International Student Guide

International Student Guide

Thriving At Kent - An international student guide designed for you by members of our International Student Advisory Board

Settling In

We know how daunting it can be moving to a new country, that's why we put this guide together. 

The resources we have added to this page are the things that we wanted to know when we first arrived. We hope that this will help you to focus on making friends and enjoying your experience both now and throughout your student journey.

There is a lot of information already on this page, but you can also download our Arriving and Thriving Guide for more detailed information.


Thriving at Kent - Making Friends

About Us

International Student Advisory Board

We are international students like you who have been recruited to represent the international student voice here at Kent. If you want to become a member or find out more about how to get involved, visit the webpage below.

Healthcare in the UK

The first thing you'll need to do is register with a General Practitioner known as a GP or Doctor. There is a GP Surgery on Canterbury Campus (University Medical Centre). To see a GP once registered, you will need to make an appointment.

You can also get help for minor illnesses such as coughs, colds, sore throats from a Pharmacist, without an appointment. There is a Pharmacy next to the Medical Centre or there is Cheadles (located on Giles Avenue) and Boots or Superdrug (located inside the store) which you can find in the city centre.

You can buy common pain medication, creams (for items such as burns and insect bites) and ointments from most Supermarkets, without seeing a doctor.

For emergency help which is serious but not life threatening you can telephone 111 and get advice. But in an emergency, where someone's life is at risk you can call 999.

We also recommend that you download the SafeZone App, which you can use to summon First-Aid assistance while on campus.

Events

We run events throughout the year to help you make friends and mark celebrations from around the world.

Kent Students' Union

A Student Union in the UK is a registered charity, completely independent from the university, and run by students for students. They have a responsibility to support you during your time at university and make sure your voice is heard. 

Kent Students' Union (KSU for short) lobby and campaign for student rights, help facilitate over 250 Student Groups, they also run The VenueWoody’sCampus Coffee, Co-op and Kent Clothing.   

The KSU Advice Service offers free, impartial and confidential advice and guidance on a range of issues you may confront while at university. For example they are trained to give visa advice, housing advice, and budgeting and financial advice.   

Visa Advice

Where to go and when

Understanding visa requirements can be confusing and so can knowing who to go to and when. The webpage link below has details on everything from applying for a CAS, to working during your studies, placements, what to do, and a helpful glossary. The Student Immigration Compliance Team monitors the status, attendance and engagement of all Student visa sponsored students, and you will mainly deal with them when you first arrive, but for general help and advice remember that the KSU Advice Service (pictured) are trained to give visa advice.

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