Graduation dates are out!

So, the graduation ceremony dates are out. If you are (or are thinking of soon becoming) an international student at the University of Kent, it's vital to bare in mind that these dates tend to be roughly the same time in July every year, so you may be required to make travel arrangements in Canterbury during this time period. The website with all the dates can be found here:

http://www.kent.ac.uk/congregations/ceremony-dates/future/index.html

Furthermore, here are a few imperative things to bare in mind:

1) Book Early
Whether it be your graduation dinner (or lunch for you evening graduates :( yep that's me too!) or your hotel to stay the night, graduation week will be packed with hundreds of students trying to do the same with their family. Start hunting around now to get an idea of where you want to go and think about booking it in April to avoid disappointment

2) Save Up
Canterbury can be costly. Hotels tend to start from about £60 a room up to about £200. It is one of the biggest tourist cities in the country, so it will be pricey to start off with, however during graduation week they know when people are desperate. To reemphasise, book early and save early.

3) Arrive Early
If your friends and family are coming to your graduation, the queues can be massive. It's best to start queuing from about an hour and a half before in order to get good seats, other wise they'll be right at the back and wont see a thing!

And just to excite you even more, here is the beautiful cathedral you may be graduating in!

Back to Uni!

It's that time again - everyone is grumpy from having the January blues, still trying to burn off those mince pies and are stressing over their new deadlines. And the scariest thing of all is that there are only two months of lectures left and three months until exams - ekkkk! On the plus side, there are a few things to look forward to as a student:

a) Summer ball - Date TBC 
The summer ball usually happens around June 1st and is definitely a good way to celebrate the end of exams. I have never actually been to the Summer ball to celebrate, although I did work here during my first year behind the bar. A lot of people give good feedback about this, and there usually is one if not two celebrity acts; I got to see The Saturdays! There are fun fair rides, various bars, food stands, out door tents with two or three DJ booths and a main stage. I certainly will be attending this year and I won't be behind the bar this time - horray!

b) Graduation for final years 
This may scare a lot of people (including myself) but actually it is awesome - you'll have a degree and can reunite with your friends! This is also a good excuse to site see and soak up the Canterbury atmosphere with your family, as well as grab some delicious gourmet lunch (or dinner, depending on the time of your ceremony).

c) BBQ's
Campus is absolutely beautiful during the summer time, especially on Tyler hill. A lot of students tend to buy disposable BBQ's and cook up a feast here or in park wood, so why not have a break from revision / essays and grab a couple of ciders and burgers?

d) Being able to go out without a coat on! 
No coat = no cloak room = cheaper nights out. It also means that the outfit you spent your last bit of student finance on can actually be on show - happy students!

Important link for international students at Kent!

For those of you who are staying in Canterbury over Christmas, here is an important Facebook link for you to join:

https://www.facebook.com/StayingInKentOverChristmasUnikentStudents

It regularly posts all the events occurring during the winter period, like a New years eve dinner on the 9th of January. Don't forget to book your place - and more importantly:

Merry Christmas! :)

All I want for Christmas is Food

If you don't fancy spending hours slaving away in the kitchen to cook a three course Christmas meal for your house mates, why not head somewhere in town and let someone else do all the work? Some friends and I decided to head to Cafe Rouge to try their three course Christmas party menu. It costs £19.95 but hey, it's Christmas - why not treat yourselves! Here are some photos to tempt you:

Assiette - Houmous, olives, pate, pork and rustic breads

Free Christmas crackers!

Before things got messy...

Soupe de Provence - Flame roast pepper, butternut squash and thyme soup

Donde Rotie - Roast turkey, sprouts, parsnips, potatoes and apricot & cranberry stuffing, bacon wrapped chipolata, and spiced red cabbage. 

Angus burger and fries (not on the festive menu)

Chocolate fondant (not on the festive menu)

Pudding de Noel - Gingerbread and cranberry pudding with ginger syrup and custard

Tarte au chocolat et noisettes - rich chocolate and hazelnut tart with a cherry sauce and praline tuile

The BEST buffet you'll ever have!

One of the greatest things about Canterbury is not only that there are a huge range of restaurants, but there is one restaurant in particular which makes it SO worth coming here for - Chom Chom. The dishes served here are inspired by Asia and beyond, where you can watch the chefs in the kitchen cooking up a Thai green curry, a pizza or two, fresh stir fries to suit your taste buds or even some fresh naan bread. They offer lunch buffets and dinner buffets, and the price ranges from about £10 to £14. It is absolutely worth it, but be sure to wear your buffet trousers as you WILL be stuffed and struggling to walk afterwards!

Chom chom is located on 10-11 Burgate Lane, Canterbury CT1 2HH, a two minute walk at the top of the town centre near Odeon. Their official website is:

http://www.chomchom.co.uk

Enjoy!

Walking in a winter wonderland...

Canterbury during the winter is one of the prettiest times of year. It can get extremely cold, but this is where the fun begins - snow! Here are some photos taken in Park Wood last winter, along with a list of must do's to keep you busy over the winter period.

Day Trips:

• Take a stroll through town in the evening to enjoy the scenery
• Take a visit to London Hyde park's Winter Wonderland (Only 55 minutes on the train from Canterbury West Station to St Pancreas, then a short trip on the underground from Kings Cross to Hyde Park).
• Have a snow fight and ski competition on Tyler hill (bin bags would be handy).
• Watch a Christmas panto in the Gulbenkian cinema

With your house mates:

• Watch Christmas movies
• Grab a Starbucks hot chocolate with marshmallows and whipped cream
• Have a pre christmas dinner, either home made or at a local pub (or both!). There are plenty of three course Christmas meal deals going on, but if you want to just stay on campus Woodys is a great option for this. 
• Decorate your kitchen and / or bedroom with tinsel, snow flakes, fairy lights and a miniature Christmas tree

Trick or Treat

You might be a bit too old to go trick or treating, however there are certainly lots of things to do in Canterbury on Halloween. Whether you want to stay local or hop onto a train to London, here are a list of things to do:

1) Haunted River Tour: www.canterburypunting.com
Scary ghost stories told amongst historic buildings. Tours cost £10 per person, and you can select your preferred time (between 4:30 - 9:30).

2) Canterbury Tales: http://canterburytales.org.uk/
Experience the sights, sounds and smells of a bygone era in this fabulous recreation of medieval life; a unique introduction to Canterbury and its famous literary connection.

3) Go out in town
Most nightclubs host their own halloween themed night, so remember to get your fancy dress costumes at the ready!

4) Travel to London
Getting a train to London only takes 55 minutes from Canterbury west station. So why not make a trip to the London Dungeon, Thorpe park's fright night, or Hampton court?