Category Archives: Student Guide

Events roundup 13-19 March

Here’s a roundup of what’s on this week.

Online Module Registration (OMR) opens for undergraduate students on Wednesday 15 March. Find out more about choosing your modules for next year.

Industrial action reminder: Wednesday, Thursday and Friday are UCU strike days, so your teaching may be affected on these days. The College and Community Life Team are offering drop-in support sessions on these days in Locke Building between 9:00-17:00. How to prepare for a strike day.

Monday: Graduation Message Day, Neurodiversity Café and PG Coffee Morning (Medway)

In your final year? On Monday head to the plaza outside Co-op to write a message about your time at Kent or a thank you message to friends or family. We’ll take a photo of you with your message and these will be displayed at graduation in July.

As part of Neurodiversity Celebration Week, we’re hosting our first Neurodiversity Café. The event is for students and staff who identify as neurodivergent (that is, who have or may have autism, dyspraxia, dyscalculia, dysgraphia, ADHD, Tourette’s) to get to know one another and share their experiences of neurodivergence at university.

Over Monday lunchtime we have a PG coffee morning in Rochester building at Medway campus. Come along to meet other PG students, staff from the Graduate and Researcher College and PG Network reps. If you’re an undergrad considering postgrad study, you’re also welcome to come along and find out more about the postgrad experience.

Wednesday: Diamond Orchard planting, Language Taster Sessions and Exam Chambers practice sessions

We managed to plant some trees last week in the snow (!) but need your help to plant more. We’re planting 300 trees in our new Diamond Orchard at Canterbury campus to mark our Diamond Anniversary in 2025. Our new undergraduates will graduate in 2025 when we’re celebrating our Diamond Anniversary! Be part of this legacy.

On Wednesday there are free language taster sessions as part of our Study Plus programme to help you develop new skills. You can try learning languages including Mandarin, Ukrainian and Italian. See all Study Plus sessions.

Student Learning Advisory Service (SLAS) are offering an exam practice session at Medway to help you improve your performance in exams and reduce any feelings of anxiety. There’s no revision and no marking, just an opportunity to practice. See all exams preparation events. 

Friday: Gardening and Exam Essay Writing

Get involved at the Kent Community Oasis Garden, located near Park Wood at our Canterbury campus. Every Wednesday and Friday (10:00-14:00) there are open gardening sessions for students, staff and community members.

Starting to think about your exams? Join SLAS session about essay writing in exams, which includes a live presentation and time for questions.

See more student events.

Opportunities

See more student opportunities.

Shivali and Tommy from Kent Mind wearing Mind and Student Minds T shirts

Kent Stars: Kind Kent Mind 

This month’s Kent Stars are the Kent Mind Society. A new society this year, Kent Mind has created supportive events for students and fundraised for charities including Mind and Student Minds. Hear from Shivali and Tommy at Kent Mind: 

Shivali – “Hi, I’m Shivali. I am the President of Kent Mind Society and a third-year Economics student, looking at a career in Philanthropy after my involvement in many of the Community Action Groups here at Kent.”

Tommy – “Hi. My name is Tommy and I am the Campaigns Coordinator for Kent Mind Society. I’m an MSc by Research student in Computer Science and I’ve been a part of many societies throughout my four years at the University of Kent.”

Tell us about Kent Mind Society. 

“Kent Mind Society is a very new society on campus, started in August, with the aims of creating safe and supportive spaces on campus, destigmatising conversations about mental health, and fundraising for Mind and Student Minds. 

We founded Kent Mind to help with the demand for support as we face a student mental health crisis and our desire to enact change on campus. We’ve run a wide variety of events from socials, fundraisers and wellbeing drop-ins, and we’ve raised awareness for important dates like Disability History Month and Time To Talk Day. 

Our greatest success this year was the launch of the ‘Safe Space’ initiative last term, providing a supportive environment with blankets, lights, board games and study materials for anyone who feels lonely, low or bored on a Friday night. This was a safe alternative to ‘Friday Night Drinks’, and we are excited to relaunch the initiative bigger and better in the Summer Term. 

We’ve had the great privilege of working with other local charities such as Porchlight, supporting their NHS-commissioned project on 18-25 year olds who have experienced mental health crises. 

We continued strong this term with our calendar of events for University Mental Health Day, including a Bingo Fundraiser at Woody’s and our Spring Prom at Venue. More details of upcoming events can be found on our Instagram (@kent_mind_society).”

Shivali and Tommy from Kent Mind smiling at each other

 What advice would you give to other students?

Tommy – “I think that it is important to remember that your mental health is the most important thing. It can be very easy for the university workload and life to get on top of us, and we need to remember that it is acceptable for us to take a step back and look after our own wellbeing.”

Shivali – “My best piece of advice is to take note and make sure to do at least one thing every day that’s just ‘time for myself’. Whether it’s 5 minutes of reflection, going for a walk or having a long bath, try and make time once a day to look after yourself.”

What are your plans for next year?

“During our summer term, we hope to continue our ‘Safe Spaces’ initiative to provide a chilled and relaxed space amongst all the exam-related stress. 

In the next year, we would love to continue our fundraising schemes and collaborate with other Community Action Groups, sports clubs and societies to raise even more money for some great causes. 

We’d also love to work closer with student committees to raise awareness of how to look out for your members and be considerate of mental health.”

See more Kent Stars and nominate a Kent Star. 

chef preparing a meal

Get a free ticket for Kent Giving Week’s cooking show

There are 100 free student tickets to see Kent Giving Week’s ‘In The Kitchen Cooking Show’ on Tuesday 21 March at 12:00-13:00 in Darwin Conference Suite.

The show includes free tasters but you will have to be quick before all the free tickets go!

Get your free ticket now!

Professional chefs will provide a masterclass on how to cook their trademark dishes on a budget. What’s more, our fabulous in-house caterers will recreate them for the audience.

Find out more about Kent Giving Week and how you can get involved!

Photo by Jason Briscoe on Unsplash

group of staff and students at walk finish line

Join 5k Your Way on 23 March

Come participate or volunteer for 5k Your Way which is a sponsored 5km route around the campus on Thursday 23 March from 12:00-14:00

You can come along as a group to walk (or run!) to help us reach the goal of providing 10,000 meals for students facing extreme financial hardship. Students can register for free. 

Find out more about Kent Giving Week and how you can get involved.

If you are facing financial hardship, please see support available to you and contacts on our cost of living webpages.

Undergraduate Online Module Registration opens 15-26 March

From Wednesday 15 March to Sunday 26 March, Online Module Registration is open for you to choose the undergraduate modules that you wish to study in 2023/2024.

You will receive an email when Online Module Registration is open. Prior to this, you should prepare by reading your Subject Requirements and viewing our guidance, which details the step by step process of how to complete Online Module Registration.

Online Module Registration for students entering Stages 2, 3 and 4 is not first come, first served. In order to give you the best opportunity to register for your preferred choice of modules, please ensure that you have submitted your selections by Sunday 26 March 2023 at the latest.

Please note: Some students do not have to complete Online Module Registration. These students include those who are going abroad or to a year in industry next year, or if your course has entirely compulsory modules.

If you have any questions please contact the Student Administration team.

Student Emily wearing gold medal holding England flag

Emily Calder fights her way to the Taekwondo World Championships for a second year

Having registered for her course at the School of Sport & Exercise Science in September 2022, Emily didn’t take long to achieve sporting success and put the Kent Sports Scholarship Scheme on the international map.

Following on from the pandemic, Emily built on her fitness and mat time, to take on the IFT World Championships in Argentina in October 2022. After a few tense days in Argentina, watching her teammates compete, Emily took to the floor and competed in ‘patterns’. With an unfortunate loss, Emily worked with her team coach to channel her energy and focussed on her next round, ‘sparing’. Emily fought four gruelling, intense fights, finally facing off with an Argentinian opponent. Following the fight, Emily’s arm was raised into the air, in front of the whole stadium, as she won the gold medal and World Champion title for a second year!

Emily’s autumn success and 2022 honours did not end in Argentina, after topping the podium, Emily has added more gold to her collection at the ITFU British Championships winning both the Patterns and Sparring categories, securing her rank as #1 in the UK for the ITFU.

Read more about Emily’s journey and what she had to say about her World Championship success in our latest Kent Sports blog post.

Take your ambition further. Discover how at our Postgraduate Open Event.

Postgraduate Open Event, 1 April

Join us out our Postgraduate Open Event on Saturday 1 April, meet our staff and current students across our UK and European campuses. 

What to expect at the Open Event:

  • Find out more about postgraduate study at Kent in Canterbury, Medway, Paris and Brussels.
  • Discover our multimillion-pound scholarship fund and other funding opportunities.
  • Learn more about our career focused programmes and work-placement options. As well as our conversion courses in psychology, business, economics, computer science, journalism, law, social and healthcare for those looking for a change of direction.
  • Meet and chat to our incredible academic and support staff as well as our current students.

Book your place today.

Group of students celebrating Holi

Events roundup 6-12 March

This week is jam-packed full of activities and events. It’s WorldFest, our student-led celebration of cultural diversity which includes the International Food Fair in the plaza at Canterbury campus, plus fun events like Holi, quizzes and film nights. See all WorldFest events.

Interested in a creative career? Whether you’re studying a creative subject or not, you’re welcome to join our Creative Careers Week events this week.

Monday: Global Hangout World Quiz, Pets as Therapy (Medway) and Alumna Talk

How much do you really know about the world? Come and test your knowledge at our World Quiz Global Hangout in the Gulbenkian.

Join us for Pets as Therapy at the Hub on Monday lunchtime to meet some cute pups!

Join this In Conversation with Beth Matthews event, a Kent alumna who has trained to be an Access Coordinator for High-End TV, a role that advocates for deaf, disabled and neurodivergent talent within the screen industry. Hear from Beth about her experiences and her advice for your next career steps. Read more about Beth and other Kent grads who are involved in Creative Careers Week.

Tuesday: Worldfest Fair (Medway), Canterbury Graduation Launch, Solidary with Kherson State University

On Tuesday we have the WorldFest Fair at the Hub, where you can try lots of cultural activities including African Drumming, Indian Painting as well as chat to different societies.

All final year students at Canterbury are invited to join our graduation launch on Tuesday. Come along to find out when you’ll be graduating and what to expect on the day, plus some fun activities and chance to win prizes.

In light of the anniversary of the war in Ukraine, on Tuesday afternoon you’re invited to join our online solidarity event with Kherson State University (KSU). Hear from Kherson colleagues about their book ‘Chronicles of a Displaced University’. Colleagues from Kent will then show their support and relay plans to collaborate further with KSU in the coming months.

Wednesday: Lead Kent voting (day 1), Diamond Orchard planting, Medway graduation launch, International Women’s Day and Exam Chambers

Book your place to help us plant 300 trees in our new Diamond Orchard at Canterbury campus. We need student volunteers to help us plant the trees, which will grow with our new undergraduates who will graduate in 2025 when we’re celebrating our Diamond Anniversary! Be part of this legacy.

Wednesday is day 1 of voting in the Kent Union student leadership elections. It’s time to decide who you want to represent you for the next academic year. You can also view all candidate information and place your vote online via the Kent Union website.

All final year students at Medway are invited to join our Medway graduation launch event on Tuesday. Find out when you’ll be graduating and what to expect on the day, plus some fun activities and giveaways.

Wednesday is also International Women’s Day. CEMS, NATS and the UKC Women’s Network have joined forces this year to celebrate International Women’s Day with a panel discussion on ‘Women in STEM: How far have we come? What obstacles still need to be overcome?’

Student Learning Advisory Service (SLAS) are offering Exam Chambers – simulated exam sessions to help ease any anxieties you may feel about sitting in-person exams. There are sessions at both Canterbury and Medway.

Thursday: Lead Kent voting day 2 and Digital Creatives Panel

Thursday is day 2 of voting in the Kent Union student leadership elections. It’s time to decide who you want to represent you for the next academic year. Head to the polling station at The Venue to cast your vote or ask any questions. You can also view all candidate information and place your vote online via the Kent Union website.

Join us for this Digital Creatives Panel to hear from a range of creative professionals including a digital marketeer, commercial photographer, web designer and professional podcaster! This event is both in-person (Keynes) and online.

Friday: Lead Kent Results Night and creative careers events

On Friday it’s the Lead Kent Results Night. Come to Venue to find out who your elected officers will be for next academic year and join the celebrations.

Want a career in a creative industry? Find out how to make an impact with your CV for creative roles. And if you’re graduating this year, you can also attend this online workshop to make your own graduation action plan.

Saturday: Holi

On Saturday you can join our Holi celebrations at Canterbury campus. Pull on a white t-shirt and come and join in the colour-throwing fun as Kent celebrates the Hindu spring festival!

See more student events.

Opportunities

See more student opportunities.

Ukraine flag

Solidarity event with Kherson State University, 7 March

In light of the anniversary of the war in Ukraine, we invite you to join the University of Kent and Kherson State University (KSU) for a solidarity event on Tuesday 7 March at 16:00 UK time and 18.00 EET, via Teams.

In light of the anniversary of the war in Ukraine, the University of Kent will be holding a solidarity event in collaboration with Kherson State University.

During the event, KSU colleagues will show a presentation on their book, Chronicles of a Displaced University where they have gathered their thoughts and memories about a world in occupation and their new lives in Ivano-Frankivsk.

Colleagues from across the University of Kent will then show their support through a series of messages of support and relaying of plans to collaborate with KSU in the upcoming months. Kent is proud to support our twinning programme partner, Kherson State University as a wider UK effort to aid Ukrainian institutions affected by the war.

Please register to attend.

Pets as Therapy dog

Events roundup 27 Feb – 5 March

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

See more student opportunities.