Category Archives: Student Guide

Careers support for your final year of Uni

The Careers and Employability Service is here to support you now, and for three years after you leave Kent.

Whether its finding internships and work experience, volunteering, or your dream graduate job, we are here for you – we can even help you with selecting postgraduate study options.

Book an appointment with a Careers Adviser

You can access our help through online or face-to-face appointments using our booking system, where you will find 15-minute Quick Advice appointments, 45-minute Careers Guidance appointments, or even practice interview slots for when you have a job interview lined up.

If you aren’t sure what you want to do after Kent, a Careers Guidance appointment will help you in making decisions and future plans.

If you just have a quick question, or would like a CV or application reviewed, a Quick Advice appointment is best.

Online resources

We also have a wide range of online resources that can help with achieving your next career goal.

We have an online CV reviewing system that can check your CV and even match it against a job description, giving you a real edge over other applicants.

If you haven’t got a CV, or think it might need a lot of work, we have some handy guides to CVs and applications.

We also have a practice interview system that will help you improve your video interview performance.

If you find yourself being invited for an assessment centre, you might want to check out our practice tests which give feedback on how you are performing.

Getting your dream job

We are here to help you navigate the graduate labour market, and provide access to vacancies, we have some helpful guides on working in different roles and sectors, or alternatively, you can find out what people go on to do that have studied the same subject as you.

You can also chat to one of our qualified advisers – no career question is too simple or complex.

Events and workshops

We also run a large number of events and workshops at which hundreds of employers every year come onto campus to give insight into the world of work.

This includes our sector themed weeks where we soon have charities and NGOs, Inspiring Women, Creative Industries and Science and Data.

Earn Employability Points

Don’t forget, that any activities that you do, are likely to give you Employability Points, which can help you gain work experience and internships.

What uni feedback – chance to win £2,000 voucher

Words have power. They can incite, or they can inspire.

And your words could literally change the course of someone’s life, by making them think differently about their future, or inspiring them to consider a city, uni or course they never previously thought of.

Whatuni is the UK’s largest source of real, honest student reviews. Reviews which give current students a voice, and help future students make really important decisions about their future.

They also give institutions insights into what students think about their experiences – what they love about where they study, and what could be improved.

Write your review for your chance to win a £2,000 voucher.

Celebrating Consent Day with Ruby Rare! 9 February

We’re committed to cultivating and strengthening a culture of consent in our community.

You’re invited to our sex-positive Celebrating Consent Day on Wednesday 9 February. Everyone is welcome to attend, learn, and participate.

Join us in Darwin Conference Suite from 13.00 for an afternoon of interactive and engaging sessions. Get your free tickets via Eventbrite where you can book tickets for as many or as few sessions as you would like!

13.00-14.00 The World of Online Dating: find your perfect partner and stay safe

We are starting our afternoon with a workshop on online dating. METRO and Protection Against Stalking (PAS) will be telling us about how to stay safe in the online dating world, and how to create a profile and enjoy getting know people. This is for everyone! Whatever your gender, sexuality, age or current dating status, there will be intel for you to reflect on navigating digital spaces and your online identity.

14.15-15.15 Sex & Empowerment with Ruby Rare

For the second session we will be joined by Ruby Rare, a sex-educator, artist, and body-positive champion. She’s on a mission to engage people of all ages in positive conversations about sex and pleasure. Her work is influenced by her experiences as a queer, non-monogamous, dual-heritage person. She has recently launched the podcast In Touch and is the author of ‘Sex Ed: A Guide for Adults’. You can expect a talk that moves away from the typical heteronormative sex-ed and addresses the ways in which we can tackle the stigmas around consent education and put pleasure first.

Ruby is a proud ambassador for Brook, the UK’s leading sexual health charity for young people, co-founder of life drawing collective Body Love Sketch Club, and has spoken at TedXLondon, Women of the World Festival, and on BBC Woman’s Hour. She is listed as one of 24 figures making a positive change to social media in Cosmopolitan’s 2021 Positivity Index.

15.30-17.00 Crafting Consent: a collaborative artwork

Our final session invites all participants to reflect on sex-positivity, empowerment, and consent by making a contribution to our community artwork. We will be providing all the materials you need and food to fuel your inner artist! Stick around for a chat with our speakers and each other, have time to discuss your ideas and responses while we create a lasting memento of this snapshot in time of Kent’s journey to a more inclusive sex-positive culture.

Register for events. We hope to see you there!

Will you help us put a full stop to sexual assault and misconduct? Consent. Get it. Full Stop

Talking Cultures: Free intercultural workshops

Are you looking to further enhance your intercultural awareness and an opportunity to meet students from various cultural backgrounds? If so, you might be interested in these stand-alone cultural workshops which are free and open to all Kent students.

Workshops will be delivered in-person at the Canterbury Campus. If you need assistance, please email internationalprogrammes@kent.ac.uk.

Workshop 1: Cultural Knowledge and Identity – EWLA3340

Wednesday 2 Feb, 14.00-15.30.

Workshop 2: Considerations of Intercultural Communication – EWLA3350

Wednesday 9 Feb, 14.00-15.30.

Workshop 3: Barriers to Intercultural Communication; Tools & Strategies – EWLA3360

Wednesday 16 Feb, 14.00-15.30.

Workshop 4: Enhancing cultural awareness – EWLA3370

Wednesday 23 Feb, 14.00-15.30.

Feedback from students who have previously attended a Talking Cultures workshops

Laura Prats Cardona: “Personally, my favourite one [workshop] was the culture workshop, where we were put in groups of more or less ten people and each of us discussed the prejudices on our cultures, what we believed to be culture (which is so much more than just food music or clothes) and what culture we identified ourselves with. It was interesting to see how people who had travelled or moved countries during their childhood (myself included) identified with two or more cultures”.

Bilal Hussain: “Internationalisation and global engagement programmes exemplified by GOLD, such as the talking cultures workshops, have helped fuel this new emerging environment of cultural pride and expression for us all. Going back to the previous point about travelling through the people you meet; internationalisation programmes have become even more important in keeping this momentum going in the current COVID climate where we can’t travel. This only amplifies just how important it is in forging global and diverse relationships so that we can see the world through people. Most importantly however, it improves our respect and awareness of different perspectives from different parts of the world which helps us to build a respectful and tolerant society where we can celebrate each other and forge togetherness rather than divisions”.

Returning student accommodation applications now open

Are you and your friends thinking about where to live next year? Take the hassle out of house hunting and worrying about deposits or bill payments by returning to with us again next year.

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 take advantage of the great benefits of living with us once again when you apply online!

Live with your friends – tell us in your applications and as look as you meet our guidelines we’ll house you together. (Check out our FAQs for more info).
No deposit needed to secure your room – pay nothing until September 2022 for Canterbury campus accommodation and only an advanced rent payment for Pier Quays.
Guaranteed offer– for the first 1,000 Canterbury returning student applications and all Medway applications. You’ll also get quick confirmation with early applicants finding out if their application is successful at the end of January with their room allocation information following from March.
Pay no bills – all utilities are included (gas, water, electricity, heating and Wi-Fi) plus you get to keep your Kent Sport Premium Plus membership for free for another year.

If you are applying for Canterbury accommodation you can apply for any accommodation area except Turing College (which is reserved for new students). In Medway we also have phase 2 rooms available in Pier Quays which returning student applications are given priority for. Rooms are allocated on a first come first served basis so apply early to maximise your chances.

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

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.

Register to vote

Students can be registered to vote at a term-time address and a home address

How do I register?

Registering to vote is quick, easy and secure.

Go to www.gov.uk/register-to-vote
Fill in your name, address, date of birth and a few other details. You will be asked for your National Insurance number, which can be found on your National Insurance card, or in official paperwork such as payslips, or letters about benefits or tax credits. If you do not know or do not have a National Insurance number, please select ‘I cannot supply a National insurance Number’ and enter ‘student’ for the reason.
Students from the UK, EU, Commonwealth, British Overseas Territories and British Crown Dependencies are all eligible to register to vote.

Why should I register?

To vote: You need to register in order to be able to vote. If you are not registered to vote, you won’t have the chance to have a say on who represents you or how things are run. Some people also register to vote because they want to apply for credit. This is because credit reference agencies use the register to confirm where someone lives when they apply for credit in order to counteract fraud.

As a student, you can register at both your term time address and at the address you live at outside of term time. At local elections, you can vote in both areas if they are in different council districts. You can only vote once in a national election such as a UK Parliamentary General Election, it is a criminal offence to vote twice in these elections. If you are unsure which elections you can vote in, check with our Electoral Service team.

But I thought I was already registered to vote?

If you are unsure whether you are registered please contact Electoral Services, Canterbury City Council . Students need to register at their term-time address each academic year.

What if I don’t wish to register in the Canterbury area?

If you do not wish to register in the Canterbury area as you only wish to register at your home address, please email electoral.services@canterbury.gov.uk informing Electoral Services of your wish not to register, together with your term time address and full name.

Electoral Services, Canterbury City Council Contact details

Phone: 01227 862 007
Email: electoral.services@canterbury.gov.uk

If you have any problems or queries with your registration, please contact Electoral Services.

Global WebHangout – International New Year, 21 January

All students are welcome to join this fun and informal, Global WebHangout with a focus on international New Year celebrations. We will also be looking ahead and suggesting ways to keep yourself happy and healthy in 2022. This WebHangout will be taking place on Friday 21 January from 14.00-15.00 (UK time).Meet new students, take part in fun activities and share what the New Year means to you. This event will be opened by Dr Anthony Manning, Director and Dean for Global and Lifelong Learning at Kent and we will have guest speakers to share helpful information with you.We will focus on positivity and wellbeing for the year ahead so we hope this will be a great start to your year!All students are very welcome, from the UK or overseas. We look forward to seeing you there! Sign up for the Global WebHangout.

College and Community Life events this term

The College and Community Life Team have a huge range of events and opportunities to support you and provide new ways for you to engage with others in your College.

What’s on this term?

Song writing competition | 17 January – 18 March 2022

Are you a budding musician? Would you like the opportunity to record a song of yours in a professional recording studio? Enter our song writing competition for the chance to shine and show your creativity!

Cooking workshop | 25 & 26 January 2022

This “Veganuary” learn to make chapattis, butternut and onion rice and Keralan curry from scratch with Kent Hospitality. Look out for monthly cooking workshops coming soon on Canterbury campus, with videos and recipes for those who want to cook along at home.

Inter College Games | 2 March 2022

Get your friends together and prepare to play a variety of sports and active games up against other College teams. All are welcome and no experience required!

Regular Events

Monthly Movie nights | Last Thursday of every month from 18.00

Relaxed social evenings screening movies voted in by you each month, with free popcorn included!

Plant a seed | Every Wednesday from 14.00-15.00

Visit the Community Oasis Garden and get your hands in the earth, meet others and learn new gardening skills in a relaxed outdoor setting.

Borrow Puzzles, Games & Baking Equipment

Looking for something to do at home or want to get together friends for a board games evening? Browse our collection and borrow from us!

Visit the College and Community Life Events Calendar for more information, including booking details if applicable.

Discover Kent Opportunities

Discover Kent is a scheme which provides subsidised and free opportunities to help you see the local sights and socialise, with additional Covid safety measures and support in place. These opportunities are here to prevent isolation and loneliness at Kent.

12 February 2022 | Margate & Broadstairs day trip

26 February 2022 | Dover Castle & Folkestone day trip

13 March 2022 | Whitstable & Herne Bay day trip

26 March 2022 | Brighton day trip

If you would like to find out more about joining one of our Discover Kent visits, please email CCLTeam@kent.ac.uk

Get in touch

We’re here to answer your questions, help or redirect you to the best support for you. Email us at CCLTeam@kent.ac.uk

If you live on-campus please download the Home at Halls App, we regularly use this to communicate our events, competitions and more!

Deadline approaching: Apply to be on our NEW International Student Advisory Board

Are you passionate, organised and motivated to represent international students at Kent and make a difference to their student experience?  #YourUniYourSay

We are delighted to launch our new International Student Advisory Board which is in collaboration with Kent Union to ensure that the needs and voices of our international students are heard.

The purpose of this Board will be:

To inform the inclusivity and accessibility of university-wide services and policies at both the University and Kent Union, for the benefit of all international students at the University of Kent
To provide feedback mechanisms to allow international students to actively contribute towards campaigns, awareness raising and submit suggestions for policy change
To support internationally focused activities and events such as, Welcome week, Annual Worldfest and International Education Week.

We are looking for up to 30 individuals to join this newly established Board which will provide a wonderful opportunity for you to represent and make a difference to your student experience while at Kent.

To apply:
– You must be a current international student at the University of Kent
– You must have enthusiasm and commitment to improving the international student experience
– You must be available to attend all the meeting dates advertised

For more info and to apply please see our webpage. Deadline for applications is 18 January .

Resilience in an ever-changing world

The last few years have brought so many changes in the way we study, work and socialise. Find out about workshops designed to help you respond positively to challenges.

Welcome to 2022, another year on and more changing rules in the ever-changing but long-lasting pandemic. If you’re tired of constantly keeping up with changing rules and re-organising your social and study schedules, you are not alone!

Whatever you have resolved to do with your time this year, see if you can make space for one of the upcoming workshops on ‘Resilience in an ever-changing world’ this term.

It’s a 90-minute informal collaborative workshop for students at all stages of their studies with an external facilitator, on resilience and wellbeing, giving you the opportunity to reflect on your experiences learn practical techniques to support your wellbeing. The session aims to inspire and motivate, leaving people feeling more equipped and more positive about the future. Students can also earn 10 employability points for their attendance.

The next session is on Monday 24 January from 19.00-20.30 online via Teams and available to book online now.

There are other opportunities later in the term to come in person or online as you prefer in the forthcoming schedule, check out the Student Support and Wellbeing Calendar for further details and to book your place:

2 February from 14.00-15.30 hybrid: in room KS4 and via Teams
9 February from 14.00-15.30 hybrid: in room KS4 and via Teams
21 February from 19.00-20.30 online only via Teams
1 March from 19.00-20.30 hybrid: in room KS16 and via Teams
20 April from 14.00-15.30 hybrid: in room KS15 and via Teams

If you have any questions about these or other wellbeing workshops, please contact us at wellbeingevents@kent.ac.uk.

Follow @UniKentSSW for advice and resources to support you, and the latest news on events and workshops available on enhancing your wellbeing.

Written by Natalia Crisanti, Student Services staff, on 11.01.22