I'm a Uni of Kent Student - Ask Me Anything!

Hey
The closest accommodation to the bus stop is Keynes, and second closest is Turing (only an extra minute away), and the third closest is Eliot/Becket Court. The other accommodations on campus are still close to the bus stop, so if you didn't get these accommodation blocks, it wouldn't add much to your journey!

Hi I recently firmed Kent on UCAS and seeing as initially they took a really long time to give me an offer firstly does that mean they’ll take the same time or even longer to accept, the IB results are out already and so I expected them to have made a decision by now?

Hey,

That's great news about firming Kent, congratulations! I understand your concern if they are taking time to get back to you, unfortunately I am not entirely sure how the acceptance process works, however I would encourage you to make contact with the admissions team either via the Evision portal or the following email since they will be able to better indicate how long it might be till you hear back: [email protected].

Good luck and if you have any further questions feel free to ask!
Connie

Hey! I am a 22 year old undergraduate ERASMUS student of Languages and Literature arriving in September. I'll be spending my final year in Canterbury and am currently looking for a decent accommodation (deadline: 31 July). First of all, on campus vs off campus accommodation - which one is best? I'm specifically looking for a nice en-suite bedroom with a good kitchen (as I love cooking) and I would also prefer not to share the bathroom with more than 1-2 students (having an en-suite bathroom would be great too). I narrowed it down to: Turing Flats (large en-suite rooms), Park Wood Flats (en-suite rooms) and Keynes Flats (en-suite rooms). As far as I could read online, Keynes Houses and Turing Houses have shared bathroom facilities between two students so I would take those into consideration as well. Do you have any advice for me? I really can't decide. Thank you very much.

Hi,
I will be joining University of Kent this year. Your discussion page has been very helpful. Thank you so much!!!!

I have a few doubts-
1. Which en-suite accommodation would you recommend?
2. Which is the ‘most-happening’ accommodation?

Hey there!

My name Connie and I am a Student Rep for the University of Kent. I am a final year Marketing undergraduate so am at the end of my three years on the Canterbury Campus. So I spent my first year living on campus and the final two years living with friends a 10 minute walk from campus in a rented house share. Personally, I would definitely recommend living on-campus rather than off if this is your first year living here. The benefits of being on campus, close to all University facilities including the on-campus gym, academic facilities and library offer so much convenience. Plus they really help with making friendships as everyone is in the same boat with not knowing one another.

So in my personal experience I am bias in my choice since I lived in Turing College flats during my first year and I found them extremely pleasant and catered for all of my needs. I had similar desires to you namely wanting an ensuite room and large kitchen and Turing provided me with exactly this. The rooms are a really decent size, I had a queen size bed, desk and wardrobe in the main part of my room with great storage; plus the bathroom had a proper shower rather than a wet room which I prefer since everything else doesn't get damp! The room itself is relatively spacious and a great space for living and working. The kitchen space was also fantastic, I was in a slightly different situation since I lived in a flat (made up of 7 students) catered for disabled accessibility so it was build slightly differently but the space was amazing between only 7. We had 2 fridge/freezers, ovens etc which made it really easy to share and lots of work surface space so that would be perfect for your cooking. In the kitchens there is a long bench and table for eating and by the windows a sofa area which is an ideal social space so you can be out of the way from people cooking but enjoy each others company. For these reasons I would recommend Turing as the best option!

However, from the feedback I have heard from my friends who were in the other accommodation options you mentioned I am sure you would be perfectly comfortable in any of them. Having a quick look at Park Wood flats these are a slightly different option because this is the campus student village and is set slightly back from campus in its own secluded area next to the sports facilities including football pitches, 3G and tennis courts and bike hire facilities. The village consists of the blocks of flats and houses and has the look and feel of a village, this can be nice if you are after more of a community feel since Park Wood is renowned as a social place to be on campus. The village has its own sports bar called 'Woody's' which serves food and drinks and covers all of the sports games and boxing matches so is a great space, plus there is a Coop next door which is very handy to grab any essentials without having to walk 10 minutes to central campus. As you mention the ensuite room and large kitchen area means it offers similar facilities to Turing and definitely the flats have a great reputation and are comparable to Turing.

Lastly, to my knowledge Keynes houses and the ensuite rooms you mention are very similar to Turing in the layout of the kitchen etc and is located next to Turing which is also on the outskirts of campus to Keynes is slightly more central to campus so a great location! I will leave a link to some Youtube videos which should show in more detail what the different accommodation options look like which can hopefully make the decision making process easier!

Good luck in September!

Keynes accommodation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9huGHZd71zM
Turing accommodation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZynjWoVGKoE
Park Wood accommodation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R1WFM09f-hU

Hey Connie! THANK YOU VERY MUCH. That was extremely helpful. You've been so kind! I eventually got the ensuite room at Turing (block G).

I am finally planning my trip to Canterbury. Specifically, I am trying to figure out how to get there from London. I will choose the airport to fly in (London City, Heathrow or Standstead) based on the convenience of flights, trains and busses (= transport links). For this reason, I'm going to have to ask you more questions related to this topic. By the way, I am very sorry for bothering you again. I will be travelling with heavy luggage so I am a bit concerned, as you can imagine. I know Canterbury has two railway stations (East and West), but which station is best from the point of view of distance? I may have to take a bus from there to the campus (I read, Unibus or number 4). In case you have experience with this or know international students, what's the overall recommended itinerary? I know I am asking a lot but I wasn't provided information and I am now trying to get the hang of it myself. Thank you.

Hi Connie, Please could I ask if you know anything about or anyone who studied Environmental Social Science and if they enjoyed it? Thank you so much!

Hi, what do you take for your room on campus? Any tips or advice? Should I buy a laptop or can I loan one from the University? Do students usually take their own TV or just watch Netflix or whatever on a laptop?

Hey Tambarini,

Thanks for the question! So the Accommodation team have compiled a list of general things to bring with you to University including bedding, pots, pans and plates and towels (see here: https://www.kent.ac.uk/accommodation/medway/arrivals...).

However, a few students, me included, have given our top tips of things to bring to University which you can watch here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-xLrIF4-_ek. These included slides/ slippers which make going to and from the bathroom (if shared) or kitchen a tonne easier (and more hygienic), plus card games to encourage social activities with your new housemates and lastly photos of your friends/family because its so important to feel as comfortable and at home as possible.

If you are looking into what to get for Uni/ specific to your accommodation, the University of Kent also works with UniKitOut who will deliver all your essentials to your new University room so you don't have to! This can make the moving in process super easy if you are an International student for example and are concerned about having your necessities accessible as soon as you move in. Naturally what you are required to bring will vary depending on if you are a catered or self-catered student (not requiring kitchen equipment), however if you have any specific requests for rooms for example please ask for more detail! 🙂

Personally I would recommend bringing your own laptop since this can make studying whenever you fancy more convenient - for example taking it to lectures, seminars or group meetings. While the library resources are fantastic and I would definitely recommend making full use out of them when you visit the library I am not entirely sure how COVID will impact rentals but feel free to check out their current offerings given the situation at the following link: https://blogs.kent.ac.uk/isnews/changes-to-templeman-library-services-covid-19/.

I have not taken a TV to University personally since a laptop has always been good enough for me. I do know a few people who have brought a monitor (for their computer if they take computer science for example) which can double up as a TV but in my experience a laptop or iPad type device has been sufficient.

I hope this helps!
Connie

Thanks Connie. That's great.How do students get in touch with freshers before arriving such as those you will be living with? Halls not yet allocated but hopefully will hear soon.

Hi everyone,

As the title suggests, I'm a current student at the University of Kent and wanted to share my experience to help anyone looking to study at Kent I know these are tricky and uncertain times and I want to offer some reassurance and support so that you feel you can still make an informed decision on your university offers.

Also, if you're more interested in what the campus and accommodation is like, you can do virtual tours of our Canterbury and Medway campuses!
Virtual Tours

Ask me anything about Kent