers pretend to be the Crown Prosecution Service, informing residents they have around £1000 in income tax debts. This is a scam and any official documents of owed money from HRMC or Government body would be sent in letter directly to you and would not be handled by phone.
4.Don’t fall for quick cash schemes. If it sounds too good to be true it probably is! These are often scams and can be examples of money laundering. If someone offers you money for transferring money between bank accounts, you could become a money mule which is a criminal offence.
5.Be suspicious of requests for money up front. If someone claims to represent a charity, ask them for ID. If someone attempts to pressurise you into accepting a service they are unlikely to be genuine. Check with your family and friends before accepting offers of help if you are unsure.
Think you might have been scammed?
If you think you have been scammed, contact your bank. You can also contact Citizens Advice Consumer Helpline on 0808 223 1133, or you can report a scam by calling Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040.
From Professor Richard Reece | Deputy Vice-Chancellor Education and Student Experience
Earlier this week, the Government announced further details on when and how students will be permitted to return to face-to-face teaching at universities across England, and indicated that this would be no earlier than 17 May 2021.
This is disappointing news for many and we share your frustration that we have not been able to welcome everyone back to our campuses sooner. As we move towards the exam term at Kent, we will continue to do everything we can to support you wherever you are based. We are firmly focused on helping you achieve the best possible outcome in your online exams from 10 May onwards, with more information on how we will support you in this on our Student Guide.
The Government also confirmed that additional hardship funds will be made available to support students most in need given the continued restrictions – we are awaiting further details on what this means for us at Kent and will share more information as soon as possible.
Come together for Kent Summer
We are determined to give you all a chance to come together and end the year on a high when lockdown does finally ease. We will shortly share joint plans with our Students’ Unions for a fun-packed programme throughout the summer, with street food from around the world, outdoor screenings and live performances leading up to a two-week celebration at the end of June once exams are over. I hope as many of you as possible can take the chance to catch up with each other in person while making the most of everything our wonderful campuses have to offer.
Enjoy the Easter break, and thank you all again for the fantastic way you have all continued to engage with your studies and wider university life this year.
With best wishes,
Richard
Professor Richard Reece | Deputy Vice-Chancellor Education and Student Experience
ZIn your final year? If you’re considering postgraduate study at Kent, check out these Instagram lives (@UniKentLive) coming up:
The Instagram Lives will be available to watch after on our Instagram.
Postgraduate study talk
Join Professor Paul Allain, Dean of the Graduate and Researcher College, Dr Tim Hopthrow, Deputy Dean of the Graduate and Researcher College and Stephen McLaughlin, Postgraduate Funding Officer for a Postgraduate Study at Kent presentation and Q&A session. Takes place online, Wednesday 21 April 12.00-13.00.
Come and ask questions about postgraduate study at Kent and find out what funding options there are for Master’s and PhD study.
Exclusive funding for Kent students
Kent has over 100 awards for students with a First or 2.1 degree undertaking postgraduate study at our locations in the UK and Europe including new scholarships exclusive to Kent Finalists:
Learn more about our postgrad offer at Kent by checking out our #StayOn #StandOut webpage.
This week we will see the further relaxation of coronavirus restrictions, you can learn how to ace virtual job interviews, and check out our Exam Calm webpages.
Using the library or on campus during the break? Book your Covid-19 test now
Getting tested for Covid-19 couldn’t be easier with testing centres on campus. We are also giving you a free hot drink at Canterbury to say thanks.
For those observing Ramadan, the British Islamic Medical Association has published advice on testing during the fast.
Book your asymptomatic Covid-19 test now
Events for you to try this week:
Have you read this?
Keep an eye on:
Let us know what you think of these updates by emailing communications@kent.ac.uk
With exams fast approaching, many students are worried about revision. To help, we’ve gathered some tips from current students on how to revise!
Sarah Johns (fourth year, Accounting and Finance) – “I work in small, timed chunks (like working for half an hour and then taking a break, rather than aiming to write a certain number of words). If it gets to the end and you’re on a roll then keep going, but if not, take a break and come back to it. Keep your phone out of reach and on silent, and keep a physical to do list so that you can properly cross tasks off when they’re done. Remember that doing something is better than doing nothing – so event just 10 minutes of work is great!”
Sophie Miszori (first year, Psychology) – “I like to use the lecture slides to create questions which I use to quiz myself before tests or exams. I just find it more engaging than simply re-reading my notes.”
Connie Burt (third year, Biological Anthropology) – “Set yourself small, manageable goals rather than large, overwhelming ones – this will motivate you to work as you feel like you’re really making progress! Have a five minute ‘organisation time’ before you sit down to start revising. Use that time to make sure you have all the materials you need. This will make you less likely to need to interrupt your revision to get up and find something!”
Nisal Perera (third year, Business and Management) – “My top revision tip is to sit in a comfortable place where you will be able to work without distraction. I also put my phone away so that I’m not distracted.”
Ellie House (second year, Law) – “I like to use the app Quizlet! I spend some time making flashcards on there, and then use the quiz options to test myself. It’s especially useful for definitions or statistics, and I use it to memorise a lot of key cases and the important points to take from them. I also write out flashcards on paper with more lengthy information so that I can carry these around and use them whenever I have time for a quick content catch-up.”
James Hulme (second year, Biomedical Engineering) – “I try to split work into 20/30-minute blocks with short breaks in between. Paraphrasing what you learn in class into clear notes and listing what you want to do that day can also help.”
Thelakshe Vigneswaran (third year, Business and Management) – “To make sure I don’t get distracted I like to film a time-lapse of myself working. This stops me from using my phone so often and getting distracted!”
Yassin Pentoo (third year, Business and Management) – “I recommend listening to music as it helps me to stay motivated and to focus on my work.”
Gemma Overy (second year, Psychology) – “I like to make PowerPoint slides with my lecture notes. I’ll have a box with the main points of that particular subtopic, then a separate box down the side where I write the key terms and definitions. At the end of a section of slides I will have a slide where I write questions for myself to answer at a later date. Then, when I come to do my revision, I can print out the slides and annotate them.”
Bhakti Patel (third year, Social Science) – “I create mind maps for each topic and stick them all around my noticeboard so that I can see and recite them.”
Hope Turner (second year, Law) – “The first thing you are going to want to do is consolidate the notes you already have on the subject. A good place to start is with lecture notes. These should contain the basis of what you are revising and get you working in the right direction! From here you want to add to your consolidated lecture notes. These can be from seminar/workshop notes but also from textbooks or any other resources you have on the subject. Next you want to go over your notes and colour code/highlight the important bits such as cases or terminology.”
Shehaad Alighan (second year, Computing with a year in industry) – “I go through lecture slides and make my notes. I then make flashcards and go through them every day until I have memorised them.”
Alina Sajish (fourth year, Accounting and Management with a year in industry) – “I use the pomodoro technique where I work in 25-minute intervals in order to increase my productivity.”
Lauren Whitfield (second year, Marketing) – “I use the app ‘Forest’ which is really useful for revising. It prevents me from procrastinating and going on my phone. The purpose of it is that it grows trees the entire time that you are away from your phone, however, if you go on it and close the app the tree dies.”
Key resources for online exams
“I’m Thelakshe, a final year Business and Management student at the Medway campus. Being a final year student during the Covid-19 pandemic can be quite difficult to manage. You will be going through a range of emotions during this year, from being scared, anxious, uncertain to excited and relieved.
Here I share to you my top five reasons to stay positive about graduating this year. I hope this shares more positivity for this year and helps keep you motivated.
1. About to complete another hurdle successfully
You may have found this year challenging and difficult, however just remember that you are very close to completing your degree successfully where all your hard work will be all worth it. You have come a long way with this degree and have done absolutely amazing during a global pandemic, so carry on working positively and this year will be another success!
2. New career or job opportunities
Upon finishing your degrees, there are many career and job opportunities available for you to enter. There are many things that the University can help out with too, especially in choosing your careers and job hunting. You may even consider going onto completing a Master’s, PhD or finding degree-related jobs. The University has a specific website for final year students to help make your next steps.
3. Support services available at Kent
There are many support services available here at Kent. The University’s Careers Team offer great support ranging from careers guidance, interview practices, study plus schemes and many more. You can access the Careers and Employability Service for up to three years after you graduate. Check out the Careers and Employability page for more information.
4. A wonderful summer to look forward to
With restrictions slowly easing, this summer is definitely one to look forward to. Whether you decide to travel within the UK or try out new things, a well relaxed summer is waiting ahead for you. Make yourselves relaxed this summer by treating yourself to a chilled summer. Let’s hope the weather is also staying positive for us. The University is also organising a series of summer events for you to join on campus when coronavirus restrictions ease – so watch this space!
5. Moving onto a new and exciting chapter of your life
Joining University has been a new chapter of our lives which is nearly accomplished. The exciting thing is that you will be moving into another new chapter of your life. This can be exciting and tense but imagine it as the new opportunities approaching.
The main message I wanted to convey is to keep being positive despite the circumstances we are in. Please remember the University is here to support you all the time.”