{"id":1649,"date":"2025-09-26T13:47:31","date_gmt":"2025-09-26T12:47:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/studentsuccess-news\/?p=1649"},"modified":"2025-09-29T12:15:19","modified_gmt":"2025-09-29T11:15:19","slug":"a-big-kent-welcome","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/studentsuccess-news\/2025\/09\/26\/a-big-kent-welcome\/","title":{"rendered":"A Big Kent Welcome"},"content":{"rendered":"

Starting university is exciting, nerve-wracking, and life-changing all at once. To help you navigate the leap into higher education, we\u2019ve gathered a collection of short video clips from current University of Kent students who know exactly what you\u2019re going through. They\u2019ve been in your shoes, found their way, and are here to share what made their journey smoother (and way more fun!).<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

This isn\u2019t just advice, it\u2019s a warm welcome into a community where you truly belong.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Make the first move<\/span><\/b>
    \nSay hello to the person sitting next to you in lectures or at the bus stop. Everyone\u2019s looking to make friends; sometimes, they just need you to break the ice.<\/span><\/li>\n
  2. Try something new<\/span><\/b>
    \nFrom basketball to Kent Gospel Choir, the range of societies and activities here is huge. You might just stumble into a hobby you never knew you\u2019d love.<\/span><\/li>\n
  3. Step outside your comfort zone<\/span><\/b>
    \nWhether it\u2019s speaking up in a seminar, joining a sports team, or going to a campus event alone, the moments that feel scary now will be the stories you\u2019ll tell later.<\/span><\/li>\n
  4. Ask for help early<\/span><\/b>
    \nWhether you need academic support, wellbeing advice, or just someone to talk to, our staff and support services are here for you \u2014 no problem is too small.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    \"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

    Belonging Starts with You \u2014 Every Single Day<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    A warm welcome never goes out of fashion. It isn\u2019t something that expires after Welcome Week or ends with Freshers\u2019 Fair. Feeling like you belong matters just as much in Week 1 as it does in Week 10, during exams, or on those grey, rainy days when you\u2019re questioning everything.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    Each time you show up for lectures, push through deadlines, or take one more step towards your future career, remember: <\/span>you are welcome at Kent \u2014 today, tomorrow, and every day you are here.<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    This is more than a \u201cwelcome to university.\u201d It\u2019s an invitation to feel at home in a community that values you, supports you, and celebrates your presence \u2014 even on the hard days.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

    Watch the Videos, Feel the Community<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

    Our student-made welcome clips are full of personal stories, campus life hacks, and encouragement. They show you that you\u2019re not stepping into this journey alone \u2014 there\u2019s a whole community rooting for you.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    Click on the links below to view the welcome clips:<\/p>\n

    Rituparna<\/h3>\n

    Sohail<\/h3>\n

    Kesiena<\/h3>\n

    A huge thank you to the students who stepped out of their comfort zones to create these videos. Your openness, kindness, and willingness to share will make countless others feel seen, supported, and truly part of the Kent family.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    We hope that, even before you set foot on campus, you already feel a sense of belonging \u2014 and that it continues far <\/span>beyond<\/span><\/b> Welcome Week.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    Welcome home. <\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    Posted by Dr Yetunde Kolajo @ y.kolajo@kent.ac.uk<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Starting university is exciting, nerve-wracking, and life-changing all at once. To help you navigate the leap into higher education, we\u2019ve gathered a collection of short … Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":79050,"featured_media":1650,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[8983],"tags":[8983],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/studentsuccess-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1649"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/studentsuccess-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/studentsuccess-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/studentsuccess-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/79050"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/studentsuccess-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1649"}],"version-history":[{"count":39,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/studentsuccess-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1649\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1697,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/studentsuccess-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1649\/revisions\/1697"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/studentsuccess-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1650"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/studentsuccess-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1649"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/studentsuccess-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1649"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/studentsuccess-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1649"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}