Category Archives: Student Guide

Summerbuzz competition winner announced

First year computer science student Matt Duff has won the £500 Summerbuzz prize after pitching “Dragon’s Den“ to sponsor, Kinetic Solutions.

Sixteen students from the School of Computing and Kent Business School applied for this prize that rewards the best summer plan in terms of employability skills. Five students from both the Canterbury and Medway campuses were shortlisted, and had to pitch their plan and answer challenging questions by the Kinetic Solutions ‘Dragons’ Managing Director Chris Wildsmith, Technical Director (and Kent alumnus) Rob Turner and Sales Manager Emma Sinfield.

Matt Duff’s plan of a trip to California to pursue his interest in eSports won him the prize, but with the caveat of blogging his activities during the summer. More details to follow on Matt’s blog!

Kent Sport survey, win £100!

Take the Kent Sport survey by Friday 17 April and you could win a £100 Amazon voucher.

The survey is an important piece of annual research that helps Kent Sport make the necessary improvements to keep our services and facilities first-rate.

We’re inviting Kent Sport members and non-members, staff and students to complete the survey.

Everyone who completes the survey will be placed into a prize draw to win a £100 Amazon voucher.

If you have any queries regarding the survey, please speak to reception or email sportsenquiries@kent.ac.uk.

Wellbeing books to help you through exams

While you’re working hard, don’t forget to look after yourself too.

Our Wellbeing book collection is there to help you through the busy Summer Term. It has titles covering different aspects of mental health, personal development, stress, mindfulness, as well as study and exam tips.

Wellbeing book exhibition

In the Libary (social learning zone) until 28 May

Our expanded Wellbeing book collection is now on display in the Library, offering a diverse range of titles.

Please borrow from the collection – the books are there for you to use.

We will change the display of books regularly, so you might find something different on every visit.

You can also use LibrarySearch to look for mental health and wellbeing titles, just enter a keyword for your topic of interest. There are lots of e-books you can read online.

Join the Wellbeing Walk on 20 May

Meet in the Library Welcome Hall at 1pm for a 30-minute walk

When busy, exercising might not be a priority – but it can be the thing your body (and brain!) needs most of all.

On our walk, we’ll enjoy our beautiful outside space on campus, mindfully taking in the sights and sounds to exercise your body and refresh your mind. The walk will be suitable for wheelchair users.

On your return to Templeman, you may find that you focus better and are more relaxed around your work than you were previously.

See what a difference half an hour can make!

It’s for staff too

At busy times it’s easy to get tempted not to take a break and carry on working. There are tips on managing stress the importance of taking breaks on the Staff wellbeing website. Come on our walk on 20 May – your brain will thank you by functioning better when it’s had a break!

Staff are also welcome to borrow from the Wellbeing collection.

Other activities

Student Wellbeing Services and Kent Sports are offering activities outside the Library during the week of 11 May – more detail will be available soon!

Get training for summer with Kent Sport ‘Fit 4 the Beach’

Sunshine. Flowers. Shorts. Bikinis. All signs that summer is just around the corner. You may have already planned your summer holiday, but are you really ready to don that swimming costume just yet?

Kent Sport is offering members an incredible opportunity to win a personalised six-week support and training programme to help tone up those areas that winter has tried to cover. Participants will be training one-to-one focusing on each individual needs and fitness levels in Kent Sport’s very own fitness suite.

Last year’s Fit 4 the Beach winner, Dr Rachel McCrea said, “This has been the most amazing experience. I have lost 4kg (so far) and it has transformed not only my fitness levels, but the activity levels of the whole family. We run twice a week, go on a family swim once a week and I go to the gym once a week. I am signing up for my first 10km run later in the year to set myself a target to work towards.”

Student and staff Kent Sport members along with public members are all invited to apply.  All you have to do is complete the application form and return it to the fitness suite in the Sports Centre or email it to instructor Darius explaining why you want to get fit this summer.

The Kent Sport Health and Fitness Team will select the lucky participants. The deadline for applications is Tuesday 5 May 2015.

If you are not yet a member, you can find more details and keep up to date with Kent Sport news and promotions by following @UniKentSports on Facebook and Twitter.

 

‘Carry Greenham Home’ free screening as part of Fifty Years of Feminism at Kent

We are delighted to announce that next Tuesday 31 March at 6:30pm there will be a free screening of the movie Carry Greenham Home at the Gulbenkian Cinema as part of the Fifty Years of Feminism Film Season.

The film will end with a discussion panel including Laura Hart and Anne Logan (SSPSSR), chaired by Elizabeth Cowie (School of Arts).

Filmed by Amanda Richardson and Beeban Kidron, now Baroness Kidron, over seven months at the Greenham Common women’s peace camp set up to oppose the siting of Cruise Missiles nearby – an occupation that lasted 19 years, – Carry Greenham Home shows the direct action taken to disrupt activities at the USAF base in Greenham. Giving a much fuller picture of what life was like than the fragmented and distorted news reports at the time, it shows the processes underlying the women’s decisions, the influence of outside forces, and the verve and style with which they developed their own brand of non-violent direct action, as well as their struggle to forge new values and ways of living in a non-hierarchical community. We see the difficulties of camp life, and the women’s feelings of anger, but also shows moments of great joy and laughter.

KTV Receives International Recognition

KTV has received international recognition for one of its student drama productions, ‘Inside Cleopatra’. The film was awarded an Honourable Mention in the Student Film-maker category at the inaugural San Francisco Film Festival. ‘Inside Cleopatra’ is a five episode long student mini-series in which a university student accepts a challenge to defy the normal relationship conventions with all five of his classmates. He is forced to face his inner demons as he goes too far.

For more information please see their Facebook page.

And for more on KTV’s content see their YouTube page.

Kent Law student completes the Reading Half Marathon in aid of the Kent Law Campaign

On Sunday 22nd March 2015 Billy Ng, Vice-Chair of the Kent Law Campaign Student Group, ran the Vitality Reading Half Marathon in just 2 hours 12 minutes to raise money for the Kent Law Campaign.

The Reading Half Marathon is a 13.1mile course starting in the stunning parkland of Green Park; this year saw 15,357 runners take part and among them was our champion Billy Ng. We would like to thank Billy for taking part in this gruelling challenge and raising a fantastic £530 in aid of the Campaign.

If you would like to sponsor Billy please visit his JustGiving fundraising page.

Special viewing of the solar eclipse

Staff and students from the School of Physical Sciences were out in force at a solar eclipse event run by the student Space Society.

The Space Society organised the special event, set at the telescope domes in Parkwood, in association with BBC’s Stargazing Live. Free glasses were given out to help view the eclipse, and academics answered questions while hoping the skies would clear.

The event was scheduled to be from 08:30-10:30 and many were there from the outset. The eclipse itself however – due to peak at 09:34 – remained stubbornly enshrouded in cloud.

Professor Michael Smith, head of the Centre for Astrophysics and Planetary Sciences said ‘Clouds are good at eclipsing the Sun but not our spirits. It was a tremendous feeling of sharing a special hour that will not return. On this side of the blanket of the clouds we were warmed while the Universe carried on doing what it does best.’

Rob Cross, one of the Rocketry officers for the Space Society added: ‘We expected the sun to be 80% covered but instead it was 100% covered… shame it was by clouds!’

The next solar eclipse will occur next year in Indonesia. The next one visible in the UK is not until 2026.

For more information, contact Kim Britnell.

 

Festival of Projections – tell us what you think!

Calling all University of Kent staff and students. Tell us what you think and be entered into a prize draw. 

The School of Arts is planning a festival as part of the University of Kent’s 50th anniversary celebrations. The international Festival of Projections will illuminate the University, turning our campus into a beacon of light. A festival where all can engage with contemporary ideas through a unique, risk taking, cross discipline and culturally diverse programme.  

We are conducting a short Audience survey for University of Kent staff and students. To complete the survey click here https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/2LY9ZLW 

We have teamed up with the Gulbenkian to offer 3 gift vouchers in our prize draw (one worth £50, and two £25) for the cinema/theatre. To enter the prize draw, make sure you complete Q.10 with your contact details. Winners will be announced at the end of April.  

If you have ideas you would like to put forward for the festival please get in touch with the Project Managers, Sue Jones and Catherine Herbert on S.Jones-339@kent.ac.uk or C.Herbert@kent.ac.uk

 

Mystery Diner opportunities!

We’re giving you the chance to eat for free in 7 different catering outlets before 10th April. In return we’ll ask you to give us feedback on each of your visits.

If you’re a student based in Canterbury and would like to get involved (and haven’t done so before) drop us an email at catering@kent.ac.uk by 2pm this Friday (19th March), telling us why you’d be a good Mystery Diner.