Category Archives: Student opportunities

Students hanging out outside library with takeaway coffee cups

Staying on or near campus over the winter break? Let us know and connect with other students

Staying in campus accommodation

Autumn Term finishes on Friday 15 December. Let us know if you’ll be staying in your campus accommodation over the winter break in Canterbury by Wednesday 13 December. If you are staying at Pier Quays, Unite Students will be in touch with you.

Don’t forget if you’re living in part-catered accommodation and want to stay on campus over the winter break, you’ll need to book vacation accommodation at least one week before you’re due to move out.

Connecting with other students staying on or near campus

Winter Coffee and Chat Break, 19 December

On Tuesday 19 December, you’re invited to join the Winter Coffee and Chat Break in Nexus, Templeman Library. Connect with other students staying on or near campus over the winter break and find out what’s happening in the local area.

Meet with ResLife Ambassadors, who are also staying on campus, and share with them your suggestions for events you’d like them to plan on campus over the winter break.

More events over the winter break

Check out the winter break events page which includes festive themed events before term finishes as well as a few events happening over the winter break. These include a board games socials and a New Year Festive Dinner (5 January).

Umii app icon to show you’re staying on or near campus

You can also download the free Umii app, which helps you connect with other verified students at Kent. From 1 December, you can choose an icon to your profile which shows others that you will be on or near campus over the winter break, helping you find with students who might want to hang out over the holiday period.

Check out the winter break webpage for more information, support and events.

 

Person in airport

Airport transfer service: Return from overseas after winter break

Are you travelling overseas over the winter break? You can use our airport transfer service for your return to campus.

Our Airport Transfer Service will operate from London Heathrow airport on Thursday 11 January. The service will meet students whose flights arrive between 6:00-15:30, and will travel to both the Canterbury and Medway campuses. The price is £45 per person.

Booking is now open and will close at 23:59 (UK time) on Monday 8 January 2024.   

Find out more and book your place.

Free tickets for University of Kent Cathedral Carol Service, 11 Dec

Cathedral Carol Service Tickets now available. Tickets are free but limited, so make sure you get yours quickly!

The University Carol Service in the amazing setting of Canterbury Cathedral takes place on Monday 11 December at 19:30. It is planned that event will feature the University Chamber Choir and Kent Gospel Choir.

Admission is by free ticket only, and students may request up to 2 e-tickets – e-tickets are given out through Eventbrite.

Would you like to be a student helper at the event? email Stephen Laird s.c.e.laird@kent.ac.uk and hear about how you get a special ticket, and help make the event happen!

There will be a great atmosphere with plenty of well-known Christmas carols for everyone to sing and you will hear traditional readings which will be read by staff and students representing various roles and groups from across the University.

This year’s appeal is for Porchlight, Canterbury’s homelessness charity.

For information on accessibility, please visit the Cathedral’s official accessibility web page.

Student sat at bench on campus facing away

Complete student mental health survey and win £100 gift card

Cibyl would like to invite you to take part in one of the largest studies on student mental health. We want to navigate the conversation and address how universities and employers can support you as you study and when you enter work. Take part in our 10-minute survey to have a chance of winning:  

  • a £100 Just Eat, Deliveroo or Uber Eats gift card (given away every week – 8 to give away!)
  • an Apple or Samsung Smart Watch – you decide! (one given away when the survey closes!)

Take the survey now! 

Mental health can be a sensitive topic for many, but please remember your answers will always be treated confidentially, anonymously and will never be analysed individually. Most questions are not compulsory, and you can stop at any time. 

Group of students by car on farm field with food they have gleaned

Right to Food Uni: how to get involved

Everyone has the right to healthy, affordable and sustainable food. It should be a universal right irrespective of who you are and what your circumstances are.

The University of Kent has committed to being a Right to Food University – the first in the world. It is a commitment to bring everything the University does – its research, teaching, our students and staff, catering and everything else we do – to support the Right to Food and to make a real difference, on our campus, in our communities, across our region, the UK and internationally.

How to get involved:
Students are central to this work and we would like to invite all students who might be interested in the Right to Food to come along to the following:

  • Gleaning event on Thursday 23 November at 17:00 in Woodys
    Get hands on with  Kent’s Right to Food initiative by joining the Kent Gleaning collective. As well as reducing food waste and helping distribute fresh produce to those in need, you’ll get some fresh air, meet new people and earn employability points through volunteering. Come along to this event to hear more about gleaning in general and how you can become a volunteer with the Kent Gleaning Collective!
  • Right to food info event on Tuesday 28 November in Templeman (TS1) at 16:00
    Hear about the initiative, find out how you can get involved and a free meal and drink in the Gulbenkian afterwards. To book your place email s.bloor@kent.ac.uk

Learn more about the Right to Food initiative.

Santander Scholarships

Not long left to enter! 10 chances to win £1,000

Register with the Santander Scholarships programme by 20 November for chance to win £1,000!

10 Kent students will win £1,000 for simply registering online with Santander’s Scholarship programme. Through the programme you can:

  • Apply for scholarships and grants
  • Gain work experience
  • Learn the skills graduate employers want

Register now! 

Umii logo

Flexible casual job opportunity with Umii

Umii has an exciting role open to all Kent students! Read below for more:

Who are Umii?

Umii was created by students, for students. The Founder of Umii suffered from
loneliness and poor mental health at university, finding it difficult to easily meet
like-minded people. Umii combats the issues of student isolation and loneliness
by offering an easy way for like-minded students to meet across campus and
build real-life friendships.

What Umii do:

Umii partners with Higher Education Institutions to provide a preventative
measure to loneliness and isolation to their students. They have developed a digital application that is used by students to connect with others at their university, in a safe and secure environment. The app is designed to create individual, meaningful friendships, by connecting students based on their interests, course types and society preferences, allowing them to expand their social circle outside of their course and accommodation. We work closely with our partners to promote the app to students and encourage real-life friendships to form as a result.

Umii are looking for people who thrive in a startup environment and want to build
tech for good. Interested? Read on…

Job purpose

To help grow Umii at your university by taking part in Freshers fairs and
promotional campaigns, spreading the word about Umii to your fellow students.

Job Activities

  • Stall setup: Prepare and arrange all necessary materials, banners, and
    promotional items at the freshers fair stall to create an inviting and visually
    appealing display.
  • Student engagement: Proactively approach and engage students passing
    by the stall, initiating conversations to explain the features and benefits of
    the Umii app.
  • App promotion: Communicate effectively about the Umii app’s
    functionalities, emphasising how it facilitates student connections,
    enhances university life, and provides valuable resources.
  • Interactive activities: Develop and execute interactive activities or games at
    the stall to attract and engage students, fostering interest and creating a
    positive brand experience.
  • Sign-up support: Guide interested students through the process of
    downloading and registering for the Umii app, answering any questions
    they may have and addressing concerns.
  • Relationship building: Establish and maintain a friendly and approachable
    demeanour, actively listening to students’ feedback, suggestions, and
    concerns, and providing assistance whenever needed.
  • Brand ambassador: Act as a brand ambassador for Umii, maintaining a
    professional and knowledgeable image, and representing the company’s
    values and mission to create a positive impression among students.

This is a casual and flexible role. See Umii Ambassador Job Description.

If interested in the role, reach out to Umii at hello@umii.app providing a little
information about yourself.

 

Join our Postgraduate Open Event, 15 Nov

Discover how to reach your goals at our Open Event on Wednesday 15 November, 17:00-19:00, in Sibson. 

Choosing where to progress your career ambitions is a big decision and we’re delighted to invite you to our Open Event.

Open Events are a fantastic way to meet our staff and postgraduate students and to find out how Kent can help you make your ambition count.

You can also find out more about all our scholarships, including some that are exclusive for Kent alumni!

This event is for potential postgraduate students (Master’s and PhD) and their supporters.

Book your place

Student working on laptop

Student Success Expectations Survey closes 17 Nov

The Annual Student Success Expectations Survey is now open to all students! Make your voice heard in this long-standing piece of academic research.

Why are we doing this?

  • We want to understand what you hope to achieve during your time here and how we can best support you.
  • We want to learn more about your academic expectations and your hopes and plans.
  • We want to use your responses to help develop and improve services for students.
  • We want to better understand whether there are any potential barriers to your progress so that we can plan to mitigate these going forwards.

Prize Draw

In return for 7-10 minutes of your time you will be entered into a prize draw to win a whopping £300 Amazon voucher and you’ll also be added to a Divisional draw for a £20 Amazon voucher! The number of £20 Amazon vouchers available per Division depends on your engagement, so we are really encouraging as many of you to complete the survey as possible.

Plus you will also earn yourself 5 Employability Points, which can be cashed-in to apply for exclusive internships, placements and training on the Employability Points Scheme. Student Success will get in touch directly with any lucky winners to arrange prize collection.

Complete the survey now.

Canterbury Safer Streets logo

Take part in Canterbury Safer Streets survey

From Canterbury Christ Church University.

As part of a government funded Safer Streets project, Canterbury Christ Church University is conducting research with students in Kent and Medway.

The research aims to gain a better understanding of the experiences of students in relation to spiking, stalking, sexual harassment, sexual violence and sexual misconduct. The insights gained from this study will enable us to be better able to tackle such incidences within our communities and ensure that we are building a safer environment for all.

We are keen to ensure that we authentically capture the voices of all students and as such, we encourage everyone from all backgrounds (men, women, non-binary, ethnically diverse/minoritised communities, LGBTQ+ communities, individuals with a disability) to share their experiences and thoughts.

Please note that some questions within this survey will include sensitive information and ask personal questions about your experiences in relation to spiking, stalking, sexual misconduct, and sexual violence. If you find these distressing, we would prefer that you do not continue with the survey and you can exit the survey at any point. Also, remember you can use your university’s online Report and Support Tool to connect with the Student Support and Wellbeing Team if you need emotional support or guidance on any harassment or sexual misconduct you have witnessed or experienced.

The survey is anonymous, and your responses will be confidential. As a thank you, you will be entered into a prize draw to win Love2Shop (or similar) vouchers (20x £30).

If you would like to obtain further information related to the survey or how your personal data is processed for this project please contact saferstreets@canterbury.ac.uk.

Thank you for playing your part in this important research.

Take part in the Student Safer Streets survey