We have signed up with Umii to make it even easier for you to make new friends at Kent. Create a profile including what you’re studying and your interests and Umii will match you with other students who you might get on well with.
Over 1,000 Kent students have used Umii! So why not give it a try?
Only verified users can access the app, so you can be sure who you’re connecting with is a real student at your uni.
This means you will need to use your Kent email address to register with Umii.
In support of University Mental Health Day (Thursday 14 March) and Red Nose Day (Friday 15 March), Kent Sport will be offering 180 free spaces on our fitness and dance class timetable across both days to allow everyone within our community to join in exercise for free. This includes many popular classes such as Zumba and pilates, as well as our range of exciting virtual instructor-led classes from LES MILLS.
For all class descriptions, visit our Classes webpage.
To book a free class as a Plus, Pay to Play, or non-member, visit the Sports Centre reception and fill out the paper form for the class(es) you would like to join. There are 10 free spaces in each class so sign up quickly before they’re gone! If you’re a Premium Plus member, all classes are included in your membership so you can book online as usual.
If you’re not yet a Kent Sport member, you’ll need to create a free Pay to Play membership before you’ll be able to join the classes. You can create an account quickly and easily through our online booking system.
Donations for Red Nose Day can be made on the Comic Relief website.
Voting is now open for your Kent Union full-time Officers.
The full-time Officers work and support the student priorities that are picked by students for students. These make up the core campaigns of Kent Union’s Officer team. We currently have five full-time Officer positions that all focus on different remits for students:
There are three days of voting and there will be five polling stations spread around campus, plus you can vote online at any time during these three days. Voting closes Thursday at 17:00.
There are also chances to win a range of prizes if you vote in the Kent Union elections. Some of the top prizes include an Apple iPad, Xbox X and weekend getaways for two.
Struggling to find housemates? The perfect people might be waiting…
The Umii app connects you with other students at the University of Kent based on your interests, course and societies, helping you to find new friends and housemates all in one go!
“I downloaded Umii as I wanted to make new friends, find out about student life and meet people with similar interests. Umii also helped me secure accommodation with a connection I had made.”
– Mohammad
Postgraduate Student
You can now add housemate signifier to your profile to show that you are looking for someone to live with. How to set up your profile:
Becoming a Right To Food University means working to ensure that we protect our students from food insecurity and that access to nutritional, affordable and sustainable food is paramount across our food services.
To celebrate our one year anniversary (26th February), we celebrate what we have achieved against this mission and look forward to some exciting projects that will do even more.
A number of initiatives are underway already – most notably the £3 meal deal on campus. Starting as a hot meal, served in our Rutherford Dining Hall with a choice of salad or vegetables, but moving on to include a grab-and-go deal in outlets across campus has proven to be extremely popular. We have now sold over 60,000 meals since November 2022.
In addition to this exciting meal deal expansion, the catering team have reduced hot food price on average by 20%. Through reducing food waste, collaborating closely with our primary food supplier, simplifying operations, and managing food expenses effectively, prices across campus have been significantly reduced.
At the Medway campus, the Hub offers free community breakfasts for students, supported by the Universities at Medway.
Alongside the £3 meal deal and reduced prices across our catering outlets, we kicked off our anniversary week with a special free breakfast for students on Monday 26th February. This event was funded by the generosity of staff, students and alumni at last year’s Giving Week, which raised £18,000 to provide meals for students facing hardship.
Zaid Mahmood, Students’ Union President at Kent says: ‘Kent Giving Week 2023 raised money that would directly help in tackling food insecurity on campus. Being a Right to Food University, this is a critical mission for us as an institution because no student should go hungry and be disadvantaged in their university career. These giving week meals will ensure that the most disadvantaged and impacted students are supported during their time at The University of Kent and are set up to thrive in their academics. We want to thank every single person that donated to support this cause, the impact of this initiative will change the lives of so many students!’
As well as supporting over 350 students with a free hot breakfast, the money will help provide meals and other financial support for students who need it the most thanks to a collaborative approach between the university’s student support and wellbeing services and Kent Union.
Our student led gleaning project, ran in partnership with Produced in Kent, has also given students the chance to access free fresh produce. Our student volunteers go to local farms to pick surplus food and veg that would otherwise go to waste. As well as redistributing it to those in the wider local community who need it, the volunteers also get to take home some of the produce for themselves.
Find out more about the gleaning project and sign up to become a volunteer now.
Here at the Kent, we understand your passion to progress. Whether you’re wanting to advance your skills or develop your knowledge further, let us help you reach your full potential. Become a critical, creative and strategic thinker with high-level research, planning and communication skills – exactly the attributes all employers look for.
If you’re a final year undergrad considering staying on for postgraduate study, do make sure to check out the following:
Find out more about the benefits of staying at Kent, hear from student who decided to stay on for a Master’s and sign up to register for updates on our website.
Be a part of something big at Kent Union and nominate yourself to Lead Kent. This is all about students working for students to make their university experience the best it can be as an Elected Full-time Officer.
Based in the Mandela Students’ Centre, the Officer team liaises with leaders in the university and higher education across the UK and Europe to make sure that student voices are being heard.
These are full-time, paid positions. You do not need to be a final-year student to run, you can interrupt your studies. Nominations close on the 21 February at midday.
See Students’ Union President full role description.
See VP Postgraduate and International Experience full role description.
See VP Welfare and Community full role description.
See VP Student Engagement full role description.
See VP Academic Experience full role description.
Being an Officer is great fun and incredibly fulfilling but it’s also a lot of hard work.
There are a host of career staff working behind the scenes supporting the Officer team to help on their campaigns, and work towards making their goals a reality. We also offer training sessions and continued growth and development throughout each Officer’s term.
Nominate yourself to Lead Kent.
Find out more on Kent Union’s Lead Kent webpage.
Are you busy living, working or studying? Do you need to take a moment to rest and recharge?
Dr Adelina Gschwandtner, Economics Lecture and Wellbeing Coordinator, is running the popular 5-week mindfulness course again this year.
There are many benefits associated with mindfulness including:
The course will run every Wednesday in March on zoom, 15:00-16:30. It is open to all students.
You will receive 15 employability points and a certificate after completing the course.
To register, email Adelina A.Gschwandtner@kent.ac.uk
Join us for a special FREE breakfast at the Gulbenkian Cafe, from 8:00-10:00, on Mon 26 Feb to celebrate our one-year anniversary as a Right to Food University.
Booking is now closed for the anniversary breakfast.
Why is this Breakfast Special? This breakfast isn’t just about enjoying a tasty meal; it’s a celebration of the community coming together to make a difference. Thanks to the incredible support from our staff, students, alumni, and donors during last year’s Kent Giving Week, we have been able to provide over 10,900 meals, including this free breakfast session, supporting more than 650 students facing financial challenges.
Your Meal, Their Support: The generosity of our donors during Kent Giving Week of last year has made this breakfast possible. It’s a testament to the power of giving and the impact it can have on our community. As you indulge in the complimentary breakfast, we encourage you to consider how you, too, can pay it forward in the spirit of giving.
Right to Food: Our Commitment, Your Nourishment: As we celebrate our one-year commitment to becoming a Right to Food University, this breakfast symbolises our ongoing dedication to tackling food insecurity. We believe that access to nutritious and sustainable food is a fundamental right. Through various initiatives, we are actively working to ensure that no student on our campus faces the challenge of going hungry.
Representatives from Dongguk University in Seoul will be visiting our Canterbury Campus to promote their amazing Summer school program for 2024.
Dongguk University is situated in the heart of Seoul giving you the chance to live, study and explore this amazing city in Summer 2024. The university offer some amazing unique classes, including Korean Film, K-Pop, Korean Language, Leadership Skills and many more!
Please come along on Monday 5 February, 12:00-13:00 in Keynes Lecture Theatre 2 to meet the Dongguk University team who will be giving an in-person information session about their Summer School opportunity. Find out more and register for the event.
This opportunity is being offered to Kent students as part of the ‘Go Abroad Bitesize’ initiative. Please see our website for information and the funding available.