Ups and downs from university of kent?

Just wanted to add my opinions - I'll only answer 1, 4 and 5

1) Coming from Brighton the social life here in Kent is such a downgrade for me. However, even though there's only a few clubs in Canterbury I do not mind it at all as there's so many other things you can do - especially if you join a load of societies! There's an Odeon (cinema) in town but it's so expensive so I would recommend watching films at the Gulbenkian (university's cinema) as it's only £4 per ticket and although they don't show the latest films it's only usually a month or 2 behind the box office. Parties wise there's always a party somewhere on campus!

4) Yeah I agree with Mellie Essentials is very overpriced - but you can just get your groceries delivered to your door or tescos is just a bus journey away (ASDA is two - it's further away but it's a lot bigger!) I recommend getting a year bus ticket - it's £160 if you buy it during September - it might seem a lot but a day ticket cost £2.70 just to get into town but with a year ticket you can use it to travel around Kent! Sometimes there can be a shortage of books in the library and yeah it's hard to find a space to study during deadlines/exam season but the library is now being expanded!

5) Politics and International Relations with Mandarin and a year in Hong Kong (annoyingly long haha). There's a bit of tensions between the Labour and Conservative students but otherwise I'm not really close friends with my coursemates. Well I am with a few and are even living with them now but I didn't meet them from attending lectures/seminars but through other means. I found most of my other friends through societies or other friends that I met before starting uni. As for other politics students I think the same applies to them: That they made friends with either who they lived with during first year or through societies.

I'm going to be doing politics and international relations with french so was wondering what is the P&IR aspects of the course like i.e. is it fun, interesting, difficult and what precisely is studied. Also what are the people like on the course (socialable, boring etc.??) When you say there is tension between the conservative and labour students, what exactly do you mean, do they dislike each other and argue a lot??? Finally, are the lecturers nice?

Ah nice! Fellow Politics student WOOP! Yes there's 4 core modules we have to study:

1) Introduction to Comparative Politics - Taken in the Autumn Term. Basically comparing UK and US politics. Political systems, the media, party systems etc. 50% coursework (you choose one question out of a list of nine and have to right 2000 words on it. Each question is about a different topic - I could even tell you the questions now lol as they use the exam questions from the year before for your coursework questions!) and 50% exam (you have to answer 2 essay questions)
2) Introduction to Political Science - Taken in the Autumn Term. I found this quite hard but it's basically looking at research methods used in the field of politics - it's 100% coursework and you have to do weekly assignments of about 300 words where you answer 3 questions. My recommendation is to just read the textbook - I tried reading the articles the questions were referring too but it just overly complicated it and I actually got the worst marks when I did that! Just literally use the extract they have provided you).
3) Introduction to International Politics - Taken in the Autumn term. This was my favourite core module, it's all about theories of politics (realism, liberalism, marxism, constructivism etc.) and other things like US grand strategy, humanitarian intervention and resource wars. Again it's 50% coursework (consisting of a 2000 word essay) and 50% exam (answer two questions from a list of 8)
4) Introduction to Political Thought - Taken in the Spring term. Basically political philosophy - it's quite similar to international politics! Looking at thinkers all the way back from Socrates to modern thinkers such as Weber. I found it hard to get into but I just focused on the topics I liked the best and I did well in the end. Again it's 50% Coursework and 50% exam.

Then since you're doing french, I presume that will take up 2 of your modules, so you won't have any choice for your autumn modules but you can choose 2 more politics modules to study in the Spring term. There's loads you can choose from - there's two modules on the politics of Japan you could do (one focuses on the media of Japan - like both American's perspective of Japan and vice versa, another looks at popular culture and history from the second world war to the present as well as the social issues there), 'International History and Relations' which is follows up from International Relations or a module in British Politics (so what you studied in Comparative Politics would be useful here). You might also be able to do a 'wild module' - so a module outside the field of politics, such as a sociology module. But I don't know since you're taking French as normally we're only allowed to do a maximum of two 'wild modules' and French would count as your wild ones as it's not politics - though my friend who also studies Politics was allowed to do a criminology module as well as Japanese!

Personally I'm a bad person to ask about what the students are like - I was so shy that I really didn't talk to many people! Though in my year there was a mix of people - both really opinionated people and really lazy people who would hardly show up. There's about 200 people studying so you'll bound to find the right people to hang out with!

As for the Labour students and Conservative students, there's no tensions in the lectures/seminars per se, (just harmless banter), but like when special party-aligned guests come to visit to give a talk, the opposing party will be there to argue.

Finally, (omg sorry for this beast of a post!) the lecturers are lovely - though the lecturer for international politics has left us for Exeter! :'( So can't tell you about that and as for the one for comparative politics, he's alright but he basically reads everything off the powerpoint. The others are all really great - you can tell that they really know their respective fields very tell and are passionate about it.

So I hope that helped! .....Sorry for basically writing an essay!

No that was very helpful and detailed.

How popular would you say it is in comparison to some of the more popular courses such as law/business/history? Also would you say people are liberal or conservative as students left wingery is well documented.
Is the course easy to get onto i.e what was your offer and did anyone in your class not meet the grades but still get on?? (i only ask as I may only get BBB when my offer was ABB). Furthermore, is there a lot of debate/discussion in class. Lastly on something unrelated, what are the parkwood 6 houses like?

Hey all, written a guide on Canterbury's nightlife, which is vaguely relevant to this thread

http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=2412590

Also, would people find it helpful if I wrote a similar/some sort of accommodation guide? FAQs?

Hey all, written a guide on Canterbury's nightlife, which is vaguely relevant to this thread

http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=2412590

Also, would people find it helpful if I wrote a similar/some sort of accommodation guide? FAQs?

I've applied to the university of Kent, in fact, it is my firm choice. From what I've heard from all of the students I've spoken to the academics are very responsive- they reply to emails quickly and have a certain time set aside each week to answer student's questions and generally help them out so it seems the teaching quality is great.

As for accommodation, I've booked for Parkwood houses. Parkwood is not as close to campus as say Darwin's College or Tyler court is but it is quite green and very beautiful. Parkwood houses seem like a great idea- you get to know your housemates much better than if you were living in a hall. Also, all accommodation includes £5,000 contents insurance so the rate per week may seem high when compared to some universities but with the insurance included, I think it is a good bargain. From what I hear, although Canterbury is quite rural the cost of living is quite high but if you can budget wisely you can manage just fine.

Kent is only my CF but thought of sharing the little I've learned about the university. Hope it helps you guys

5 grands worth... but.. what student has that laptop, tv, ps4, ps vita-books I might be hitting just over a grand oh and food but somehow I can't see food being coveres xD what on earth will you have that makes anywhere near 5k ?

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Well, you have a point.

Hahaha well I'm sure the acconodationbisbnice anyway

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Nothing too fancy but it is decent

I think park houses was my second prefrence but as kent is my insurance but unconditional no idea if Ill be going there at all-I suspect I will though

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Actually the insurance does cover food! Though not worth claiming it unless you have an extremely expensive taste :P