Student Life and Learning

Welcome Week

We aim to make the transitioning into Higher Education and campus life as easy as possible and one of the ways we can make this happen is by running a series of social events to help students meet other students. The full programme of events is available at http://www.keele.ac.uk/newstudents/welcomeweekevents/ and information is also in the Welcome Guide. Our team of Student Ambassadors will be working with us to provide information and advice as well as tips about the Keele student experience.

Join us for Keele's first ever Welcome Festival from 12.30 on Sunday 23rd September. There will be lots going on all in and around Keele Students Union and in the Chapel.

If you would like to come on any of our trips to Alton Towers, Trentham Gardens and the Monkey Forest or Ikea please prebook using the online booking forms. You will be able to collect your tickets from the Touch Base in the Chancellor's Building Gallery from Monday 24th September.

To prebook the Trentham Gardens and Monkey Forest Trip on Friday 28th September go to http://trenthamkeele.doattend.com/

To prebook the Alton Towers Trip on Saturday 29th September go to http://altontowerskeele.doattend.com/

To prebook the Ikea Trip on Sunday 30th September go to http://ikeakeele.doattend.com/

Peer Mentoring

Our peer mentoring scheme is in its infancy and it's an exciting time to get involved. With the 2011/12 intake we co-ordinated a group of peer mentors to help new students adjust to coming to Keele. These mentors provided a wide range of help and guidance throughout international orientation and Welcome Week.

We have now launched our new Keele Mentors Scheme. This is a pilot scheme involving the following schools:

• Chemistry
• Computer Science and Maths
• Criminology and Sociology
• Educational Studies
• Life Sciences
• Management
• Medicine
• Nursing and Midwifery

All new students in these schools can have a mentor. This scheme is also open to all international students, all mature students and students who have already taken part in the Outreach and Widening Participation E-mentoring scheme.

To apply for a Keele Mentor complete the online application form

ForMat

Our ForMat series is a social, academic and personal development programme aimed at bringing mature students together (students aged 21 and over) and working through issues and queries pertinent to them. We recognise that the experience, needs and concerns of mature students can be very different to our mainstream cohort and that tailor-made resources are an effective way of ensuring these differences aren't overlooked. We organise a pre-arrival event in September.  This focuses on the transition to university by providing an opportunity to meet other mature students, get to know Keele's campus and services and take part in refresher study skills.

For more information about this event including the 2012/13 timetable and times download the forMat Leaflet.

Get On Up

The Student Life and Learning Team plan a series of events to improve the student experience and help overcome some of the challenges students may face when starting university. 'Get on Up' is a pre arrival event for students who are living off campus or commuting to Keele. This event aims to help the transition to university by giving students the opportunity to meet other students also living off campus or commuting to Keele. It will also give these students a chance to get to know the campus and find out about the range of facilities available. They will also find out how to get the most out of Keele University. This event will take place in September.

For the full day timetable for 2012/13  download the Get On Up Leaflet

Moving on Up!

This event is planned in collaboration with Disability and Dyslexia Support. It aims to provide additional support and guidance to students with complex disabilities prior to their arrival at Keele. 'Moving on Up' is a residential weekend event for students and a carer. It aims to introduce Keele and higher education learning at a quieter time in the academic year and allows for greater personalised provision in the run up to Welcome Week and before the start of the academic year. This event takes place in September.

More information about this event is available from http://www.keele.ac.uk/dds/events/movingonup/

Learning to Learn Curriculum

The Learning to Learn Curriculum (L2L) is for all students and is academically orientated in its focus. It runs as a series of workshops over Semester 1 and 2 and students can attend the sessions that they feel are relevant to them. Each workshop is advertised both centrally and via the mail lists and operate on a first come first served bases. A session will last about an hour. Within the L2L curriculum, there will also be sub-events that lean to a particular time in the academic calendar or are aimed at a particular student group. Examples of these sub-categories include ReFreshers Week, a series of lunchtime workshops for 1st year students tackling pertinent study skills and personal development issues, and Revision Provision, an open drop-in surgery running parallel to exams and providing students somewhere to seek exam advice and guidance over the assessment period.

In Addition: Maths Open Learning Service

‘In Addition’, our Maths Open Learning Service is open from 18^th April 2012. This is a great opportunity for you to drop in to further develop your maths skills or get some extra help before exams. This is a new service open to all Keele students. We will have an experienced tutor on hand to give you advice as well as lots of resources. It also provides a quiet space for you to come and do some group work.

Come along and bring your maths questions and problems with you.

This service will be operating on Wednesdays and Thursdays from 12 - 3 starting on 18 April and will be based in the Careers and Employability Centre in the Walter Moberly Building.

For more information see our In Addition: Maths Open Learning Service pages