Starting at university is an exciting and daunting experience, with a large campus to negotiate, very few (if any) familiar faces, and no-one (as it might seem) to look after you.
In fact, there are lots of people to help you throughout your degree, as you will see below.
When and How Do I Choose My Modules?
Your Welcome Pack will include a ‘Student Degree Map’, (form at the bottom of the page) which gives you the opportunity to start mapping your academic journey.
You’ll choose your modules online (https://www.kent.ac.uk/csao/your-studies/modules/omr/welcome.html) before you arrive at Kent, but you will also have a meeting with your personal academic adviser during welcome week, who will check your module registration and help you set your course of study during your time at Kent. We offer a wide choice of modules and finding your way through them alone can be daunting. This map can change from year to year but even so, thinking about your long-term goals helps you make the right choices.
As you begin to consider your options, our first piece of advice is to think broadly. Throughout your degree you’ll have the option of taking ‘wild modules’ outside of the Department of Classical and Archaeological Studies. When you look at the options, you’ll notice some familiar fields like history, English, religious studies, modern languages or maths and some others—like anthropology or linguistics—that may be entirely new to you. Look for the sweet spot between challenge and security. Details for all the modules can be found online.
If you have any inclination that you may want to pursue an MA or PhD in Classics, you should study Greek or Latin.
If you plan to pursue an MA or PhD in Archaeology or Heritage Studies, you should take modules with fieldwork or museum placement experience.
You’ll officially choose modules for your second and third year each spring.
What are classes like at Kent?
First year modules are designed to give you a broad-based understanding of the ancient world. During your first year, compulsory modules provide the necessary foundation and wild modules allow you to explore your interests, both in Classical and Archaeological Studies and other departments too.
In your second year, you’ll deepen your understanding of the ancient world by taking more specialised modules, sometimes related to particular themes, time periods, or with a practical component (e.g. fieldwork or a placement in a school or museum).
Finally, you’ll progress to more intensive study in your third year, where in addition to your taught modules, you’ll undertake independent study under the guidance of an academic supervisor.
While each module you take at Kent will be unique, there are several general types of classes that you will encounter. Attendance at all timetabled teaching sessions is mandatory.
Lectures. These large group sessions usually meet 1-2 hours a week and involve all the students enrolled on a module. The lecturer uses this time to set out essential information, facts, and key concepts for the module. Handouts or PowerPoint presentations are often provided in class or on Moodle.
Lectures require active learning on your part. This means you should compile a set of lecture notes for each module. You don’t need to write down everything you hear, but generally things put on the board are worth copying into your notes. You should review your notes as soon as possible after your lectures so you can fill in gaps from your short-term memory.
Even though your lecture notes are vital, they won’t be sufficient in themselves to do well in your module. You must read widely on your own from the recommended reading list and develop your own ideals. You will always be given a chance to ask your lecturer questions during these sessions too.
Seminars. These small group ‘sections’ normally range in number for 15-25 students, and meet weekly for an hour or two to discuss the readings or the material covered in lectures in greater depth. Sometimes the lecturer is also the seminar leader, or sometimes, in larger modules, other members of staff teach some seminars. You will be assigned to a specific section, and you are responsible for coming to seminars ready to discuss the readings assigned for the week. In most cases, each section is graded by the seminar leader.
Sometimes your seminar leader will provide you with guiding questions, but you will be expected to participate actively by having a view about the reading, articulating that view, and defending it in conversation with your fellow students. Sometimes you may also be asked to present your ideas about modules materials. Emphasis is placed on student-led learning in seminars, and ideally, the seminar leader should remain in the background as far as possible. This isn’t a time to take lots of notes, it’s a time to talk to others.
Workshops. Other kinds of modules are taught in the class or workshop format. This kind of module has no lecture where all the students meet. Rather, the module might best be described as a combination of lecture and discussion at the same time. The same instructor lectures, leads discussion, and does the grading for those students in the class. Many language and upper-level modules are taught in this format.
You’ll need to take notes like a lecture, but also be ready to participate like a seminar.
Practical Experiences. Some modules involve placements, internships, fieldwork, labs, or demonstrations. These modules have more than the average number of class hours, and you should plan accordingly when organizing your schedule.
Study Groups. Your lecturers and seminar leaders will encourage you to form study-groups of 3-6 students, which meet independently between seminars. You should organise your own meetings, discuss the work together for the next seminar, and try out ideas together. This gives you a valuable opportunity to work with other students, to ask questions together, and to take responsibility for your own learning.
Office Hours. Lecturers and seminar leaders set aside special time each week in their offices for students to drop in one-to-one or even as study groups. You can use the time to ask questions that occurred to you when you reviewed your lecture notes, or that you didn’t get the chance to discuss in seminar. It’s also a good way to get feedback on ideas you have for your assignments or to get extra feedback or ask questions once you get your coursework back.
Moodle. In almost every module that you take at Kent, instructors provide an outline of the module on moodle and go over it on the first day of class. The moodle page provides a detailed outline of reading assignments, written assignments to be handed in, examination dates, and, generally, the breakdown of how the final grade in the module will be calculated. Sometimes the combination of all of this information from all of your modules can seem overwhelming at first, but if you use them for long-term planning, sketching out the contours of your major assignments, you will find it easier to manage your daily workload. Learning to manage a university workload can be challenging, especially because you’ll have a lot of time that you are directing yourself! If you’re concerned, see your academic adviser to get advice and support.
How does the academic year work? The Kent academic year moves quickly, so it’s important to make a plan.
You’ll usually get an overview of a module in week one and can usually change modules up until the end of week two.
Mid-term assessments are normally scheduled during the sixth week of the term, followed by a week-long ‘enhancement’ period. Normal classes don’t run in this week, but lots of other activities are available, particularly around skills development and career planning. It’s also a good time to catch up on things you’ve missed or to review what you’ve learned so far.
As you head towards the end of term, you’ll need to organise your time carefully to make sure you can meet all your assignment deadlines, which often fall on the last day of term. Teaching usually finishes in week eleven in December.
A ‘writing week’ is often scheduled for week twelve, but you should not wait until this week to begin your essays or begin studying for your tests. This is a general outline, but not every module is the same, so it’s important to check the moodle page and emails for details.
The academic year calendar is available on the University website (https://www.kent.ac.uk/csao/term-dates/index.html). In addition to the academic calendar, you should regularly check moodle and your email.
Final exams for some modules will be held in summer term; always be sure to check and double-check moodle for deadlines and the exam schedule before making any travel plans.
What if I change my mind?
Modules. After you select your modules with your adviser at the beginning of the term, you will generally have two weeks to add or drop non-compulsory modules (i.e. ‘optional’ modules). We run taster sessions during Welcome Week, so you can get a sense of what Greek, Latin or Archaeology modules are like. Our advice is that you should explore but not take too long to settle on your schedule. Kent terms are fast-paced, and you don’t want to fall behind in the coursework for the classes you decide to take.
Before you make any changes in your schedule, you should consult with your academic adviser. They will help you make sure that dropping the module is the wisest plan and can advise you if you need help to get back on pace to complete your degree.
Programme/Course. If you decide you want to change programmes or courses at the beginning of your first year, i.e. in the first 2 weeks or so, you should get in touch with your academic adviser, as soon as possible. Some degree programmes may be full, so it’s not always possible to make a change, but your adviser will help you think through your options. Once you’ve spoken to your adviser and they have agreed to pursuing a change, you should also contact the Taught Programmes Administrator (artshumsugandpgt@kent.ac.uk), who can help you with the paperwork. If you decide to change programmes after more than 3 weeks have passed, you may not be able to make the change without incurring a fee or having to delay a start to the following academic year.
For more information go to: https://www.kent.ac.uk/csao/your-studies/coursechange.html
How Can I Be Successful at Kent?
Coming to university will challenge you because the expectations are very different from school. University modules move at a rapid pace across 10 weeks of teaching and you will have a lot of unstructured time, during which you have to organise your own study. You may find that you are expected to read multiple unfamiliar texts and articles that require new approaches or analyse evidence at a higher conceptual level. Your lecturers are active scholars in their chosen fields. In addition to learning from them about the subject of your module, you will be encountering the particular conventions and assumptions of our discipline right from the beginning of your first term.
Given all this newness, it’s perfectly normal to feel that the study strategies that you have used in the past are not as effective as they were in school. But regardless of your experience in the past, we can help you develop good adaptive skills, and with the help of your professors and peers, you will learn from challenges. Keep in mind that learning is a process that should challenge you. With time and practice, you will adapt and grow.
How Do I Use All This Free Time?
Learning at University requires students to plan their unstructured and out-of-class time in new ways. You may have many unscheduled hours each day, and you will need to use that time effectively. You can find additional guidance here.
Create and use a calendar. Whether through your Google calendar or a paper planner, it’s important to keep track of your schedule each day so that you know where you need to be—and what hours you have free to study, socialize, or rest. You can always check your timetable online through the student portal: https://www.kent.ac.uk/student/my-study/.
Find a place where you can work effectively. If your room is a hub of social activity, plan to work in one of the colleges or the University library. For accountability and support, make a weekly appointment to study with a friend or classmate.
Use your free weekday hours for study. Do not try to do all your studying in the evenings or put it off until the weekends. Many of us (undergraduates, graduate students, even academic staff) think, incorrectly, that we need long, uninterrupted stretches of time to work in a concentrated fashion. When the opportunity arises to make use of small amounts of time, ask yourself, “How can I use this time to keep up with my coursework?” This is especially true of language classes, where multiple 10–15-minute sessions of study a day can be very effective for learning vocabulary, conjugations, and declensions.
Take Breaks. Break up your study periods by working on two or three different subjects, particularly if you find yourself losing attention or interest.
Make time for drafts. The papers that you are expected to write at university can rarely be written the night before. They require substantial reading and research. Use the Assignment Survival Kit (https://www.kent.ac.uk/ai/ask/) to help you plan your time or when you get the assignment, enter a start date in your calendar and plan backwards from the due date, creating your own benchmarks. Consider making an appointment at the student learning advisory service (SLAS) to get free, 1-to-1 help with your writing at any stage in the process.
Balance your academic commitments, your job assignments, and your recreational and extracurricular activities. Research indicates that one or two regular extracurricular activities is best. If you are involved in sports or other regularly scheduled and demanding commitments, be especially careful about budgeting your time.
Get advice early and often! There are lots of great resources—including your academic advisor, the staff of your college, student support, and the Student Learning and Advisory Service (SLAS) —who are here to help.
How Do I Get Help Improving My Learning Techniques?
At Kent, you should expect to be an active learner. You will find, for instance, that unless you are doing a first term beginners language module, memorization is insufficient preparation for the learning tasks posed to you at Kent. As you prepare for your classes each day:
Think like your lecturer. Why do you think they would assign this particular reading or set of questions? What might your professor hope that you’re learning? Use moodle to connect specific assignments to larger goals for the module.
Use office hours. All lecturers set aside time each week specifically to meet with students. You don’t have to be a mind reader to learn to think like your lecturer! Visit them in their office hours (they will be posted on moodle) and ask them questions about the module material, learning goals, or assignments. That’s what office hours are for. Students who visit their lecturers will find them almost without exception interested and helpful.
If you’re having trouble with a module, the first person to turn to is either the seminar leader or the lecturer in charge of the module (called the convenor). Lecturers will usually be pleased that a student is concerned enough to ask for further explanation of a concept or for a diagnosis of problems that arise on assignments. If you would like help framing your questions, you can always meet with your academic adviser to prepare for a productive office hours meeting.
Don’t hesitate to approach your seminar leader or lecturer for academic support. They are knowledgeable, approachable, and willing to help!
Take good notes. Review your reading assignment notes and lecture notes as soon as possible after you have taken them, noting what you don’t understand so that you can follow up with your lecturer.
Find a team. Working with a small group of fellow students can be extremely effective in both tackling questions, understanding readings, and reviewing for exams. Studying with your peers provides opportunities to learn a variety of approaches to the material, and because everyone is an active participant, you learn more and retain what you’ve learned. Consult with your lecturer in each module to determine the extent to which collaboration on assignments is acceptable.
Talk to Your Lecturers. In order to get the most from your modules, and to be successful in them, you should seek out opportunities for learning beyond those afforded by class time and assignments. Meeting with your lecturers will be an important way to deepen your learning, no matter how well you’re doing. In fact, a student’s engagement with academic staff is a good predictor of success at university, so it’s important to make this a priority!
How Do I Prepare for Assignments and Study for Exams?
Lecturers organize modules around specific aims; know the aims of the module and direct your learning to achieve them. Your notes from lectures and readings can provide a good basis for studying; make them purposeful throughout the term.
How is studying for assignments and exams different at university? You will be assessed less frequently on larger amounts of information. Essay and exam questions will often be far more difficult than homework or seminar discussion questions and will require the application of concepts to novel situations. Your instructors’ standards will be exacting. To be successful, you should be prepared to adopt new methods of study.
Studying—as distinct from reading or taking class notes—is characterized by organizing your knowledge, making connections among concepts, distinguishing the relative importance of information, and synthesizing what you have learned to demonstrate what you know on novel questions.
For exams, previous years’ exams are sometimes available to use as ‘practice’. Try to complete these exams under exam conditions (e.g., timed and without the outside materials that will not be available to you the day of the exam)
to assess your readiness. Analyse the FEEDBACK on your returned papers, quizzes, homework, or previous years’ exams. The feedback is MOSTLY there to help guide you in selecting which materials to emphasise in your study and how to demonstrate your knowledge. Think up your own questions and imagine other ways your lecturer might challenge you.
Do everything you’ve already learned to do. Be ready to start assignments in good time, follow directions, survey the whole assignment or exam before starting, and read questions carefully. On essay questions, take the necessary time to organize your response before beginning so that you can make a compelling argument, not simply list all that you know on a topic. Support your points with clearly explained evidence that your reader can follow. Expect questions unlike those posed in homework and quizzes; exams or final essay topics often ask you to combine module content in novel ways. You are not expected to “know” the answers to these problems in many instances, but rather to figure them out. On exams, think on paper as methodically as possible and leave a record of your work.
Ask for help. For many students, “academic support” or “extra help” in school meant working with a tutor to “fix” something, or to make up for a gap in understanding. At university, “academic support” is more like coaching: the most successful students take advantage of opportunities outside of a formal classroom setting to enhance their performance, and no student goes at it alone.
You’ll find that learning is a collaborative process here, and it’s important to explore the kinds of resources available to you from the very beginning so that you can become an even better learner.
Academic support may include study groups, one-on-one consultations with specialists to better understand your own learning, visiting office hours to discuss feedback, and much more. All our academic support resources are free of charge and available to all students. Your academic adviser or academic peer mentor will be happy to help you identify what kinds of support will meet your needs. Remember that it’s normal to feel challenged by many aspects of your academic experience, and we are here to help even before you might feel lost or overwhelmed.