Hopefully your questions have already been covered somewhere in these welcome pages, but here is a page of our most frequently asked questions, all in one place for your ease!

Where can I meet other students before I get to Keele?

There's loads of different places to go online to meet other students! We have an incredibly active Facebook Group that is dedicated to meeting new students, as well as giving them a chance to ask questions and get advice from current students about Keele

I'm planning to bring a car to University - Am I eligible?

If you're living on campus, you will not be able to bring a car onto campus, unless you have exceptional circumstances that requires you to have one. These range from family to welfare reasons.

If you're living off campus, then you can apply for a parking permit for your car. Keep an eye on your Keele email as more information about how and when to apply will be sent to that account over the summer. The application process is all online.

Returning students can apply for a permit in the same manner (so keep an eye on your Keele email) if you are living off campus. You can also apply for exceptional circumstances.

For more information about car parking at Keele, as well as to apply for your permit, click here

Where can I get a reading list in advance of the semester?

Your programme will send out reading lists once they have been compiled, however, reading lists are often dependant on what modules you choose. When you sign up for your modules, there will be some information on the course, which may include the reading lists. If not, you can always get in touch with the Module Coordinator (their contact details will be on the module information pages when you go to choose them) and ask for some background reading ready for before you get here!

Where can I get mail delivered to if I live on campus?

If you live on campus, your mail will be sent to a central post room, located within the Media Building. You can collect your mail and parcels from here if you get it delivered to your on campus room. You will need to bring your Keele card to collect your mail. The opening hours for the Post room are:

Monday - Friday: 9am - 8pm

Saturday - Sunday: 9am - 5pm

The Post Room remains open over the vacation periods, but operates on limited hours.

When sending mail to campus, the address should be laid out as:

Name of addressee,

Block and Room Number,

Keele University,

Staffordshire,

Your halls postcode.


The halls postcodes are:

Horwood Hall: ST5 5DY

Lindsay Hall: ST5 5DX

Barnes Hall: ST5 5DZ

Holly Cross/The Oaks: ST5 5JB

Hawthorns Hall: ST5 5DT

What do I need to bring to Keele?

In short: whatever makes your home from home! There will be some essentials that you should bring, but you should bring whatever makes your room or house feel comfortable.

Essentials will include kitchen utilities such as pots, pans, a toaster, plates, knives and forks. The Accommodation pages have more information on what is provided in kitchens and suggestions on what to bring here

When you enrol, you will need to bring all the documentation that has been sent to you by Keele, as well as any Student Finance correspondence you may have had. We may need to see these to confirm your loan with the Student Finance Authority.

Where can I find some part time work?

The JobShop, based in ASK (Advice & Support at Keele) on the ground floor of the Students' Union is your first port of call for all job-related queries! The Students' Union hire around 200 student staff to work on their bars, as security stewards, shop assistants, promotion team and many more. The University also has a Student Ambassadors scheme and hire students to help out on open days and University events.

How is the public transport around Keele?

The public transport is constantly improving at Keele, and we have 3 bus services that operate on campus throughout the year. We have around 12 buses an hour during peak times!

The bus services are;

25/25X - These buses are operated by First (White/Blue/Purple coloured) and are the main link to Hanley, the city centre of Stoke-on-Trent, the nearest city to Keele. They run every 10 minutes, go through Newcastle-under-Lyme (the local market town) before going through Hartshill, Stoke train station and terminating at Hanley bus station.

X75 - These buses are operated by Bakers (Yellow coloured) go through the surrounding villages of Keele. Running every 30 minutes, they loop between Keele, Knutton, Silverdale before heading towards Hanley bus station via Newcastle-under-Lyme. They also stop outside of Liberty Court Halls of Residence.

85 - These buses are operated by D&G (Red coloured) and are the link between Crewe and Stoke-on-Trent. Operating every 30 minutes, these buses go from Hanley bus station, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Keele University, Madeley before reaching Crewe (Stopping at Crewe Train Station)

As for Rail, Stoke-on-Trent Train Station and Crewe Train Station are the 2 closest stations. Crewe provides links to northbound services, going as far as Glasgow, and Stoke-on-Trent is a main stop for London/Birmingham/Manchester travelling trains.


For more information on Transport at Keele, visit the Transport pages here

I'm sharing a room. What does this mean and how long will it be for?

If you are sharing a room, this means that you are in a room with 2 beds, sharing with another student. Sharing a room is usually a temporary situation, as rooms do become available after the start of semester.

The length of time you may be sharing a room for can vary, but usually it is not longer than 3 months at the worst case. Most students are only sharing rooms for 2/3 weeks at a time.

Sharing a room can be an uncomfortable situation for a range of reasons, if you have any serious concerns about sharing a room, please get in touch with the Accommodation Office on acccommodation@keele.ac.uk

For more information about room sharing, visit the accommodation pages here

I don't drink and I'm worried there won't be anything for me. Will being tee total stop me from fitting in?

Absolutely not! Keele University and the Students' Union are devoted to providing as much inclusive entertainment as possible - The whole ground floor of the Students' Union is alcohol free, as are all the Social Spaces (Based in each Halls of Residence).

A lot of the events being put on throughout Welcome Week are not centred around Alcohol. You can see the programme of events here

My course isn't turning out to be what I expected it to be. How do I change my course?

It's really simple to change courses at Keele; whether you want to change one of your dual honour options, or both, it can be done.

We would advise that you speak to others first about what you're not enjoying about your programme. You may find talking to a member of the Student Life and Experience Team or a Careers Adviser a useful next step in helping you to understand your options and decide the best way forward. With its broad range of degree combinations Keele does offer flexibility and it is often possible to change to another course at certain times of year. However you do need to meet the entry requirements, have or are able to pass enough core modules in the new subject and there are vacancies on the course. You would also have to change within the first three weeks of either Semester One or Semester Two.

 It may also be helpful to speak to some of the following people to inform your decision:

  • Your Personal Tutor
  • Friends, family or others who know you well
  • Students on alternative courses you might be considering
  • Course Directors in the new subject you are interested in studying.

For more information about changing your course, please click here

I'm inviting a friend/partner/family member to visit me after I start at Keele. What do I need to know?

There is no charge if you would like a guest to stay in your room.  Just complete the Registering a Guest to Stay in Your Room form in advance of their stay. However if you would like a camp bed with bedding there is a £15 charge (a minimum of 1 working day's notice is required for this).

If you would like to book a separate room for your guest the cost is £22 per night for a standard room and £28 per night for an en-suite, subject to availability.

If you need a camp bed and bedding or would like to book a separate room please contact us.

Please be aware that you are responsible for the actions of any guests you book in and Under 18’s are not allowed to stay in the halls of residence.

If you want to bring someone from outside of Keele into a night out at the Students' Union, you will need to sign them in (costs £1) and they will need a form of Photo ID to prove they are over 18. During the day, they can access all of the Students' Unions facilities.

For more information about booking a guest into your halls room, please click here

How does the room numbering system work?

This is an issue that has confused Keelites, past and present, for years - But don't worry, as soon as you what the letters and numbers mean, you're set!

The letters correspond to the initials of the building that you are in. The number immediately after the letters (before the full stop) is the floor level the room is located on. The numbers after the full stop are the room number itself.

Example

CBA0.075 means the room is in Chancellors Building, A Block, on the ground floor in room 75.

Below is a list of all the buildings, with their initials:

Chancellors Building, A block: CBA

Chancellors Building, B Block: CBB

Chancellors Building, C Block: CBC

Darwin Building: DW

Claus Moser Building: CM

David Weatherall Building (Medical School, Keele campus): DJW

Clinical Education Centre, (Keele Hospital Campus): CEC

Hornbeam Building: HNB

MacKay Buidling: Mac

Colin Reeves Building: CR

Dorothy Hodgkin Building: DH

Huxley Building: HUX

Lennard Jones Labs: LJ

William Smith Building: WS

What do I do if I'm ill?

If you're not feeling well, it would be best to inform your lecturers/supervisors as soon as possible that you're unable to make the lectures or seminars. They might be able to catch up with you once you're better again to go over any material that you've missed. If its more of a long term illness, or you need to go to hospital, it would be best to book to see your Personal Tutor to sort out a plan.

If you live on campus, you will be able to register at the Health Centre here on campus. It is based in Horwood Halls of Residence, and you will be sent more information about when you can register over the summer. The Health Centre has a small pharmacy based within it for prescriptions.

The Health centre is open throughout term and vacation time.

Oh no! I've forgotten my....

Don't panic! There's a convenience store based on campus (Select and Save) if you've forgotten any food/hair and body products. If you've forgotten your internet cable, you can buy one either from the Library, or the Students' Union Shop (based on the ground floor of the Students' Union)

If you've forgotten anything slightly larger, Morrisons and Sainsbury's supermarkets are walking distance from Newcastle-under-Lyme Bus station (all the buses that come onto campus go through the bus station on their journeys).

Is there somewhere for over 21s to go to?

Yes there is - The KPA Clubhouse (Keele Postgraduate Association) has an over 21s only policy and is a relaxing environment to catch up with friends or study. Based at the entrance of Horwood Hall, it is the home of the Keele Postgraduate Association.

The KPA Clubhouse is a real ale bar, regularly serving local and guest ales. It also serves food on weekdays, ranging from hot gourmet to sandwiches.

Keele Students' Union is a space for all to use, even staff regularly come to have a coffee in the Students' Union! With the non-alcoholic ground floor space, with dedicated seating and social spaces to use, it's an ideal environment for all students.