Category Archives: Student Guide

Your new and improved ‘Progress Profile’ is ready to view

What are Progress Profiles?

A Progress Profile is a web app that graphically displays your academic progress. Every Kent undergraduate student will have a Progress Profile. They display your attendance and marks in an easy to evaluate format to quickly identify strengths, areas for focus and patterns that might otherwise be obscured. They’ve now been enhanced to show even more detail than before.

Why are they important?

Students have told us that sometimes it’s hard to know how well their studies are going. We created Progress Profiles to give a clear picture of your performance across every stage of the degree journey.

Academic Advisers can also see the reports of all their advisees. We all know how important it is for students to have regular conversations about their studies with an Academic Adviser and Progress Profiles can help focus and augment these conversations.

Progress Profiles can be accessed directly from the top banner of the Student Guide.

For any queries relating to access to, or content of, Progress Profiles, please contact the Information Services Helpdesk: helpdesk@kent.ac.uk

For further information or to provide feedback on Progress Profiles please contact the Student Success Team studentsuccessproject@kent.ac.uk.

Returning student accommodation applications now open!

Getting organised for next year? You’ll be pleased to know you (and your friends) can now apply for Kent’s accommodation for September 2023!

If you’re still in a post-Christmas haze, don’t fret, we’re here to take the hassle out of house hunting and worrying about deposits or bill payments. Opt to stay on campus next year and take advantage of the great benefits of living on campus.

Campus accommodation benefits:

All utilities are included (gas, electric, heating, water, personal contents insurance and Wi-Fi)
Zero deposit with nothing to pay until September 2023 (Canterbury campus) or an advanced rent payment for Pier Quays
Free sports membership at Kent Sport or Medway Park
Excellent location, just a stone’s throw away from study areas and social facilities
Shorter contracts lengths that match your term dates
24-hr campus security
Dedicated college reception and maintenance teams

We’ve set aside a limited number of rooms across the Canterbury campus and Pier Quays exclusively for returning students, so whether you are in your second, third or fourth year you can apply online!

Extra perks:

Live with your friends. Just tell us in your application whom you’d like to be roomies with and if you meet our requirements, we’ll house you together! (Check out our FAQs for more info).
Guaranteed offer for the first 1,000 undergraduate Canterbury returning student applications and all Medway applications.
Clarity and certainty. Early applicants get their confirmation as early as the end of January, with room allocation information following from late March/April.

Check your emails from the Accommodation Team or visit our returning student accommodation page for more information including our handy FAQs.

So, remove the worry of finding a new place to live, and instead apply online now and relax knowing you can live with friends and have the great facilities available on campus to return to next year.

Industrial action update – Strike action 1 February

We’ve now been notified that UCU members will be on strike on Wednesday 1 February – this is part of a coordinated day of action by lots of other trade unions to protest changes to strike laws in the UK.

Not all lecturers are UCU members and not all members take strike action. We’ll be in touch ahead of the 1st with more information about what we’re doing to minimise the impact of any disruption at Kent and in the meantime urge all sides to keep talking in the interests of settling the current national dispute.

We are here to support you throughout industrial action and will provide regular updates.

Read more on the background to the strikes and what we are doing at Kent on the industrial action website.

Tips to boost your winter wellbeing

With the days still short and a bit dank and grey, it’s easy to feel a bit gloomy in January, but there are things we can do shift our mindset. Psychology PhD student Kelly Dawson shares her advice for boosting your mental health this winter, together with information and opportunities from Student Support and Wellbeing staff at Kent.

Gratitude

Find five things you are grateful for today

Find five things that you are grateful for. These don’t have to be big mind-blowing things (though they can be of course). It could be the feel of your slippers as you slide your feet into them in the morning or the warmth of your coffee cup in your hand or the feel of your dog’s cold wet nose as they nudge you for a stroke. These were three things that happened to me within 15 minutes of being awake this morning. When you really focus on gratitude, that blue feeling just slips away.

Share the good (and not so good) bits of your week at the Wellbeing Café

The Wellbeing Café takes place every week (starts for this term on Monday 23 January 2023) and is a space to connect with other students in a relaxed environment with a focus on promoting your wellbeing and mental health through activity. Last term’s activities included a Positive Planner journaling session, a great tool for remembering to notice what you are grateful for. Find out more about the Wellbeing Café on the Student Support and Wellbeing Events calendar.

Mindfulness

Be present in this moment

We spend lots of our time reminiscing about the past or planning the future. But spending some time being fully immersed in the moment is really beneficial. Look around you, what can you see and hear? Are there any particular smells? What are your hands touching, how does that feel? Is it rough or smooth? Your senses are a great way to bring yourself right to the present moment. Spend a few minutes five times throughout the day focussing on your sensory experience.

Free mindfulness classes with a qualified instructor

Come along to the popular mindfulness meditation sessions – a great way to improve your wellbeing alongside other Kent students. They take place on Wednesdays at 13:00 online and 17:00 in-person. Find out more about Mindfulness at Kent.

Endorphins

Get out in nature, exercise, or take a cold shower

Get up early and go for a walk (or a run/cycle if that’s your thing), preferably in nature. If you don’t enjoy nature, that’s no problem, don’t do something you don’t like. Try any form of exercise, from swimming to dancing in your kitchen! If exercise isn’t for you, then try turning your morning shower as cold as you can comfortably stand for a few seconds. Anything that gets your blood pumping will help your body release endorphins!

Come along to the community garden in Park Wood

Get outdoors in the allotment! The Kent Community Oasis Garden (KentCOG) is a project run by a collection of students, staff and community members working to create a sustainability hub centred around growing food. Go along to one of their open gardening sessions on Wednesday and Friday (10:00-14:00). Find out more about KentCOG.

Self-care

Set aside some of your day to do something that makes you feel good

Self-care is super important all of the time, but on cold dark days definitely do something for yourself that makes you feel good. Don’t just think about it, actually set aside part of your day in your calendar to make this happen – it can be reading a good book, taking a nap or meeting a friend.

Find something relaxing to read in Templeman Library

The new ‘Love to Read’ area in the Templeman Library Cafe has a collection of novels, best-selling books, self-help titles and e-books. You can borrow them as usual with your ID card, or sit in the cosy area and take a break from studying. Find out more about the Love to Read collection.

Need wellbeing support?

Have a look at the Student Support and Wellbeing webpages to find out about support services including a free, confidential counselling service and 24/7 online and phone support partners.

Written by Kelly Dawson (PhD researcher in Cognitive Neuropsychology), and Joshua Stevens (Student Services), 12.01.23

Events roundup: 16-22 January

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.

Say goodbye to library fines!

We will no longer charge fines on overdue loan items. This improvement to the library service is one of many to support you during the cost-of-living crisis.

This change will come into effect from 3 February at the Templeman and Drill Hall libraries.

Already have fines for overdue items on your account? Good news – return any overdue items as soon as possible and any related fines will be removed.

Please remember that some other charges may remain on your library account until you clear them.

Our ambitions for a sustainable University, and how you can get involved

If you’ve returned after the winter holidays thinking about what changes you might make in your life this year, you’re not alone. The start of the year is a great time to take stock and start thinking about ways you might change your behaviour to reduce the pressure on the planet.

What does sustainability mean?

To sustain means to ‘support’, ‘hold’ or ‘keep up’, and when we talk about sustainability, people often firstly think about environmental sustainability – that is protecting the planet, halting climate change and promoting social development. This means thinking creatively about how we might cover our present needs without compromising resources for future generations. This is also intertwined with concepts of social and economic sustainability, making sure that our progress as a society can be maintained without leaving anyone behind.

What are we doing at Kent to meet sustainability goals?

The University are signatories of the Sustainable Development Goals Education Accord. That means we are committed to embedding the 17 biggest global challenges of our time into everything we do; our operations, teaching and research.

Our ambition is that by 2025, even before visiting us, people will be aware that the university is a key actor in addressing the climate and ecological emergency and is demonstrating dramatic reductions in CO2 emissions. Through our campuses and online presence, our staff, students and the local community will experience the obvious actions and activities that show how seriously the University of Kent takes climate action and social and environmental responsibility. Every building on our campuses will show signs of having moved to more sustainable power. Our transport systems will be much less fossil-fuel based, and our shops, cafes and restaurants will focus on more sustainable produce. Our green spaces will demonstrate our connection to the natural environment, making spaces for people to enjoy that protect, enhance and allow biodiversity to flourish. More than all this, our education will be steeped in a culture of continuous improvement to ensure that all our students in all subjects are learning the skills and knowledge needed for a sustainable future. You can read about all of our targets in the University’s Sustainability Strategy.

How can you get involved?

Keep up to date with sustainability activities and events by following unikent.sustainability on Instagram, or search #UniKentSustainability
Join one of Kent’s amazing student led societies centred around environmental and/or social sustainability
Take part in Kent’s Environmentally Friendly Careers Week from 23 January to 27 January 2023
Want to be involved in sustainability activity in your School/Division? Find out who your local staff Sustainability Champion is and get in touch with them

Orchard Planting

This term we will be planting an orchard of over 300 fruit and nut trees on the edge of the Canterbury campus. What will be known as the diamond anniversary orchard has been planned ahead of the University’s 60th birthday in 2025 and the space has been designed by the future class of 2025, our undergraduates who started a 3-year degree this year.

The site on the Southern Slopes of the campus provides an ideal setting for a semi-natural orchard and meadow that will not only be a beautiful space for students, staff and community members to enjoy, but also provides a complex habitat that will boost biodiversity in the area.

As the space matures it will become a mosaic of trees, grasses, shrubs and wild flowers supporting a wide range of wildlife. As fruit trees age quickly, they create the perfect habitats for invertebrates and birds, such as the lesser spotted woodpecker and the rare noble chafer beetle. Orchard meadows with swathes cut through for paths provide a peaceful space to walk through and enjoy and with the increase bird life in the area the birdsong in this area will begin to match that heard in Bluebell wood. You can get involved with the planting and find out more about activities planned in the space on our anniversary orchard webpage.

We also have plans for the Medway campus bringing high pollen value plants for bees and butterflies to the communal seating area at Rochester Lawn, building upon the new seating and shaded area there. We will also be planting up large pots around the Medway building to improve access to nature at an urban campus and seeded a new wildflower meadow to bring nature in!

Veganuary

Doing or trying the plant-based thing? The Templeman library are supporting this month with a themed reading list that includes books and films on veganism, and sustainable living but also on the cost of living and how to manage money., check out the library blogpost on veganuary for more information.

Want to share your sustainability tips/ wins/ challenges? Find unikent.sustainability on Instagram, #UniKentSustainability.

Written by Natalia Crisanti, Catherine Morris and Emily Mason, staff 10.01.23

Support at Canterbury in the Spring Term

Welcome or welcome back to Kent! It can be hard to get going with dark days and cold weather, so check out our Tips to boost your winter wellbeing.

As we move into Spring Term, remind yourself of all the support on offer at our Canterbury campus and online.

Nexus – your campus help point

Not sure where to go to ask a question? Head to Nexus in Templeman Library. Enter the library through the main entrance, go through the turnstiles and take the first right.

As well as a social and study area, Nexus is your campus help point. The staff at Nexus can help with any query and point you in the right direction.

You can also access Nexus online.

Financial support including £3 meal deal

With the cost of living rising, you are probably thinking more about your finances. Our cost-of-living support webpage includes information about Campus Pantry, our £3 meal deal in Rutherford Dining Hall and our range of emergency financial support options.

Our financial help and advice webpage also includes tips on budgeting, getting a part-time job and who to contact for further support. Plus, we offer a range of emergency financial support options.

You can also speak to Kent Union’s Advice Service about any extra support or advice you might need.

Might you benefit from contact with Student Support and Wellbeing?

If you have a disability, chronic condition, mental health condition, specific learning difficulty or autism, please contact Student Support and Wellbeing to see how they can help you make the most of your university journey – you can access services at any time during your studies.

We have a team of expert staff who can help you face the challenges of studying, socialising and living independently, whatever else you might be going through, whether it’s something you’re experiencing for the first time at university or something you have dealt with for a while.

There is also a free confidential counselling service which offers you a safe space to address issues concerning you and can help get thoughts, feelings, behaviour and perspective on life back in balance again.

Support with your studies

Our Student Learning and Advisory Service (SLAS) can help you to develop your studying skills – everything from perfecting your essay writing to learning how to reference properly.

Don’t forget your School and Division is also there to help you with your studies and offer a range of study support.

College and Community Life

The friendly Colleges and Community Life Team can help you connect with other students in your College community through activities and initiatives, working with your College Committee and Residential Life Assistants. They can offer advice and refer you to other specialist services.

Kent Union

Kent Union is your Students’ Union. From money worries to housing issues, academic problems to visa support, Kent Union’s Student Advice Service is available to help through their free, impartial and confidential advice service.

You can also get in touch with your Kent Union full-time officers who are each responsible for specific areas within the Union.

Health services

Kent has its own NHS general practice on campus called the University Medical Centre, with an independent pharmacy next to it.

Our University Nursing Service provide advice for minor illnesses/injuries and contraception, and is staffed 24 hours a day during term time by registered nurses. Check out this Visual Guide: Finding Health Support and Emergency Services at University

Turn your hand at Tennis

Ready to dust off your racquet, or just looking to take up a new sport, the tennis centre has you covered!

Tennis is also a great way to get fit, meet new people and improve your physical and mental health!

There are a couple of ways you can get involved. For those of you who feel semi confident to just have a go, use your Kent Sport membership or take out a free Pay to Play membership if you’ve not yet signed up. This enables you to book a court through the online portal whenever you fancy a game. Student Pay to Play sessions are just £4.50 and if you’re a Premium Plus member, it’s completely free! You can check out all our membership options on our website.

Alternatively, if you would like a little more input, book a place on one of our LTA group coaching sessions for just £10 per session. Develop your tennis skills with our fully qualified LTA coaches. Nick Skelton is an LTA Level 5 Coach and leads the team of LTA-qualified coaches at Kent Sport. Sessions run over one hour and are the perfect place to meet new people and enhance your technique.

To find out more about these sessions, read our latest blog!

The Santander Universities Scholars Programme is now open

The Santander Universities Scholars Programme is a new flagship initiative aimed at breaking down barriers for students who are most likely to face challenges when attending higher education.

The initiative provides funding to support them through to graduation, alongside training opportunities to develop their potential and help them build brighter futures.

The programme will support 100 full-time current undergraduate students, due to graduate in 2025, throughout the duration of their studies. They will receive £30k of funding over three academic years, a series of employability training and development sessions and a dedicated mentor to guide them through the programme.

This flagship, multi-million-pound scholars programme, was developed in collaboration with our partner universities, including the University of Kent, and is aimed at providing more structured and holistic higher education support that is ongoing, combats a range of challenges and is not just a stamp in time.

Am I eligible?
In order to be eligible to apply, you must meet the following criteria:

Applicants must be aged 18 or older.
Applicants must be current full-time undergraduate students at the University of Kent, completing their undergraduate course in 2025. Any degree discipline is welcome.
Applicants must qualify as a Home Fee Status student.
Applicants must not be receiving more than £1,500 per year in external sponsorship
for their degree, for example, from other sources such as industry bodies/employers
(University Core Bursaries and Government grants do not affect your eligibility).
Applicants must self-identify as part of at least one of the following under-represented
groups (guidance has been taken from the Office for Students’ existing list of underrepresented groups).– Students from areas of low higher education participation, low household income
or low socioeconomic status.
– Black, Asian and minority ethic students.
– Mature students.
– Disabled students.
– Care experienced students.
– Carers.
– Students estranged from their families.
– Students from Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities.
– Refugees.
– Students from military families.

Apply now:

Applications are now open and will close at 23:00 on 31 of January 2023.

Apply and learn more about the Santander Universities Scholars Programme >

Watch the video to find out more: