Living expenses in Kent

Hi! I am considering studying Journalism in Kent and I would like to know if is the life there (accommodation + food) more expensive than Manchester or Surrey (My second and third choice). Is it easy to find a part time job there to help me with the expenses? Thank you for every info and advice!!!

Reply 1

Zadkiel

Original post by Amanda1231

I am also looking for an answer to this question. :smile:

University of Kent

Canterbury

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Reply 2

Tiffee

Hi there! I'm currently a Journalism student in Kent. Not sure if I can be of great help but I'll try. I haven't been to many parts of UK (I'm an international student) but according to a few of my friends who came to visit me, dining out is slightly cheaper compared to Bath and London. However, if you're cooking, obviously the price of groceries sold in Asda and Tesco express will be fairly the same everywhere. With much discipline, I am able to survive on £15 a week. However, you will intend to spend money especially when you explore further. For eg. dockside outlet where Creams, Nando's and The Real China buffet is and Bluewater shopping centre. Liberty Quays is overly priced (it's been a hot topic since day one up till today), but don't forget your room is en-suite and the kitchen is fairly large if compared to other university accommodation. If you're not picky, job opportunities are everywhere. My friends managed to get jobs easily, but if you're aiming to work within walking distance, sorry that'll be difficult.

A little insight of the course and university - nobody is satisfied with it.
I wouldn't recommend anybody to study Journalism in Kent.
First of all, you have to understand you're based in the Medway campus, not the main campus in Canterbury. Medway is a rather run down place to live. Smokers, drug dealers, rude people, stabbers, teen pregnancies etc are very common in Medway. You'll often see arguments or read news about shooting and stabbing incidents. It is definitely not the safest place you want to be in. Hence, it gets rather quiet when it comes to reading week and term holidays, as everybody would opt to go home. Not to mention weekends as well. Londoners do take advantage of weekend to return home because Medway is a hard-to-live place (according to all my local friends).

Second, the course is very hectic. Of course, we all have that mindset of "I'm going to university to study, not to play. I want the best for my future". Yeap, I had that too, and it was the worst priority ever. You'll start noticing Journalism is the only course that has the longest study hour, from 9.30am till 3pm. You'll question why your flatmates get to sleep in while you have to wake up early every morning for news conference.

Third, everything is in Canterbury. Literally, everything. Medway is in Kent, you're attending University of KENT, but why is the Medway campus dominated by University of Greenwich, and Kent only has 4 buildings (3 if you count out the bistro)? You'll soon see a huge problem socialising. You fancy joining a society? Sorry it's based in Canterbury. Want to take a wild module in learning a new language? Sorry, classes are conducted in Canterbury. Of course, you may think it's no problem seeing how we have a free campus shuttle running to and fro Canterbury and Medway, but how many times can you put up with that hour journey for a few hours of socialising in Canterbury, only to miss the bus and having to wait an hour for the next one? Everything is focused in the Canterbury campus and it's absolutely annoying. Going to the Canterbury campus makes me feel like I'm a stranger to University of Kent. They get awesome events, in-campus cinema, high end facilities, and we don't.

Fourth, what's university life without night outs and drinkin' till you drop right? You'll be pumped up during freshers' week, drinking all night long and hitting the night clubs with your new friends. Everything comes to a halt when classes start and you have piles of assignments to complete. Tap n' Tin and Casino, and occasionally Source, will be your most visited night clubs. Then what? The hype dies off and you'll see how terrible these clubs are compared to those in Canterbury (Yes, we compare many things to Canterbury).

Fifth, you'll be more stressed than you can imagine. You'll never know what depression feels like until you have a deadline and no news story , or worse, you have a news story but no quotes from prominent figures or organisation. That one person who you need to interview but doesn't reply to emails and hangs up your phone call. You'll be crying for help when you have 11 assignments all due on the same day (No joke, I just submitted them before writing this).

I apologise if I said anything sensitive. Every word I share is my own opinion. :smile:

Living expenses in Kent

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