The National Student Survey (NSS) is now open for final year undergraduate students at Kent.

To say thanks for your feedback, when you complete the NSS you will be entered into a prize draw to win 1 of 25 cash prizes up to the value of £150!

The NSS is your chance to have your say on what you liked or didn’t like about studying at Kent.

Find out more and take the NSS

The NSS: what you need to know

🏆 There are 25 cash prizes up to the value of £150 to be won!

📣The University and Kent Students’ Union value your feedback and the NSS is one of the most powerful ways to have your say. See the Your Uni Your Say webpages for ways we have acted on your feedback.

📧Ipsos emailed you on Thursday 30 January and will continue to email, text and call you until you complete it.

🔒The survey is completely anonymous and confidential. It is run by Ipsos, an independent research agency.

🎓 The NSS is mainly open to final year undergraduates.

🕕The survey takes about 10 minutes to complete. However, please take the time to consider your answers and reflect on your whole experience at Kent.

Here at Kent, our ambition is to elevate your future and support your passion to progress. Whether you’re looking to advance your skills, explore new subjects, or stay on in your societies, we’ll help you reach your full potential.  

If you’re a final year undergrad considering your next step towards postgrad study, you can discover more about our postgraduate opportunities below, including: 

• Flexible study options to suit your lifestyle – full time, part time, short courses or conversion courses for those looking for a different route altogether. 

• Funding and scholarships of up to £5,000 available – making your ambitions accessible. 

• Postgraduate Open Events and more – explore on-campus events and learn more about postgraduate life at Kent.  

• Extensive employment opportunities to get career ready – including work placements, career support, networking and 1-2-1 coaching. 

Find out more about the benefits of staying at Kent. Hear from students who decided to stay on for a Master’s at Kent and sign up to register for updates on our website. 

You’ve got what it takes. Take the next step.  

Considering staying on for a Master’s after graduation?

Did you know there are lots of benefits for Kent students who decide to progress to postgrad study at Kent?

Find out more about scholarships, funding, information events and further opportunities at our Postgraduate Open Event on 20 November in Sibson Building. Let us help you reach your full potential.

You’ve got what it takes. Take the next step.

This event is for potential postgraduate students and their supporters.

Do you or your society want to run a multicultural event that will foster community building in the University?

The Cultural Events Fund is now open for applications for student-led events!

If you have an idea for a cultural event, or want to develop your leadership and planning skills, why not turn your event into a reality?

Funded by Global and Lifelong Learning, the Fund offers University of Kent students the chance to apply for a financial award of up to £200 to help run a multicultural event.

Previous events supported by the fund include the Kent Students’ Union Cultural Showcase, Cultural Food Festival, Diwali, Lunar New Year, Thanksgiving, Kent African Summit, Newroz, Holi, an African Evening Gala, a Discover Islam event, a Japanese Cultural Festival and a Thai Festival.

Your event can be anything you like, as long as it aims to benefit as wide a part of the University community as possible.

To apply, simply visit the Cultural Events Fund website to complete the online application form. You’ll need to explain in the form how the event or activity will foster multicultural learning and community building within the University, as well as how you plan to measure the success of the event.

Once we receive your completed application, we will aim to get back to you within a week to let you know if you have been successful. If you have any questions, you can email DeanGlobalLifeLong@kent.ac.uk, including the subject line ‘Cultural Events Fund’.

All students enrolled at the University are eligible, but applications must be submitted at least six weeks in advance of the event; the fund cannot reimburse events that have already taken place.

Why not apply to the Fund and turn your event idea into a reality? Visit the Cultural Events Fund page for further details.

Two alumni entrepreneurs shared the highs and lows of founding their own businesses at the launch of the Business Start-Up Journey 2024 in Canterbury. 

Speaking to a lecture theatre packed with students, Alex Ford, founder of fintech company Claro Wealth, and Nadia Simpson, founder of From Amora, a social media-based fragrance and beauty brand talked candidly about their entrepreneurial journeys. 

Nadia Simpson, KBS alumna, shared valuable insights on running a successful e-commerce business with an impressive social media presence. 

She said:  

“I started my hair and wellness brand at the University of Kent in 2018, during my first year. It began as an idea to create natural hair care products that didn’t contain the toxins often found in commercial products. 

Since then, I’ve started other businesses, but currently, I’m focusing on From Amora, which specialises in creating cruelty-free and alcohol-free perfume oils. My future plan is to merge my two businesses. 

The advice I give to everyone is to never give up! Consistency is your best friend. You may not see results at first, and you may fail initially, but it’s up to you to get up and stay consistent!” 

Alumni speakers Alex Ford and Nadia Simpson.

Alex, who studied computing and business at University of Kent, said: 

“It was incredibly hard to get the business off the ground. We were challenging the traditional financial advice industry. As a start-up should, we were on a mission to disrupt the market. It meant long days, weeks, and months, with many pivots and changes, all in the hope that it would pay off in the end. 

The best part of running your own business is working with amazing people on a project you’re passionate about. These people share the mission and are driven to achieve it, something you don’t always experience in a job. 

My advice to aspiring entrepreneurs: just go for it! I didn’t start my entrepreneurial journey straight out of uni, and I wish I had.” 

After the keynote speeches, the audience quizzed the alumni founders touching on everything from the risks of starting up a business, to funding and finance. Afterwards there was the chance to network. 

The event marked the start of the University’s flagship entrepreneurship support programme, the 15-week Business Start-Up Journey, which is run by the ASPIRE team. 

Offering a step-by-step guide to starting a business, it inspires students with the knowledge and skills required to become successful entrepreneurs through interactive workshops and classes, delivered by ASPIRE’s entrepreneurs-in-residence and external experts.  

The programme concludes with a pitching competition, where participants can win £1,000 in funding. 

To join the Business Start-Up Journey or find out more about ASPIRE and how we support entrepreneurs and start-up, email ASPIRE@kent.ac.uk. 

What is EmpFest?

EmpFest is a two-week Employability Festival run by your Careers and Employability Service. There will be a programme full of presentations, workshops, guest speakers and opportunities to meet with industry experts.

Who is EmpFest for?

EmpFest is open to all Kent students at all stages of their degree. Whether you are in year 1, 2, 3 or you are postgrad student, there is something for everyone. Explore career sectors that interest you, meet employers, say hello to your Careers and Employability team and discover opportunities to enhance your career prospects.

While the majority of events will take place on the main campus at Canterbury, there will also be some events in person at the Medway campus (which will be clearly indicated on the programme) and, of course, online events. You can catch the Campus Shuttle to travel between Medway and Canterbury campus for free.

What events should I join?

There’s a huge range of events you can join including Employer in the Foyer, skills development workshops, panel events, networking events and the Autumn Careers Fair.

You can gain at least 10 Employability Points by attending all events organised by the Careers and Employability Service. Find out what EP points are and how you can use them to gain employability opportunities!

Browse all EmpFest events.

What is the Autumn Careers Fair?

Our Autumn Careers Fair also takes place within EmpFest and is an amazing opportunity to meet with a wide range of employers and organisations. Taking place on Thursday 17 October 10:00-15:00 in Colyer-Fergusson, the Careers Fair is a chance to scout out work experience, placement and internship opportunities, as well as a graduate career opportunities.

Find out more about EmpFest 2024.

The Careers and Employability Service are running the ‘Destination Success Bootcamp‘. This is an exciting, 3-day intensive training programme with the purpose of helping you map out your journey to success and build confidence in your abilities. This programme is suitable to those across all years, including recent graduates.

This programme will be delivered face to face on the Canterbury Campus (Friday 8 November 12L00-16:00, Saturday 9 November 10:00-16:00 and Sunday 10 November 10:00- 16:00).

The programme will focus on:

• Understanding you – This module aids self-reflection so you can better understand how you work, this will include completing a personality profile, exploring your personal values, your strengths and development areas, imposter syndrome and the power of positivity, finishing with looking at what you want to get out of life.
• Navigating you – This module with focus on how to nurture and build good relationships, focusing on team dynamics, exploring learning styles and rules of teamwork, having challenging conversations and how to communicate in the workplace.
• Universal Life Hacks – This final module will give you a toolbox of ideas to hit the ground running, including decision making, planning, prioritising and delegating, mapping your skills and looking at whether you would employ yourself.

Find out more and book your place.

If you have any queries, please email studyplus@kent.ac.uk