Student-led group that meets every Thursday from 14:00-16:00.
It’s a chance to meet other international students and the group organises
trips and socials. To find out more, email WellbeingEvents@kent.ac.uk
TableTalk at Medway
Meet with the Medway Chaplain and fellow students to make new friends and improve your English. Every Thursday in the Oasis Lounge (Medway Building) from 19:30-21:30 (term time only). No need to book.
There are no events matching these dates and filters.
Support for all
International students can access all our amazing services at Kent including careers advice, study support and our wellbeing service. All these services can be found on the My Kent search and App.
You can also go to Nexus helpdesk in Templeman Library with any question you have while at Kent.
International students face unique challenges. My dedicated International Wellbeing Advisers have given me a foundation of support and community, and the Kent Community Oasis Garden provides a space for us to feel a sense of meaning and belonging"
Making friends at Kent
A big part of starting uni is making friends. The Uni and Kent Students' Union runs loads of events and societies to help you meet new people.
International students' most asked questions
Student Support and Wellbeing has a specialist service for international students with physical disabilities, long term health conditions, hearing loss of all levels, visual impairments and autistic students. Find out how to get your support set up before you start at Kent, or during your studies:
After our initial meeting, you'll need to register with Student Support and Wellbeing, and provide up-to-date medical evidence. Medical evidence should be translated into English wherever possible.
The medical evidence forms the basis of support at the university, which may include a creation of an Inclusive Learning Plan (ILP), the provision of assistive technology, and specialist support staff (e.g. a mentor or study skills tutor), as well as a point of contact in our team throughout the degree programme.
Here are the steps you need to go through to open a UK bank account:
1.
Choose
a bank
a.
There
are a wide range of banks in the UK offering different interest rates and
services so it’s important to do your research.
b.
It
might be useful to use a comparison website to check which bank meets your
exact needs. It might also be worthwhile comparing internet banks.
2.
Download
your student status letter from KentVision
a. To do this go to KentVision and select ‘My
Communications and Documents’ > ‘My Documents’ > Download status letter addressed to your
bank.
Please note most shops close early on a Sunday (usually 16:00).
Full-time international students in
the UK are entitled to medical care through the National Health Service
(NHS). It is important that you register with a GP. There is a medical centre on our Canterbury Campus.
Some
GPs may be overbooked so you will need to sign up for a GP that is further
away (this mostly applies for Medway students).
If
you are prescribed something from the hospital/ GP you will need to pay £9.65
per item.
If
you are in an A&E the waiting time can be very long, around five hours on
average.
MUST check your Restricted Working Hours:
Ensure you know how many hours you can work each week in the UK.
Download your Student
Status Letter for proof of your term dates, as these determine the amount
of hours you can work each week.
You need to apply for a NI number to work in the UK. This a free service but has a wait time up to 6 weeks.
If you have a Biometric Residence Permit (BRP),
you might have a National Insurance number already – it will be printed on the
back of your BRP if you do.
You can start work before your NI number arrives if you have the Right to
Work. Let your employer know you have applied for one and send to them as soon as it arrives.
Bus
There
are travel discounts for both Canterbury (Stagecoach)
and Medway (Arriva) students.
In
Canterbury, you can purchase a Student Day Rider ticket either on the bus or on
the Stagecoach app by showing your Student ID card, where you can use the bus
as many times as you like on that day.
The
main buses are the UNI1 and UNI2 that take routes past Canterbury East (UNI1)
and Canterbury West (UNI2) train stations and into Canterbury City Centre.
During term-time, these buses run regularly from bus stops across the
Canterbury campus.
Train
Students
are able to purchase a 16-25 Railcard (including Mature students) to give you
1/3 off train tickets.
Campus Shuttle
You
can book a free space on the Campus Shuttle to travel between the Canterbury
and Medway campuses during term-time.
There are plenty of savings to be had, from discounts on your travel to savings in local restaurants and shops. See our student discounts webpage for more.
