Introduction

Students in lab As the consistently high ratings for student satisfaction in recent National Student Surveys show, our past Biochemistry students have really enjoyed themselves and learnt from their experience at Keele.  As you prepare for  University life, I am sure that you will gain as much from your time here as they have. Certainly, you will gain a solid grounding in the theoretical and practical aspects of the subject and also develop your intellectual, personal and professional capabilities.  As a distinctive Keele Biochemistry graduate you will be equipped with the skills and knowledge to progress to a career or further study in Biochemistry and related biosciences as well as more general graduate careers.

You will have the opportunity to forge many new friendships: for many of your Biochemistry classes, you will be learning alongside Biomedical Science students; you will also be meeting students who are taking your other main subject and, of course, you will meet lots of other students in your accommodation and around campus.  We are a truly international campus and this is a great chance to mingle with students from many other cultures.

I and my colleagues on the Biochemistry and Biomedical Science teaching team look forward to meeting you at the start of the new academic year and we hope that you make the most of your opportunities here.

Sheila Hope Best wishes

Dr Sheila Hope

Biochemistry Course Director

‌

Preparing to arrive

We are not expecting students to do any preparatory reading before they arrive. As many of our students have different educational backgrounds, all the key topics are covered from scratch.  For some of you, the material covered in first year modules may be familiar, but you will be delving much deeper into the subject that you have done at A-level (or equivalent)  If, however, you are keen to get started, listed below are a few key textbooks that we will be referring to throughout the first two years of your course. 

Berg, JM, Tymoczko, JL and Stryer, L (2011) Biochemistry 7th ed. Palgrave MacMillan

Alberts, B  (2008)  Molecular Biology of the Cell 5th ed. Garland Science.

Other essential equipment to bring:

A  basic scientific calculator (however this should not be a programmable one, as programmable calculators are not allowed in examinations).

Basic drawing equipment, including coloured pens and pencils, a protractor, ruler and a stapler.

Much of your work will need to be submitted electronically, and although there are plenty of computers available on campus, you may find it useful to have a laptop computer.  As a student you are eligible for versions of Microsoft Software at greatly reduced prices, so it would be advisable to wait until you have registered before buying software licences. You will also need a memory stick and should get yourself into the habit of keeping backup copies of your work on a portable memory stick.  Keele computers are currently running Windows 7 and Office 2010.  Student email accounts are administered through Google and you will therefore have access to Google drive, as additional back-up space.So many students have lost important work when their laptops have malfunctioned or been stolen!

Welcome Week

There are a range of events running in Welcome week.

Monday 30th September 2013 11-12am:  Welcome to Life Sciences talk from head of school

Monday 30th September between 2 and 5 pm: Meet your personal tutor  You will be assigned a personal tutor who will be responsible for your pastoral well-being, overseeing your academic progress and helping you set personal development goals. Your tutor may contact you by email to arrange an appointment.

Tuesday October 1st 2013 9-10am:   As part of the university’s Welcome Week there will be an introductory talk on the Biochemistry degree programme beginning at 9 am. We will put the venue of this session on this page when it is known and it will also appear on your e-timetable on the Keele Learning Environment.  Please make sure that you attend this talk, as important information will be provided on all aspects of your degree course and it will help you settle in. 

Wednesday October 2nd 2013 1-4.30pm:  School of Life Sciences Treasure Hunt.  A great way to meet other students from the School and find your way around campus.

Thursday OR Friday afternoon - Groups to be announced: Lab induction.  Introduction to the lab programme.  You will be provided with a lab coat and marker pen.

A Year In The Life Of

For the past year, 4 of our students and I have been writing an online journal called A Year in The Life Of.

Why not have a look for yourself?

http://ayearinthelifeof.pbworks.com

You can use the username   bc1  and password  yitlo2012

Other key links

Feel free to contact the Biochemistry course director, Dr Sheila Hope (email: s.a.hope@keele.ac.uk), if you have any specific questions.