As you approach the end of your final year, we are here in Templeman Library to support you through the next few months.

Help with your assignments

You can get 1-2-1 help from your Liaison Librarian on resources for your final assignments and dissertations, plus referencing advice.

Online support is available on our Library Research Skills Moodle page, including finding material for your research and managing your references.

Exam-time study support

During exam time, you’ll find additional study spaces and silent study areas plus bookable individual study rooms in the Templeman Library. Study in the way you want to by choosing a study space to suit you. The Templeman Library is open 24/7 until mid June and the Drill Hall Library is open 24 hours, five days per week (09:00 – 00:00 weekends) from 24 April until mid -June!

Study and work smarter! Check out some of the great tools we recommend, to help you manage your time, take notes and stay focused plus more.

Look after yourself

Browse our Wellbeing and Self-Help reading list or check out the accompanying book displays in the Library. Libby Kent is a leisure collection of e-books and audio books from a wide range of publishers and genres including contemporary fiction, classic fiction, wellbeing and self-help books, themed reading lists such as LGBT titles and Black Asian and Ethnic Minority authored titles, and more.

Need some time out? The Templeman Library’s Chill Out Zone on Floor 1 provides a quiet space to relax and take a break from studying.

Careers and employability reading list

Have a look at our Careers and Employability reading list to find books to help you with career choices and preparing for applications and interviews.

Training session: Using library e-resources to get ahead in the job market

Did you know the library subscribes to business databases which can help you with your job search?

Join our online training session on Friday 31 March 10:00 -11:00 and discover how you can use library databases to help you with your job searches, and to stand out in interviews and applications.

You’ll find out how to access key data about companies, markets, and consumers to demonstrate your knowledge and initiative in your job search.

This is an online event: no need to book. Use this link to join the session: Using library e-resources to get ahead in the job market

After you graduate

Don’t want to miss out on the great resources when you graduate? You can join the Library as an alumni member.

Trying to picture life after uni? It can be unsettling to think about the academic, wellbeing and social support networks falling away. But from finding your next step in work or study to building a balanced life after you graduate, there’s lots to help you plan for the future.

Life After Uni Week (Monday 3-Friday 7 April 2023) has you covered with a week of events from employers, recent alumni and the Careers team on career journeys and the support students can access from Kent even after graduation. It’s a great opportunity for final-year students to calm any worries they may have about getting a graduate job they’re interested in, and to get their questions answered.

Careers support – even after you graduate

Did you know that the Careers and Employability Service provides graduate careers support for alumni up to three years after you graduate?

You can also register for Target Jobs, a service which helps you explore opportunities from internships and work placements to graduate schemes, as well as offering online courses and advice to help support your career journey.

Another great resource for networking is the Kent Alumni group on LinkedIn!

Perks of being a Kent graduate

Interested in doing a Master’s degree? How about money off your postgraduate tuition fees? Find out more about further study at Kent’s Further Study Postgraduate webpage, and information about the alumni scholarships.

Kent offers a range of services and discounts for Alumni.

Finding community post uni

Moving from a university environment where there are societies, sports teams and nights out going on all over the place can be unsettling, especially if you are moving back to a smaller town or village where there are fewer people you feel similar to.

This doesn’t have to mean the end of your communities and friendships from uni. See if you can find local sports teams, or perhaps try some online friend-finding apps to find other people in a similar situation to you. Is there a way you can keep going with any new hobbies you have picked up by finding a way to connect with others online?

Wellbeing and mental health support networks

Aside from NHS mental health and wellbeing services, there is also a range of charities and organisations that can assist you in staying safe and supported. Check out our list of self-help resources, most of which are open to everyone.

Alumni groups in your community

Network, share stories and support fellow alumni by joining a Kent alumni group that is relevant to you! These groups can be based on location, school of study or year group, and often communicate around a Facebook group or through emails. They are also amazing ways to plan events with like-minded people – and even your class reunion!

Staying in the loop

Want to stay involved in the University of Kent news and events? Register to receive regular alumni newsletters. You can also follow @UniKentAlumni on Twitter, @UniversityofKentAlumni on Facebook and @UniKentLive on Instagram.

Interested in learning more about how you can prepare for life and work after graduation, and how Kent can support you? Check out the programme of events for Life After Uni Week.

Written by Emilie and Joshua, Student Services, 23.03.23

So, it’s 4 months until you graduate… how can you make the best of the rest of your time and choose from what Kent has to offer before starting the next chapter of your life?

Community and social activities

Get involved in student activities to make friends and learn new things while it’s free

The College and Community Life (CCL) team organise regular weekly events for all students.

From painting and mindfulness to competitions and film screenings, there’s something for everyone to get involved in for free. Take advantage of them while you are still a student – going along to activities like this usually costs money outside of a university setting.

These events are a also great way to connect with like minded peers and check in on your own wellbeing during the intense run up to exam season and graduation in the summer.

Follow @UniKent_CCL on Instagram for a weekly What’s On at the start of each week, or check out the CCL online events calendar to see what suits your schedule.

Don’t miss out on Kent Union’s ‘Give It A Go’

Try something new with Give It A Go. You can try all sorts from sports to crafts to trips off campus and meet new people!

See what’s on and sign up to Kent Union’s events newsletter.

It’s not too late to join a society!

You can still get involved with one of the hundreds of societies Kent Union offers, such as:

• Academic – Whether you study the subject and want to be able to connect with fellow students and study together, or are just interested in finding out more on a topic.
• Campaign, Charity, Community Action – From volunteering to protests, these groups raise awareness, advocate, fundraise and teach new skills such as BSL.
• Culture, Faith and Belief – These groups celebrate the cultures of international countries, as well as practicing and celebrating their faiths together on campus.
• Identity – Celebrating identities within our community at Kent, from LGBTQ+ to Mature students.
• Interests and Media – A varied range of groups with a love of hobbies or music, as well as those interested in various media forms and publishing!
• Performance, Arts and Sport – From dance and theatre to comedy and painting, there’s a society for loads of creative arts, as well as almost 60 different sports societies!
• Politics – Following and campaigning for different political groups and there is a society that organises a model United Nations.
• Wellbeing – Practicing mindfulness and providing support when students are finding times tough.

Advice, support and careers

Kent Union’s Advice Service and Jobshop

Kent Union offer a free, impartial and confidential advice service that can help you get in contact with advisors that can support you with a vast array of topics.

They also run the Jobshop, a service that lists employment opportunities, sends regular newsletters of local job offers, and has employment advisors you can talk to.

Get a head start with employability support from the Careers and Employability Service

The Careers and Employability Service (CES) team offer a range of support to help you secure a job, from helping you write the best CV and doing mock-interviews to regular skills workshops and online skills courses.

They also regularly update lists of local and national jobs, volunteer opportunities and apprenticeships, and even after you graduate, you can still access support from CES for up to three years!

Check out what’s on next on the Careers and Employability Service Events Calendar.

Get support from the Student Support and Wellbeing Team

During these last few months of your degree, there are a lot of emotions as you prepare to let go of your university experience and step into the next chapter – it’s very normal for your mental health can be impacted.

The Student Support and Wellbeing (SSW) team offer free and confidential one to one support for Kent students, signpost other helpful external services to fit individual needs, and also run regular peer support groups and events to help you take a wellbeing break from your studies.

All Kent students also have access to phone or text support from Spectrum Life or online from Togetherall, both accessible 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Study support

Are you using SLAS Resources and Study Plus?

The Student Learning and Advisory Service (SLAS) offer study skills, writing, maths, assignment and revision support to all students through workshops, 1:1 appointments and academic peer mentoring.

These sessions can be very helpful with strengthening your essay and pitch-writing skills in the run up to assessments.

The University also offer a range of Study Plus workshops: single or short-course sessions that can help with both your studying skills as well as strengthening your CV and employability.  You can find out more about these sessions on the online booking system under ‘Events’.

Talk to the Library staff…

The Library’s Academic Liaison team offer support for students from specific divisions, advising on literature for referencing and using digital library resources.

They provide training and also create library resources guides for you to use, which is vital when writing dissertations and research projects.

Not sure who your School’s academic liaison is? Find your subject librarian online.

… Or check out e-resources

The LibrarySearch and LibrarySearch Digital services allow you to quickly scan through thousands of books and resources available across the Templeman and Drill Hall libraries, the Special Collections and Archives, the Kent Academic Repository and the libraries of Canterbury and Rochester Cathedrals.

It also shows all E-books and E-Journals that the University has access to, including some Open Access publications from academics and researchers. These tools are might be really helpful for researching and revising in your final months and for exam and assessment season.

#StayOn #StandOut

Considering postgraduate study?

There are weekly events in the Nexus area of Templeman Library for students considering a postgraduate, with a different school focused on each week.

Here you can hear about the exciting Master degrees and work placement opportunities, exclusive scholarships and funding and have a chat to current postgrad students and staff.

You can also find out more about scholarships, funding, postgraduate success stories and watch informative webinars at the #StayOn #StandOut Website.

There’s so much to benefit from – get notified on your mobile!

Follow the Student Services teams on social media to keep track of upcoming events and opportunities:

• College and Community Life on Instagram @UniKent_CCL
• Student Support and Wellbeing on Instagram @UniKentSSW
• Careers and Employability Service on Instagram @UniKentCES and on Twitter @UniKentEmploy.
• Student Learning and Advisory Service on Instagram @SLASKent and on Twitter @KentUniSlas.

Written by Emilie Mayne, 3rd year student, 27.02.23

A dissertation is a long, formalised form of essay, in which you generate a topic or enquiry, plan and execute a project that investigates it, and write-up what you did and what you found.

It may be the most substantial assignment you undertake at university, the one which potential employers may ask you about, or academics in your field may look-up and read. You want it to be good. Or, rather, you want it to be great!

The Student Learning Advisory Service (SLAS) has produced guidance on ‘Dissertations’, ‘Literature Reviews’, ‘Researching your dissertation’ and ‘Writing up your dissertation’ that will help you produce an excellent piece of work.

For now, here are three tips that may help you:

Be inspired: Choose a research topic that really interests you and adds in some way to the knowledge in your field of study. Dissertations take time and commitment to complete, so you will need to stay engaged.

Be organised: Organise your work and your time. Identify the stages of work required to complete your dissertation, calculate how long each stage will take, and plot them on to a calendar.

Be discerning: The research methods you choose, and the sources of information you use, should all be of the highest quality. A dissertation, like a cake, can only be as good as its ingredients.

SLAS can offer guidance on these and many other aspects of your dissertation – just book an appointment with one of our advisers.