Tag Archives: Student Guide

How To Self Isolate

Self isolating/social distancing means non-essential contact with other people. To achieve this, you need to study at home, avoid all unnecessary travel and avoid public gatherings.

Self-isolating and social distancing can feel lonely and lead to anxiety, depression and make you feel demotivated. So we have put together some tips for you on how to make the most of the situation.

Write a to-do list

You will find a to-do list keeps you on-track and motivated. Also it’s an amazing feeling when you tick off things on the list. The best thing to do is to write the list the day before or first thing in the morning.

Take regular breaks

Regardless of your workload, please remember to take regular breaks especially to have lunch or dinner. This is vital to keep you refreshed and your energy levels up.

Stay in touch

You might not be able to physically meet people but you can stay in touch thanks to the wonders of technology. Skype, Zoom and Facetime friends and family and chat via Whatsapp with fellow students. Remember that Student Services and your tutors are available for you to contact and Kent Union are very active on Social Media with lots of advice.

Eat healthily

This might be a bit of an ask considering what is going on in the shops but you can still eat healthily by using staple ingredients such a fruit, veg, milk, rice and potatoes. You can look up recipes online.

Exercise

While you are at home it is essential to keep fit and you can do this by following exercises on YouTube or use fitness DVD.

Binge on Netflix and box sets

What better way to end the day than by binging on a box set or watching a TV series or film on Netflix. The platform has launched a new facility called Netflix Party where you can chat with your mates while watching the same film or TV show at the same time. Genius!

Overall, stay safe and make the most of the time. Also remember that you are not alone.

Love my Genome screening at the Gulbenkian

A documentary following the journey of 10 healthy volunteers who have agreed to be genetically screened for future disease will be shown at the Gulbenkian on Monday 17 June.

All of the volunteers featured in pioneering documentary Love my Genome currently work in the field of genomics, including world-leading genetic scientist Professor Darren Griffin.

Genetic testing is an increasingly important tool for clinical practitioners investigating the cause, prevention and treatment of disease. By tapping into each person’s unique blueprint researchers can predict the likelihood of each of us inheriting a range of medical conditions including breast cancer, heart disease and Alzheimer’s.

As with many great scientific breakthroughs, however, human genome sequencing comes with a cost. The film chronicles the reactions of each person as they contemplate not just their own future but that of their children, spouses, siblings and loved ones. With one couple about to start a family of their own this film explores the ethical, moral and practical challenges that confront them.

Location: The Gulbenkian Cinema. University of Kent, Canterbury Campus.

Date and Time: 12:15pm on Monday 17 June 2019.

Duration: 20 minutes followed by a Q&A with Professor Darren Griffin and contributors.

Attendance: OPEN to everyone. Attendance is free. Please register with Eventbrite here.

EDA launches Mechanical Engineering courses as part of STEM expansion

The University of Kent is proud to promote its undergraduate course in Mechanical Engineering (available to apply for via the UCAS website), which marks a major development for the University as it broadens its offerings to students.

Two streams of Mechanical Engineering are offered: a three-year stream and a four-year stream that includes a year in industry. The course has been designed in response to the growing demand in the UK workforce for graduates with STEM skills such as robotics, driverless vehicles and renewable energy systems.

The course provides a solid grounding in statics and dynamics, properties of materials, fluid mechanics, thermodynamics, mechatronics, control, instrumentation, mathematics, electronics, and programming. Students also work on a variety of hands-on projects combining mechanical design and control systems, supervised by specialist academics.

There is a focus on employability and career development activities offered across all the engineering degree programmes at Kent, including industrial interaction and placement opportunities.

The course is part of a wider focus within the University to expand its STEM offerings, including the Kent and Medway Medical School and the Institute for Biotechnology and Molecular Medicine, as in line with the growing demand for STEM skills. It is open to applicants now, with the first cohort beginning their studies in September 2020.

Freecycle event

Staff and students are invited to donate unwanted items for a freecycle event taking place on the Canterbury campus in early November.

Items including clothes, books, shoes, bags, crockery, pots, pans, homeware (excluding electricals and sharps) can be dropped off at the Student Activities Centre on Thursday 8 November from 15.00 to 17.00. The freecycle event takes place the following day, Friday 9 November, from 1pm on the plaza. Staff and students can take any of the items in return for an optional donation to Kent RAG, who are supporting Movember. The event will end as soon as all of the items are gone, so it works on a first-come-first-served basis. Be there early to avoid missing out!

KirCCS Public Engagement event on Cyber Security

Kent Interdisciplinary Research Centre in Cyber Security (KirCCS) at the University of Kent will host its first Public Engagement Event in Cyber Security at the Canterbury campus on Wednesday 5th December 2018 from 13.00 to 18.00.

The event will be opened by Professor Karen Cox, the Vice-Chancellor and President of the University, at 14.30 after a buffet lunch reception, together with posters, stands, and demonstrations on various topics in Cyber Security.

The event will also include a talk by Professor Philippe De Wilde, Deputy Vice-Chancellor Research & Innovation, on the University’s activities, achievements and future plans in research and innovation. There will be an introduction to KirCCS, followed by a number of invited talks given by external speakers from government, industry and academia.

KirccS is representing the University of Kent as a UK government recognised ACE-CSR (Academic Centre of Excellence in Cyber Security Research).

Please book your place at this event as places are limited.

Engage the public with your research: KMTV and Kent Alumni

For all engagers!

Interested in using KMTV as a platform for your research and to connect with our region? Want to know more about how to connect with our alumni as a potential audience for your research? Fancy a sandwich and a chat with others at Kent who are interested in public engagement with research?

If you answered yes to one or more of these questions, come along to Keynes Seminar Room 4 at midday on Wednesday 31^st October and talk with:

· KMTV Development Officer Cordelia Mason: discover how to use KMTV as a tool for sharing Kent research and a platform for engagement

· Alumni Relations and Supporter Engagement Manager Julia Baxter: opportunities to connect with our Alumni on Kent research

Please email Maddy Bell at peresearch@kent.ac.uk if you plan to come along. All are welcome but space (and more importantly sandwiches!) will be limited – please pass this to any colleagues you think may like to join us and ask them to get in touch.

This is the first in a new series of lunch sessions for sharing news and best practice, and providing information on how other departments can support offer support or resources for engagement with research practice.

Launch of a new sustainable food strategy

The University of Kent recognises its responsibility to carry out its procurement activities in an environmentally and socially responsible manner, and the considerable influence we have in using our buying power to encourage healthy and sustainable food production and consumption. With this in mind, the University launches its first sustainable food strategy on 1 October 2018.

The strategy is a road map for increasing the sustainability of our food offering from field to fork and beyond, and has been co-written by Kent Hospitality, Kent Sport, The Gulbenkian and the Estates Department, along with the Kent Union Environment Officer and student and staff reps. The strategy supports the University’s aim to embed the Sustainable Development Goals into our operations.

Highlights include:

Reducing overall meat consumption across our campuses and improving the welfare standard of the meat we serve
Reducing the miles our fruit and veg travels and increasing the seasonality of our menus
Incorporating food grown on campus into our menus
Carrying out a full review of the amount of single-use disposables we get through
Pursuing options for food composting

Read the full strategy and find out more about sustainable food at the Sustainability web pages or email sustainability@kent.ac.uk.

Free Study Plus workshops to boost your CV

Registration is open now on our FREE Study Plus workshops. There is a wide variety of courses which allow you to explore your creative side as well as learning new skills to help you during your studies and when you graduate. Courses include:

KE192: #DigitalReboot Business Start-Up Workshops
KE125-KE127: Advanced Spreadsheets in Microsoft Excel
KE170: The Ever-Changing Face of Sherlock Holmes
KE158/KE159: Acting for Beginners/Improvers
KE146: Harry Potter and the Literary Phenomenon
KE148: U. N. I. (You and I) Protect
KE178/KE179: Cambridge/IELTS Exam Preparation Taster
KE095: Communicate with Confidence
KE172: A Journey through 100 Years of Art and History (1860s-1970s)
KE155: An Introduction to Sustainability

And many, many more…

Book your place via the Workshops page in SDS.

Study Plus is also a proud sponsor of the Employability Points scheme that rewards students for active engagement in co-curricular activities.

Study Plus offers you the chance to earn up to 60 Employability Points per course (number of points varies depending on the number of hours attended)! The points can then be exchanged for the chance to apply for rewards including paid internships, work experience opportunities, training and vouchers offered by local and national employers.

Discounted Language Express courses for Medway students

The Centre for English and World Languages offers 20 week courses in French (Beginners) and Japanese (Beginners and Post-Beginners) at the Medway campus. The classes take place on Wednesday afternoons and will begin on 10 October 2018.

We are currently offering 50% discount for the first 35 Kent students at the Medway campus who apply, reducing the cost to just £114 for the entire course!

Visit the Language Express website to find out more and to book your place today.

Carers support Autumn events

Are you a carer, or do you think you could be? Would you like to talk to someone about your caring role?

The University of Kent and Carers FIRST recognise that gaining support for your caring role whilst studying can be difficult. We are therefore offering you the opportunity to gain 1-2-1 support in your caring role and share your experiences with other carers on campus.

Join us at the Rochester Building, room R2-05 on the Medway campus on:

Wednesday 3 October, 12.30-14.30
Wednesday 7 November, 12.30-14.30
Wednesday 5 December, 12.30-14.30

Carers FIRST Community staff will be on hand to chat to you about your caring role and to offer support.