Category Archives: Student Guide

The Big Fair

The Big Fair- societies, sports, housing, jobs and more!

The Big Fair takes place Tuesday 21 January 2020 and offers students another chance to meet hundreds of clubs and societies.

There will also be a Housing Fair where you can get advice, find housemates and meet accredited landlords, all courtesy of Home Stamp.

If you are job-hunting then look no further than the Kent Union who offer part-time work in all their outlets such as Venue, Woody’s, Co-op, the Library Cafe and through Jobshop.

So if you were not able to sign up to a club or society of your choice then this is your chance to do so. Plus there will be freebies, including FREE pizza from Dominos.

The Big Fair takes place at the Main Hall Sports Centre at the Canterbury campus between 11.00 and 15.00.

For more information, please visit the Kent Union website and their Facebook page.

 

 

 

 

Four people rowing on rowing machines

University of Kent: unite and row for mental health

Burn off all those mince pies and get ready to take on the Row Britannia Challenge this term.

The challenge

To row 2020 miles by 13 March 2020. It’s a big goal (around 3.25 million metres) and we need your help to get there. Additionally, we’ve been challenged to raise £3,000 for Sport Relief, to help mental health charities across the country.

We officially launch the challenge on Wednesday 15 January 2020, with a special appearance from Row Britannia to help us along. More information about the launch event to follow on our Facebook event page.

How you can help

Support the challenge by donating and rowing as much as possible, all donations and distances are welcome. With your help, Row Britannia could raise a total of £1.5 million for Sport Relief if every university and college in the UK raises £3,000 each. In addition to raising vital funds, the positive awareness of mental health, fitness and well-being that they would raise within their communities could be extraordinary. The University of Kent has taken on this challenge and we need you to get rowing!

You can still clock your distance and donate after the 15 January, just visit the Sports Centre to take part. We will set up a rowing area with a moderator that will be recording all the miles rowed.

If you want to donate to Row Britannia, visit our Just Giving page. If you have any questions you can email sportsenquiries@kent.ac.uk

Postgrad Welcome Back image

Welcome back Postgrad students!

Welcome back to all Postgrad students! Getting back in to the swing of juggling studies and exercise can be hard after the Christmas vacation, so here’s a few incentives to help you stay active.

From Monday 13 to Friday 17 January 2020, we are offering all University of Kent Postgraduate students free access to special fitness and dance classes:

• Monday 13 January – Zumba Toning, 15.00 – 15.30 – book now
• Wednesday 15 January – BoxFit, 11.00 – 12.00 – book now
• Friday 17 January – Stretch, tone and relax, 14.15 – 15.00 – book now
• The Kent Sport Physiotherapy Clinic are also offering an exclusive massage offer: enjoy a relaxing 30-minute massage at the Kent Sport Physiotherapy Clinic for only £15!

To take advantage of the massage offer and free classes, please supply proof of your year of study when visiting the Sports Centre reception. Visit the Physiotherapy Clinic website for more information about our services.

Two green Unibuses lined up together

Stagecoach release further Unirider discounts

For those who missed out on the discounted Unirider tickets in September, or who have just started at Kent, you are in luck!

Stagecoach are releasing a further discounted Unirider ticket. Their Term 2 and 3 Unirider ticket runs from 11 January 2020 to the 14 June 2020 and costs £195. That works out at just 79p per day!

As well as allowing you to commute from Canterbury to campus, the Unirider ticket covers the whole of Kent and East Sussex- so you can explore all the region has to offer.

To purchase a Unirider ticket, either visit the Stagecoach website or the Travel Shop at the Canterbury bus station.

Nominations now open for student leadership elections

Could you be the next student leader? Nominations now open

Student Leadership Election nominations open Monday 6 January and close 3 February 2020. Register your interest or nominate yourself here.

As a student-led, membership organisation we’re looking for great students to shape the leadership of Kent Union and the way the University runs.

There are five full-time, roles open to all Kent Union members to stand as a candidate, as well as to vote to choose the next Leadership Team. (All students of the University of Kent are members of Kent Union, unless you have chosen to opt out.)

Students’ Union President

  • Chair of Board of Trustees
  • Union development
  • Medway representation

Vice-President Academic Experience

  • Undergraduate academic experience
  • Student Rep system (300+ volunteers)
  • Academic communities
  • Education strategy

Vice-President Welfare and Community

  • Student wellbeing
  • Liberation
  • Local community
  • Environment and sustainability
  • Housing

Vice-President Student Engagement

  • Represent and support student groups (ie. Sports clubs societies, volunteers)
  • Sports development
  • Employability
  • Alumni engagement
  • Volunteer reward and recognition

Vice-President (Postgraduate Experience)

  • Postgraduate accommodation, educational needs and wellbeing
  • European centres
  • Graduate Teaching Assistant concerns
  • Postgraduate Student Reps
  • Internationalisation
  • Liaison with KGSA

The Full-Time Officer roles are based in the Mandela Student Centre on Canterbury Campus, but spend much of their time out on the campuses talking and getting feedback from students. They also attend meetings to represent those student views to the University, the local community as well as to the wider world.

The Full-Time Officers receive a generous package during their year in office including extensive training and support to deliver the role; access to recognised management qualifications, an NUS TOTEM card, a phone, a laptop and a bursary £19,000 pa.

Find out more about the Kent Union Student Leadership Election.

Close up of exam desks and chairs

2020 Exams – coming soon!

It’s time to start thinking about your exams.

Get prepared by looking at our exam webpages.

Please see below upcoming dates for your diary.

Religious observance requests

Deadline for submission Tuesday 4 February 2020 (17.00).  Contact exams@kent.ac.uk.

More information about religious observance requests.

Personal timetable release

The exam timetable is released to students approximately two weeks before the end of spring term.

Follow us on Twitter for the first timetable announcement @UniKent_CSAO 

Inclusive Learning Plans

If you require adapted arrangements for your exams you must meet with Student Support and Wellbeing to discuss your learning plan. More information and deadlines (ILPs).

Examinations Period 2020

Monday 4 May – Friday 12 June 2020.

Note:  Saturdays are included in the examination timetable.

Contact the Exams Team

Canterbury: exams@kent.ac.uk

Medway: medwayexams@kent.ac.uk

Twitter:  @UniKent_CSAO

Emay Enemokwu founder of streetwear business Jehu-cal

ASPIRE Inspiring Entrepreneur series

Want to feel inspired this new year?

With two upcoming talks in January, one at Medway and the other at Canterbury, University of Kent former student Emay Enemokwu tells all about his founding streetwear business, Jehu-cal.

Emay Enemokwu founded streetwear brand, Jehu-cal, while still a student at Kent Business School. He talks about his inspiration for starting his company, developing an international brand, working with Nike and taking part in London Fashion Week as well as his sustainability initiative, Project Purify.

Tickets are free but must be booked.

Medway:

Where: Dockyard Church, Medway

When: Wednesday 22 January at 11.00 – 12.00

For more information on how to book tickets for the talk at Medway please click on this Eventbrite website 

Canterbury:

Where: LT2 Sibson Building, Canterbury

When: Wednesday 22 January at 14.00 – 15.00

For more information on how to book tickets for the talk at Canterbury please click on this Eventbrite website

 

Employability Points Logo

Employability Points and Individual Academic Writing Support

Are you an international student looking to top up your Employability Points and receive free academic language and writing support?

Sophia Vänttinen-Newton, the In-sessional and Short Courses Manager in the Centre for English and World Languages warmly invites you take part in her research study which will explore student reactions to written academic assignment feedback in credit-bearing modules

Her study aims to explore what students think about written assignment feedback from tutors and what you think about the quality of the marking. Your participation in the study will involve you looking at and reading feedback for a written assignment and then answering a series of short questions via Survey Monkey (open, closed and multiple choice questions) about the tutor feedback you have read.

Completing the tasks in the study will take you 45 minutes to an hour and you may be contacted after the study to clarify any answers provided on the Survey Monkey questionnaire. Any of your data in the study will, of course, be anonymised. If you are interested in taking part, further details a bout participation will be sent to you before you commit.

If you would like to take part in the study, you will receive 5 Employability Points and if you would like academic writing support and some help with your coming written assignments, you are more than welcome to book in for a free 30 minute Individual Writing Tutorial at a convenient time with me after completing the study to talk one-to-one about your writing.

Please contact Sophia Vänttinen-Newton at sophia.van.newton@gmail.com  if you would like to take part in the study or you have any questions.

Group photo of students outside Eliot holding University of Kent sign

Volunteers needed for January Welcome Week 2020

Would you enjoy helping new students feel welcome? Fancy earning some Employability Points along the way?

International Partnerships are looking for student volunteers to assist with three key parts of welcoming our new international student arrivals in January 2020.

  1. Meet & Greet Volunteer, Tuesday 7 January: You will be based on campus ready to welcome new arrivals and assist them to their accommodation. Shifts will be allocated in advance of the day.
  2. Networking Volunteer, Wednesday 8 January 09.00 – 13.00: Meet and spend time welcoming our new International students to the UK over refreshments & activities.
  3. Walking Tour Guide, Thursday 9 January 13.30 – flexible end: Love Canterbury? Why not lead a ‘walking tour’ from Eliot into the city centre. Point out key locations & routes, as well as your top tips of where to eat, drink, and shop in town. A fun way to earn Employability points and show new International students that even a rainy day in January can be fun! #BritishWeather

If you are interested in any of the above opportunities, please email internationalevents@kent.ac.uk with your selected event, full name, student email address and mobile phone number.

Note: We will need your mobile phone number in case we need to contact you during the day regarding the event. This will not be shared with any other students without your permission.

We look forward to hearing from you.

International Partnerships

KM TV logo

KMTV goes live for 2019 General Election

A date that is sure to be printed on your mind is 12 December 2019 – General Election Day. Making history for a local television station is KMTV as they will be broadcasting live for twelve hours throughout the night.

Coverage will be from: 22:00 on Thursday 12 till10:00 on Friday 13 December.

Programme will appear on: Freeview channel 7, Virgin Media channel 159

Live stream on: KentOnline, kmtv.co.uk and the KMTV App (available on Apple & Google Play stores)

Keeping you up to date with the outcome, the station will have reporters and student interns at all 11 counts across Kent, bringing live results of 17 different constituencies. From other locations KMTV will also include live cameras and on-screen reporters at four counts, giving live reactions and comments over the phone, on FaceTime or via Skype.

‘One of our core values is to bring more local democracy to Kent and there’s no better way to deliver that than by giving in-depth coverage of Kent’s results at December’s general election,’ says KMTV’s Editor-in-chief Andy Richards. ‘We’ve proven since we launched in 2017 that for a small channel we can produce quality news coverage with our young professional team. This will be no different and we believe we’ll be the first region to broadcast live on television through the night from various locations on a general election night.’

More than 40 students from the University of Kent will be involved, working alongside a team of twelve television professionals, as well as Kent Messenger reporters. ‘It’s such a unique opportunity for our students,’ says the Head of the Centre for Journalism Ian Reeves. ‘Some trainees get to help out on election coverage as runners or as an extra pair of hands, but our students will be directly involved in the coverage, many making live TV contributions. We’ve been training them intensely to prepare as multimedia reporters for the night’s events.’

Joining them on the night will be other students from across the university’s departments including Kent Business School, Politics and International Relations, School of Arts, Social Policy, Sociology and Social Research.

Look out for the special programme at 08.00 called ‘Paul On Politics: Election Breakfast’, hosted by KM & KMTV Political Editor Paul Francis. Paul will also be on the KMTV sofa at various points throughout the night, alongside presenters Louisa Britton and Keilan Webster, as well as political pundits from across the various parties, Kent businesses and institutions.