This week (and throughout March), we have lots of events to support your wellbeing for Uni Mental Health Day.

Monday: Wellbeing Café, Oscars movie dance class and UV Games (Medway)

Our weekly Wellbeing Café is a space to connect with other students in a relaxed environment with a focus on promoting your wellbeing and mental health through activity.

Enjoy dancing? Bust out some moves at this Oscars movie magic dance class at the Venue. From Disney to Marvel, from Stage and screen to Classic movies from the past, dance along to movie soundtracks.

Try  some UV Games at The Hub on Thursday evening, combining the classic sports of badminton and table tennis with a twist – all the action takes place under black lights!

Tuesday:  Inspiring Women Week career’s events, Mindful colouring and yoga (Medway)

Join Residential Life Assistants Sarah and Ashutosh at the Oasis Lounge in Rochester Building for a hot drink, some mindful colouring and practising gratitude.

Try out Yoga for free at The Hub on Tuesday lunchtimes. This is a great way to de-stress and gently exercise.

This week is Career’s Inspiring Women Week and on Tuesday there are lots of events you can join including Improving your network, Giving Women The Fair Advantage: In Conversation with Code First Girls and Inspiring stories from people in Health and Care.

Wednesday: Mental health webinar, University Community Choir and Turkey-Syria earthquake support drop in

Join this mental health webinar discussing the importance of creating an open culture around mental health, building a good support network, and exploring the resources available to you and your peers. The webinar is hosted by Keith Walsh (Radio DJ, Writer & Presenter) featuring Lee Fellows (Head of Student Support and Wellbeing at Kent) and Dr Aman Kwatra (Chartered Psychologist).

Love to sing? Become a part of the University Community Choir! Create new connections within the University community and take a break from your work and study in a relaxed and uplifting environment.

If you’ve been affected by the Turkey-Syria earthquake and would like a space to talk about how you are feeling, please come along to Locke Building 13:00-14:00 for a friendly and supportive drop in with Student Support and Wellbeing Advisers, College and Community Life Officers and Kent Union staff.

Thursday: Wellbeing activities including therapy dogs!

On Thursday we have lots of activities to boost your wellbeing. Head to Nexus in Templeman Library to see some cute therapy dogs, try some mindful colouring and even pick up a small succulent plant (until they run out!)

There’s also a free lunchtime journalling for wellbeing workshop. Find out how journaling can help support your mental health and your studies, with Ali McDowell, Co-Founder of The Positive Planner.

And on Thursday evening join us in Waterstones Canterbury for a mindfulness book talk, live music, and a 15% discount on all books!

See more student events.

Student opportunities

• Did you come to Kent via Clearing? Would you be willing to share your experience? You can earn credit on your KentOne card for taking part.
• Looking to improve your Excel skills? Apply for 1 of 5,000 places on ‘Santander Scholarships Skills: Excel for All’, a free, flexible, online programme delivered by Udemy.
• See cost of living support including emergency funding and access to food.

See more student opportunities.

Here’s a roundup of what’s on this week, including more LGBT+ History Month events, talks and workshops you can join and of course some pancakes for Pancake Day!

Industrial action update: All UCU strike days this week (and next week) have been postponed, meaning your lectures and classes for the next fortnight will go ahead as planned.

Tuesday: Pancake Day and LGBTQ+ events

Tuesday is Pancake Day and you can find lots of pancake options from our catering outlets including the Gulbenkian Café, Mungo’s and Dolce Vita. Or if you feel like making your own, you can join the Keynes Residential Life Assistants for their Pancake Party in Dolce Vita.

Make your own pronoun badge at The Hub or join this online session about how to find LGBTQ+ inclusive employers when applying for jobs and placements.

Wednesday: Postgrad Open Event, managing stress and anxiety workshop, Turkey-Syria support drop in and Medway Talks

Considering postgrad study? Book a place at our Postgraduate Open Event in Sibson on Wednesday evening to find out more about our PG courses and exclusive scholarships and funding for Kent grads.

If you need some better ways to manage stress, consider joining this practical online workshop for managing stress and anxiety. Find out how mindfulness practice can give us tools to build our resilience in the face of study, work and life challenge.

If you’ve been affected by the Turkey-Syria earthquake and would like a space to talk about how you are feeling, please come along to Locke Building 13:00-14:00 where Student Support and Wellbeing Advisers, College and Community Life Officers and Kent Union staff will be there to talk to you and offer support.

The Medway Talks open lecture series continues with ‘Mathematics, Memetics and Artificial Intelligence: An exploration through performance’ by Dr Neil Saunders from University of Greenwich.

Thursday: Heartstopper Marathon (Medway) and effective job applications

You can binge watch the entire series of Heartstopper on Thursday at the Hub (or join for however long you want!) as part of LGBT+ History Month.

Build your confidence by attending this online session all about job applications. Learn about different application processes and how to effectively use job descriptions and person specifications to make successful applications.

Friday: Zine making workshop

Come and explore zines from the visiting Queer Zine Library – a mobile library celebrating LGBTQ+ self-publishing. Create your own zine or just browse and discuss zines.

See more student events.

Opportunities

• See cost of living support including emergency funding and access to food
• Become an International Programmes Ambassador to help organise and provide a programme of social events for our pre-sessional and short course students (paid role, deadline Sunday 26 Feb)

See more student opportunities

LGBT+ History Month continues with the launch event on Tuesday evening. Plus we have events to boost your wellbeing and to get you in the mood for Valentine’s Day next week. See our roundup of events:

Monday: Pets as Therapy (Medway) and Referencing Online Session

Head to the Hub on Monday lunchtime for Pets as Therapy, where you can boost your mood with some furry friends.

Find referencing tricky? Join this online bite size session all about referencing from the Student Learning Advisory Service (SLAS).

Tuesday: Industrial action webchat and LGBT+ History Month launch event 

Have questions about industrial action? Professor Richard Reese, DVC Education and Student Experience will be hosting an industrial action webchat on Tuesday afternoon. Ask any questions you might have or just listen in.

Tuesday evening sees the launch event for LGBT+ History Month in Marlowe, with a performance from local Drag legend Dame Jame and a talk by trans activist Connor Styche and his own personal experience of coming out as transgender and his experiences and battles throughout school and the workplace.

Plus, you can take a look around the LGBTQ+ Love Letters exhibition in Marlowe, which opens on Tuesday and showcases love letters throughout history.

Wednesday: University community choir and meditation session

Love to sing? Consider joining the University Community Choir. There are no auditions and you don’t need to be able to read music. This is an informal and social singing group that meets weekly.

Try out meditation at this in-person session in Cornwallis East. Includes a guided meditation by our mindfulness instructor Loraine, and opportunities for discussion. These weekly sessions are run jointly by Student Support and Wellbeing and the Mindfulness Society.

Thursday: UCU Strike Day support drop in and Valentine’s activities

Thursday is a UCU strike day, so your teaching may be affected today. The College and Community Life Team will be offering drop-in support sessions for any students affected by the industrial action. You can head to Locke Building between 9:00-17:00 to chat to one of the Residential Life Assistants or College Life Officers. Find out how to prepare for a strike day.

Get in the mood for Valentine’s Day next week with Valentine’s crafts at the Hub, Queer Valentine’s card making at the Venue, and a Valentine’s movie night in Woolf College!

Friday: UCU strike day support drop in, Chocolate Truffle Workshop and UV Sports Night

Friday is a UCU strike day, so your teaching may be affected today. The College and Community Life Team will be offering drop-in support sessions for any students affected by the industrial action. You can head to Locke Building between 9:00-17:00 to chat to one of the Residential Life Assistants or College Life Officers. See how to prepare for a strike day.

Our chocolate truffle making workshop run by the Darwin chefs Rob and Ben, is two hours of interactive fun, where you will learn new culinary skills. You will learn how to mix, pipe, shape, coat and sprinkle some magic on your own handmade truffles.

Kent Union’s UV sports night is back in the Sports Centre! Choose between a roller disco or UV sports such as badminton and table tennis. Face paint, wrist bands, head bands and bracelets available on the night.

See more student events.

Opportunities

• Global internships for summer 2023! These internships are split half remotely and half with the host company based in Spain, Portugal or Vietnam. Eligibility criteria apply.
• Free RE:ACTION 24/7 bootcamp to boost your employability. Sign up by 17 February.
• Update on the Diamond Anniversary Orchard and volunteer at the planting event on 8 March.
• Take part in a nationwide mental health survey by Sunday 12 February for a chance to win prizes including gift cards and a smart watch.
• Check out the Careers and Employability new website to find out all the career support on offer at Kent.
• There is a new Campus Shuttle booking system for our free coach service between Canterbury and Medway campuses. Booking a seat on the service is essential for travel from Tuesday 7 February 2023.

See more student opportunities.

This week marks the start of LGBT+ History Month. From 1 February, look out for Pride flags on buildings as well as the Tensegritree outside Marlowe. These flags represent many different LGBTQ+ identities. Find out what’s on for LGBT+ History Month.

Thursday is also Time to Talk Day. Make space in your day for a conversation about mental health. Join us on campus for events encouraging conversation, or find out about support services if you need to talk to a mental health professional.

See a roundup of what’s on this week:

Monday: Wellbeing Café and Skills to Succeed in Data and Tech Career Panel

The Wellbeing Café is a space to connect with other students in a relaxed environment with a focus on promoting your wellbeing and mental health through activity. It’s a weekly event held in the K-Bar Red Room in Keynes College.

Join this Skills to Succeed in Data and Tech Career Panel to meet representatives from a business tech consultancy and learn about how your skills (from any degree) can be applied to roles in data and tech.

Tuesday: Free community breakfast (Medway) and considering PG study drop in

Together with the University of Greenwich, we’re piloting a free community breakfast for students at Medway on Tuesdays and Thursdays in term-time to help with the cost of living.

If you’re an undergrad student considering staying on for a Master’s degree, then come along to our library drop-in session in Nexus in Templeman Library. Ask questions and find out more about our range of courses and scholarships.

Wednesday: UCU strike day, Period Café and Puppy Yoga (Medway)

Wednesday is a UCU strike day, so your teaching may be affected today. Find out how to prepare for a strike day.

The Period Café, part of LGBT+ History Month, is a safe space to discuss period anxiety, period poverty, menstruation dysphoria or other issues around periods and menstruation with fellow students. Hot drinks and cake will be provided.

Boost your mood with puppy yoga at Medway campus! During the class, you’ll move through yoga poses while a selection of puppies free roam around the room. Tickets cost £4.

Thursday: Time to Talk Day events and Pronoun Badge Making

Thursday is Time to Talk Day. Join us at Kent Community Oasis Garden (KentCOG) in Park Wood for a chat, some seed planting and perhaps rehome one of our houseplants. We’re hoping to help get people chatting about their wellbeing, but there’s no pressure to do so.

You can also head to Nexus in Templeman Library for free tea and coffee, rock painting, affirmation postcards and more as part of #TimeToTalk day.

In Woody’s, as part of LGBT+ History Month, you can get creative and make your own pronoun badge.

See more student events.

Opportunities

• In your final year? Complete the National Student Survey (NSS) to have your say about your time at Kent. Complete by 5 February and we’ll give you £10 KentOne credit or a £10 voucher for the Deep End to say thanks.
• Take your ambition further with postgrad study at Kent. Exclusive scholarships for Kent grads of up to £5,000.
• ‘Year In’ – new videos to help you learn more about each Year In subject. You can add a Year In between Stage 2 and 3 or after Stage 3.
• You can now play free interactive darts and shuffleboards in Origins Bar (Darwin)
• Kent Sport clinic offers physiotherapy services including massage. Book and attend a massage with one of their qualified staff between 30 January and 13 February 2023 and pay just £23.
• If you wish to observe a religious commitment during the summer exams, please complete the Religious Observation request form by 3 February.
• You (and your friends) can now apply for Kent’s accommodation for September 2023.

See more student opportunities.

Welcome back to start of the Spring Term! Here’s a roundup of what’s on this week:

Monday: Find a part-time job, board games, Crafternoon

Would you like a part-time job but not sure where to start? This part-time jobs session will cover the types of jobs available, how to search and tools you need to start applying.

Want to play some games and make some new friends? Come along to the Venue to play some board games and retro games consoles.

Or if you’re at Medway campus, head to The Hub for a Crafternoon to try out a range of different crafts and meet new people.

Wednesday: Gardening, Sustainability and Internationalisation

Fancy getting outside more in the New Year? Consider joining an open gardening session at Kent Community Oasis Garden. Between 14:00-15:00 at the garden, you can also learn how to make art from leaf printing at this wellbeing in nature session.

Learn about Internationalisation and Sustainability within the curriculum at this Study Plus workshop. Share your experiences and help influence change at the University.

Thursday: CVs and cover letters and Dancing Queen

Join this online interactive session covering the essentials of writing an effective CV and cover letter.

K-Bar’s LGBTQ-friendly DJ night ‘Dancing Queen’ is ready to celebrate the new year with a bang!

Friday: Notetaking and Medway ACS DJ Night

If you need a boost to get you back into your studies after the Winter Break, try this online sessions on notetaking and getting the most from your lectures and seminars.

On Friday night, Medway’s Afro Caribbean Society presents ‘Wild ‘n’ out: reload it’ DJ night. A host of DJs will welcome you back to campus. Tickets cost £6.

See more student events.

Opportunities

• New £3 meal deals at Medway campus
• £3 meal deal returns to Rutherford Dining Hall (Canterbury)
• Apply to be on our new International Student Advisory Board. Deadline 18 January.
• Become more employable – add a Year In
• Job opportunity: Join the IT and Library Support Team
• Last chance to get a Student Art Pass for a fiver. Gives you free entry to hundreds of museums and galleries across the UK, and 50% off major exhibitions.

See more student opportunities.

As we reach the end of term, our weekly events roundup continues with its festive theme, including more Christmas events and support if you’re staying on campus over the winter break.  

Please also see our update about snowy and icy conditions for guidance about travelling to campus.

Later this week your Spring Term timetable will be released (from 14 Dec) on KentVision. However, please check it again after 9 January as it is likely there will be changes (e.g. room changes and resolving clashes). For more information, read our timetable advice. 

Also, some of you might have In Course Tests (ICTs) this week. If you do, try not to panic! ICTs are a great way to prepare for summer exams and there’s guidance online to help you. Best of luck! 

Monday: Job application tips and pick up some vintage gifts 

Join our Careers Team for top tips on filling out those job application forms to make sure you bag yourself an interview. Sign up for careers event. 

Pick up some Christmas gifts (or maybe something for yourself!) at the Vintage Kilo Sale outside the Venue between 10:00 and 17:00.  

Tuesday: How to edit efficiently and create a top LinkedIn profile 

Join this live session on how to approach editing so it is done right and takes less time! Register for the editing event.  

Find out why you should be using LinkedIn and how to get started at this careers session. Book now.  

Please note, there are train strikes on Tuesday 13 December, so if you usually travel to campus by train please make alternative travel arrangements.  

Wednesday: Christmas gatherings and take home some winter plants 

Get in the Christmas spirit at one of these festive events on Wednesday, including: 

• Christmas Global Hangout for festive treats and ugly sweater contest 
• Christmas Coffee Meet Up for students staying on campus over the break to meet others also staying  
• Winter Community Oasis Garden tour and plant some of your own winter plants 
• Park Wood Christmas Movie Night 

Please note, there are train strikes on Wednesday 14 December, so if you usually travel to campus by train please make alternative travel arrangements.  

Thursday: Christmas Market, DHM book club, job hunting tips and Christmas Drag Bingo 

Come along to our Christmas Market in the Colyer-Fergusson from 10:00-14:00 for locally produced food, drinks and crafts!  

As we reach the final week of Disability History Month, join the book club at Canterbury and Medway, or online, to discuss  ‘Disability Visibility: First-Person Stories from the Twenty-First Century’ by Alice Wong. 

And get ready for some Christmas campery – Anita Wee and Delilah Tickles are back for a festive edition of Drag Bingo in Mungo’s from 19:00. 

If you’re staying in Medway for the Christmas break, head over to the Oasis Lounge (Rochester Building) on 15 Dec between midday and 14:00 to meet others who will also be staying and enjoy some festive food, music and drinks. There is no need to book, just drop in!  

Friday: Christmas card making at Medway  

Join Medway Residential Life Assistants (RLAs), Holly and Cole, in this FREE DIY Christmas card workshop in the Oasis Lounge (Rochester Building) from 12:00 – 14:00.  

Please note, there are train strikes on Friday 16 and Saturday 17 December, so if you usually travel to campus by train please make alternative travel arrangements. 

See more student events.  

Opportunities

• Checklist: Leaving campus accommodation this winter 
• UK Mental Health Survey Help shape student mental health by taking part in a nationwide online survey, and you could win £50.
• Christmas on campus webpages – for facility opening times, events and support 
• Become a Santander Universities Scholar and get £30k over three academic years 
• Cost of living support  
• In Course Tests guidance 

See more student opportunities and support. 

Have a lovely winter break and see you in 2023! 

Here’s a roundup of our top events this week, including lots of Disability History Month (DHM) and festive events!

There are more chances this week to collect tickets for our magical candle-lit Carol Service at Canterbury Cathedral on 12 December.

Monday: Your Uni Your Say Festive Giveaway and Christmas events

Let us know your feedback in Nexus in Templeman Library and win a free gift including Kent drinking bottles and travel mugs, plus festive treats and cakes! #YourUniYourSay

Come and channel your inner Mariah Carey for some Christmas Karaoke in Mungo’s. Or for a creative Christmas activity, make some festive themed suncatchers in K Bar.

Tuesday: DHM exhibition and short film screening and finger casting workshop

Join us from 17:00 in Marlowe for the Disability History Month exhibition viewing and short film screening featuring current and former students and staff on their experiences of disability. Refreshments provided. Book your place.

Rescheduled from last week, come along to the finger casting workshop on Tuesday. Create a Plaster of Paris sculpture by casting your fingers and try your hand at Foil Embossing to create your own miniature wonders of art with local artist Wendy Daws. They make the perfect Christmas gifts!

Wednesday: DHM events and festive activities

Get that festive feeling by making your own snow globe in the Venue, or head to Grimond Lecture Theatre 3 for a festive movie night. The film will be ‘How the Grinch Stole Christmas’ and free popcorn will also be provided.

As part of Disability History Month, Chloe Timms, author and Kent alumnus will be presenting her debut novel ‘The Seawomen’. The book is an atmospheric dystopian story, portraying a tale of oppression, love and bravery on an island controlled by a misogynistic cult. Chloe is passionate about disability rights, having been diagnosed with Spinal Muscular Atrophy at 18 months old.

Change 100 matches talented university students/recent graduates with any disability or long-term condition with progressive employers. Find out more about Change 100 internships and meet the alumni.

Sunday: Community Tennis Open Day

On Sunday Kent Sport are opening their doors to everyone at the Kent Sport Community Tennis Open Day. Come along and try out our indoor tennis facilities and enjoy some top class coaching from our Lawn Tennis Association qualified coaching team!

See more student events.

Opportunities

• £3 meal deal change of location (5-16 December). Find out more.
• Reimbursement for direct costs due to industrial action.

See more student opportunities.

Disability History Month (DHM) continues this week with more events as well as a timeline of disability history at Kent and film series with students, staff and alumni sharing their experience of disability. Check out the DHM website.

Our magical candle-lit University Christmas Carol Service in Canterbury Cathedral returns on Monday 12 December! You can collect your tickets this week.

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

Monday: Meet Staff Disability Network and Medway Study Night

Meet with the Staff Disability Network as part of Disability History Month. Have a drink and biscuit with members of the Staff Disability Network to learn about their activities and how you can get involved. Find out more about what the network can do to support you.

Join a Medway Study Night in the Oasis Lounge on Monday. There will be tea, coffee, biscuits and treats to keep you going.

Tuesday: Finger Casting, careers values workshop and free manicure/massage (Medway)

Come along to a Finger Casting Workshop – create a Plaster of Paris sculpture by casting your fingers and try your hand at Foil Embossing to create your own miniature wonders of art with local artist Wendy Daws.

Match your values to your career journey in this online workshop. The session shares tools to help you to work out your career goals, desired outcomes, preferences and personal values. It also includes practical exercises to help you use your values to find the right role for you.

On Tuesday at the Hub, you can choose between a free gel manicure or a massage to help you relax and unwind.

Wednesday: Industrial action support drop-in, cooking session and Christmas decoration making

Wednesday is a UCU strike day, so your teaching may be affected today. The College and Community Life Team will be offering drop-in support sessions for any students affected by the industrial action. You can head to Locke Building between 9:00-17:00 to chat to one of the Residential Life Assistants or College Life Officers. Find out how to prepare for a strike day.

Want to improve your cooking skills? The chefs of Darwin kitchen are running a cooking session (£5 per person) making pasta with tomato, courgette, parmesan and homemade spinach balls. Yum. Book your place.

Get into the Christmas spirit and make some decorations for your accommodation. Drop in, listen to some festive tunes and get creative.

Thursday: Careers events and Neurodivergent workshop

On Thursday there are a few careers with social impact events including NHS Careers and Skills in Healthcare, Science and Social Care virtual panel, How to start a career in think tanks and policy and how to answer interview questions.

LSSJ presents ‘How to Manage your Workload: The Neurodivergent Way’. Do you often feel overwhelmed by deadlines? Learn how to use online tools, tips and tricks to make your workload seem manageable. This is a hybrid event so you can either join in Kennedy Building or online. The workshop is led by a fellow neurodivergent student, and followed up with a social event with light refreshments.

Saturday: Wild Wellbeing Christmas tied door garlands

On Saturday you can make some Christmas tied door garlands at the Kent Community Oasis Garden. Spent some time in nature and craft using natural materials.

See more student events.

Opportunities

• Job opportunity- Safer Streets Canterbury project partner role
• Santander Universities are giving away 1000 lots of £100 to any UK university students. Apply before 30 November at 23:00 for your chance to win.
• Complete the cost-of-living survey
• Free personal safety items

See more student opportunities.

Here’s a roundup of the top events this week. And huge congrats to our students who are graduating this week! #KentGrads

Monday: Medway Pool Tournament

Get to know new people by playing a game of pool in the Oasis Lounge at the Medway Pool Tournament. This event is hosted by your Medway Residential Life Assistants, come by yourself or bring a friend.

Wednesday: Warner Bros. Studio Tour, DHM events and free talk on Sleep

Are you a Harry Potter fan? Explore iconic sets and discover what it took to bring the Harry Potter films to life at the Warner Bros. Studio Tour with Kent Union at a discounted ticket price (travel included).

On Tuesday you can join some Disability History Month (DHM) events including plant pot painting inspired by sunflowers, often used as a visual clue for those with hidden disabilities. Plus a DHM workshop about accessibility and coming up with ideas for inclusion, and a chance to kickstart your career with Change 100 and learn how to ask for adjustments in the workplace.

The Medway Talks open lecture series continues with a free talk ‘Sleep and our Biological Clock’, by Professor Gurprit Lall, who is a neuroscientist based at Medway School of Pharmacy. Open to all, but registration is required. Sign up now.

Thursday: Cultural Food Festival and industrial action support drop-in

Thursday is a UCU strike day, so your teaching may be affected today. The College and Community Life Team will be offering drop-in support sessions for any students affected by the industrial action. You can head to Locke Building between 9:00-17:00 to chat to one of the Residential Life Assistants or College Life Officers. Find out how to prepare for a strike day.

On Thursday evening, come along to Rutherford Dining Hall for a Cultural Food Festival! Find out about other cultures as our student groups will be there throughout the night serving up their dishes for all to try.

Friday: Celebrate Consent, Bubble Football and industrial action support drop-in

Friday is a UCU strike day, so your teaching may be affected today. The College and Community Life Team will be offering drop-in support sessions for any students affected by the industrial action. You can head to Locke Building between 9:00-17:00 to chat to one of the Residential Life Assistants or College Life Officers. Find out how to prepare for a strike day.

Celebrate consent with craft, books and action at Nexus in Templeman Library. Drop by and have a look at the ‘Consent. Get it. Full Stop.’ book list, pick up a free bookmark, and take part in craft activities including badge making. You can also make your pledges for the #ConsentGetIt campaign.

At Medway, have a laugh playing Bubble Football. No football experience required!

See more student events

Opportunities

• Take the Cost of Living Survey – aims to understand how the cost of living crisis has impacted you and how we can best support you.
• Last chance to complete travel plan survey and potentially win up to £150 on your KentOne card or for a voucher at the Deep End. Survey closes tonight (23:59 Monday 21 November)
• Do you have an idea for a cultural event or celebration? Apply to the WorldFest Bitesize Fund for a financial award of up to £250 to run a multicultural event.
• ‘Twin your Toilet’ on campus for World Toilet Day! Make sure to report any faults with toilets to Estates Customer Services or the Home at Halls app.

See more student opportunities