Phase 1 \u2014 Pre-Welcome: You\u2019re not starting alone<\/strong><\/p>\n Before suitcases were zipped and maps were opened, we met students online for an honest, practical conversation about starting at Kent. The pre-arrival virtual event was rated 4.5\/5<\/strong> by attendees and the chat was rich, real and reassuring. Students told us:<\/p>\n A quick word-cloud from the session says it all: be calm \u2022 don\u2019t panic \u2022 reach out \u2022 take opportunities \u2022 open-minded \u2022 I am not alone.<\/strong><\/p>\n What changed?<\/strong> Phase 2 \u2014 Welcome Week: Find your people. Learn the system. Start strong.<\/strong><\/p>\n Our 1 October<\/strong> in-person panel, Belonging & Beyond: Welcome to the Kent Community<\/em>, sits at the heart of this phase. Another successful event kept students encouraged amid the busyness of the week. Our Vice-Chancellor, Professor Georgina Randsley de Moura, opened the first hour, after which we heard from students and the things they wish they had known from the start. In the second hour, attendees networked with staff and peers, made connections. The culturally diverse free food was a hit!<\/p>\n Phase 2 continues with our spotlight on 21 October: <\/strong>Authenticity in Higher Education: The Influence of Learning on Identity Formation, by Professor \u2018Lez\u2019 Henry.<\/em><\/p>\n This flagship Belonging & Beyond event asks a question that matters: How does learning shape who we become?<\/strong> Professor \u2018Lez\u2019 Henry\u2014scholar, cultural historian and compelling speaker, will explore authenticity, belonging and identity in the context of higher education.<\/p>\n All students are warmly invited<\/strong> with a special welcome to Black students seeking spaces that affirm and strengthen belonging. Come for the conversation, stay for the community and yes, there\u2019s free food<\/strong>. Leave with ideas, language and confidence you\u2019ll carry for life.<\/p>\n Belonging isn\u2019t about fitting a mould; it\u2019s about building a campus where more people can be fully themselves and fully successful. Pre-Welcome gives you the map.<\/p>\n Welcome Week starts the journey. Post-Welcome keeps you moving. That\u2019s Belonging & Beyond.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n\n
\nStudents left with clear next steps (who to contact, what to prioritise), realistic expectations, and a sense that their questions were normal<\/em>. That\u2019s transition done with care, not guesswork.<\/p>\nEvent Details here<\/a> .\u00a0 \u00a0See you there!<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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