Category Archives: Student Guide

Three people talking in a learning environment

Postgraduate Virtual Open Event, 21 May

Thinking of further study? Book now for Kent’s Virtual Postgraduate Open Event on Thursday 21 May. Hear from specialist academics and attend live Q&A sessions to discover all about studying on one of Kent’s postgraduate programmes in the UK and Europe.

Kent has a wide range of subjects, most of which are available full or part-time and some by distance and blended learning. Programmes, many with professional accreditation, are informed by the latest research from world-leading academics so you can develop career-focused skills and knowledge relevant to today’s issues.

Join Kent at our Virtual Open Event to:

  • Learn about their multimillion-pound postgraduate scholarship fund
  • Hear from specialist academics
  • Attend live Q&A sessions with staff and current students
  • Discover Kent’s inspirational locations: Canterbury, Medway, Paris and Brussels
  • Take a look at Kent’s wonderful campuses and postgraduate centres
  • Hear a welcome from Prof Paul Allain, Dean of the Graduate School

Book now for Kent’s Virtual Postgraduate Open Event on Thursday 21 May to reserve your place and to keep updated on everything that will happen on the day.

School of Engineering Waves Event logo

School of Engineering and Digital Arts co-host online digital arts live-stream

Kent’s School of Engineering and Digital Arts and the Nanyang Technical University in Singapore will collaborate once again to host the live digital arts programme WAVES-2, live-streamed on the event’s YouTube channel, taking place on Sunday 17 May at 12:00 (UTC).

Student artists from both Universities, as well as digital and performance artists from around the world will present art works live from their home during the two-hour broadcast. The live event will mix and blend together isolated artists, their styles and inspirations for the streaming audience, featuring dancing, poetry, photography and music. The broadcast will switch between various live audio/video streams as well as curated videos submitted by our contributing artists.

The central theme of the artwork is the various responses of both institutions’ second year students to their nations’ lockdown and the statement of creating art despite lockdown constraints.

Previously an opportunity for artists to meet in person, the WAVES event has been reincarnated as an online-event. The new format and theme of the exhibition, being focused on connecting isolating artists, was inspired by the recent exhibit of Nam Junes Paik’s work at the Tate Modern.

The event is taking place on Sunday 17 May at 12:00 (UTC) and can be viewed here.

 

students walking on campus

Statement of intent regarding Autumn 2020

The University of Kent is looking forward to welcoming new and returning students in the autumn of 2020. We will, as now, be open for business when the autumn term begins on 21 September 2020.

However, we recognise that the COVID-19 pandemic will continue to have an impact on how we all live and work. It is likely that we will have to adapt how we deliver our education, and the wider student experience of university life, in response to changes in government requirements.

We realise what an anxious time this is and want to assure you that planning is already underway to prepare the University for the next academic year. If necessary, we will adapt our teaching styles and delivery methods to ensure that the education and experience of students remains of the highest quality possible and occurs in a safe and effective manner – taking into consideration relevant advice and guidelines that are in place at the time. The safety and wellbeing of our students, staff, visitors and surrounding communities will continue to be our highest priority.

We are committed to ensuring that the standards that led to the University being rated as gold in the Teaching Excellence Framework are upheld, whether that teaching is delivered face-to-face, online or in a blended form of the two with appropriate social distancing in place. Our community of teaching, research and professional services staff will ensure that all education continues to be both a stimulating and fulfilling experience for all our students whether they are at Canterbury, Medway, Brussels or Paris.

We know our campuses are an important part of student life and we look forward to welcoming you all on to campus as soon as it is safe to do so. In the meantime, as we transition back to more usual ways of working, we promise you that, as a member of the University, you will be part of a diverse, dynamic and supportive community and receive an education of the highest possible standard.

Staff member with equipment to fight against COVID-19

Fundraising campaign to support Kent’s COVID-19 response

The University has launched a fundraising campaign to help support its contribution to the fight against COVID-19.

The campaign aims to raise funds for the production of free-of-charge PPE for front-line staff, those students who may be experiencing financial hardship as a result of the pandemic, Kent research and the new Kent and Medway Medical School.

The campaign was launched via messages of encouragement and support from the University’s Chancellor Gavin Esler, and Kent Union President Sasha Langeveldt. Watch their video here.

Kent has contributed to the fight against the pandemic in a number of ways. To date these include:

  • research collaborations to develop COVID-19 therapies and a vaccine
  • the  design and production of face shields for staff in the NHS, hospice and charitable care organisations
  • the provision of specialist molecular biology equipment to the NHS
  • academics, postdoctoral researchers and PhD students volunteering to help perform testing at hospitals in the county
  • students supporting the local agricultural economy through fruit-picking

To donate to this important campaign please go here.

Empty Gulbenkian theatre with a pink heart designed in front of the image

Gulbenkian – What’s online this May 2020

With the Gulbenkian getting so much positive feedback for their monthly emails of what to  watch online, they’ve now put together a Gulbenkian Recommends list on their website.

In order for you to not miss out on some exciting opportunities from their partners and friends, they’ll keep this list updated – so do keep checking!

Here are just some of the things that you can look forward to this May:

Shakespeare’s Globe at Home

The Two Noble Kinsmen

Enjoy a Shakespeare-filled movie night, Shakespeare’s Globe are productions online on YouTube and on BBC iplayer as part of Culture in Quarantine: Shakespeare.  Available on BBC iplayer: The Tempest and Emma Rice’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream,

Currently available on YouTube: The Two Noble Kinsmen (2018)  (available until Sun 17 May) & Macbeth (available from Fri 11 May)

National Theatre At Home

Every Thursday much-loved National Theatre Live productions will be made free to stream on YouTube for seven days.

Frankenstein – Thursday 30 April – (available until 7 May): Benedict Cumberbatch as the Creature.

Antony and Cleopatra – Thursday 7 May 19.00  (available until 14 May)

Schedule will also include: A Streetcar Named Desire, Cat On A Hot Tin Roof and more!

ROH at Home

Offering a schedule of free broadcasts and live content on ROH’s YouTube channels.

La traviata, The Royal Opera – Fri 8 May, 19.00

Kenneth MacMillan’s Anastasia, Royal Ballet – Fri 15 May, 19.00

Students smiling

Deadline to apply for Year In extended

The deadline for applications for the Year In programme has been extended to Monday 11 May. This is an initiative where students can broaden their degree experience by adding an additional year but in a different subject. Regardless of which courses you are studying, you could obtain skills and experience in Computing, Data Analytics or Journalism.

Your additional year can be taken between stage 2 and 3, or after you have completed stage 3. The programme will be added to your degree title, letting employers know about your increased employability. This is a real opportunity to learn about a completely different area and gain some industry skills, experience as well as contacts.

For more information about Year In, please visit their website.

Creative Writing Summer Series goes online

The School of English is pleased to announce that our usual series of Creative Writing skills workshops and talks from industry professionals will be going online this Summer Term. All events take place at 16.00 on Tuesdays, starting today, Tuesday 5 May 2020. The events are open to budding writers or those interested in professions in the literary and publishing industries.

The first event will be on ‘Performing Your Work’, and will take place today, Tuesday 5 May, at 4pm. Dr Katharine Peddie and Dragan Todorovic, Lecturers in Creative Writing, will lead a virtual workshop on performing work, including preparation, techniques, and finding opportunities to do so. Katharine and Dragan will be joined by BA (Hons) English Literature and Creative Writing and MA Creative Writing alumna Neelam Saredia-Brayley, who will speak about her own experience as a writer and performer.

Neelam Saredia-Brayley (pictured above) is a performer who works with illustrators, musicians and contemporary dancers to create multi-disciplinary pieces that are completely unique to Kent’s poetry scene. She is a highly in-demand performer, having appeared at, among others, Jawdance, TongueTANGLE, Margate Literary Festival, bOing! International Family Festival, Canterbury Festival, Marlowe Theatre, Ramsgate Music Hall, ERIC Festival, POW! Festival, Turner Contemporary, and Hammer and Tongue Cambridge. Neelam also regularly performs and works with the Gulbenkian. In 2019 she was awarded Arts Council funding to develop her first spoken word poetry show; Queer Brown Skin, a project emerging from her MA work at Kent.

More information, including the link to join the workshop, can be found on the events website.

Literary Agents
Tuesday 12 May, 16.00
Submissions workshop with David Flusfeder and Amy Sackville, Senior Lecturers in Creative Writing; Q&A with Jenny Hewson of Lutyens & Rubinstein Literary Agency

Submitting to Magazines
Tuesday 19 May, 16.00
Workshop with Dorothy Lehane, Lecturer in Creative Writing and David Caddy of poetry magazine Tears in the Fence

Bookselling and Bookshops
Tuesday 26 May, 16.00
With Evie Wyld, Lecturer in Creative Writing and part-owner of Review Bookshop, Peckham, and Olivia Rosenthall, MA Creative Writing and PhD The Contemporary Novel alumna and owner of Maldon Books.

Publishing and independent publishers
Tuesday 2 June, 16.00
With Galley Beggar Press

Open Mic
Tuesday 9 June, 16.00

To find out more about these events, and to find the sign up links, please check our events calendar on the School of English news page.

Managing your anxiety during Coronavirus

Whether you are a first year Undergraduate student or finishing off your PHD, this could be a very stressful time for you. Assessments and exams while self isolating and social distancing is new for all of us. Here are some ways for you to manage your anxiety and fears during Coronavirus.

Identify your triggers

The first thing to do to manage your anxiety is to identify what triggers them. Sometimes they can be obvious, like caffeine, drinking alcohol, or smoking. Other times they can be less obvious, so try and keep a diary of what it is that makes you anxious.

Work out

Sometimes, the best way to stop anxious thoughts is to walk away from the situation. However, taking some time to focus on your body and not your mind may help relieve your anxiety. So we highly recommend doing 15 minutes of yoga each day to keep you nice and relaxed.

Kent Sport have launched their #KentSportStayWellAtHome initiative so you can stay connected and active while at home.

Breathing

Controlled breathing can gives you feelings of calm and relaxation and most breathing techniques can be used just about anywhere. Try deep breathing in for four counts and breathing out for four counts for five minutes total. By doing this, you’ll slow your heart rate which should help calm you down

Meditation

Starting in early April, Student Support and Wellbeing and the Student Learning Advisory Centre are running free online meditation sessions each week via zoom. The sessions are 40 minutes long and there is a focus on dealing with anxiety and strategies for remaining focused.

Write down your thoughts

Writing down what is making you anxious is a great way to ease your anxiety. It gets it out of your head and can make it less daunting. You can either use a notepad, or journal or an app.

Limit the news

You can’t switch on the TV or radio without hearing the latest about Coronavirus. The best thing to do is realise your limits and reduce yourself to an hour of news a day.

Listen to a podcast

What did we ever do without podcasts? There is one that serves every need and purpose; so whether you are interested in popular culture, sport, music, interviews with personalities, you will find a podcast that is perfect for you.

Schedule face time with family and close friends

Sometimes chatting in a group chat on WhatsApp is simply not enough, so why not schedule some time in with your close friends and family to have a catch up.

You can get in contact with Student Support & Wellbeing if you need to speak to someone about your anxiety. Email Student Support and Wellbeing at wellbeing@kent.ac.uk to arrange phone or online support.

Where to go for support

Kent Union De-Stress

Kent Union have created the De-Stress website, which is an online hub full of advice, support and activities to help you during this period.

Big White Wall

Wherever you are located, you can access free, 24/7 online support for issues around mental health and wellbeing. The Big White Wall (BWW) is a Care Quality Commission registered service recognised nationally through awards by the NHS and is a safe environment overseen by qualified therapists called Wall Guides.

In order to gain access to this service click on the BWW link using your Kent email address to gain access only. As part of the registration process, do not use your KENT account password for this service. Note, you may, upon completion of the registration process change your contact email address to a non-Kent email account. Big White Wall take privacy very seriously, so please read their privacy policy for more information.

Access Big White Wall

Please use the following code: KENT1

Student Support and Wellbeing

If you use Twitter, Instagram or Facebook, follow @UniKentSSW for advice and information to help you keep calm and safe, and connected to others in the Kent community. #KentTogetherAtHome

We have also collaborated on a video about how to manage your anxiety.

Prepping for Online Exams

The summer term has kicked off and you will be busy with assessments and exams. As you know exams will be conducted online due to COVID-19. We have some tips on how to prepare for your end of year assessments.

The library have a variety of resources that will help you to prepare.

Chat to a librarian

This is a service on Teams where you can ask about referencing, researching and digital resources.

Moodle

There is a a new interactive module on Moodle to support all your research skills. You can access the resources you need for your studies remotely through the digital library. You have online access to a huge range of high-quality digital resources, such as e-books, e-journals, databases, newspapers, and multimedia.

LibrarySearch Digital

There is also a curated selection of online articles and resources to help you relax and unwind your mind.

New Microsoft Teams Student Guide

There is a Microsoft Teams Student Guide available for you to use. Microsoft Teams is a great tool that you can use to communicate and collaborate with your lecturers and other students. You will have been added to a team for each of your modules.

Cancelled fines and extended return dates

You will be pleased to know the library have extended the return dates for books and cancelled overdue item fines.

Kent Union De-Stress Platform

Kent Union have launched the De-Stress platform to support students during COVID-19 and the exam period. They have created a website that acts as a hub for the advice, support and activities that are available over the next few weeks.