What you need to know in the first few days...
We can't wait to welcome you with our week of events, designed for you to get a feel for Keele!
We know it feels like there’s a lot to get your head around right now, but don’t worry, help is at hand! Have a browse through these pages before your course begins, and refer back to them when you want to know more about a specific area.
Top tips to get the most out of Keele Welcome:
- Be curious – read and watch all the resources to help you settle in
- Don’t be afraid to turn up to an event on your own (virtual or in-person)
- Throw yourself into the opportunities to try new things and meet new people
- Ask lots of questions!
The question on the mind of every new student! And the answer is simple: all events and activities for all new students are on the Keele App - just look in the What's On section. If you don't have it already, just search 'Keele University' in your app store.
Don't have a smartphone? Don't worry - the app is also available in a web browser on either a personal computer or via one of our on-campus PCs, just head to app.keele.ac.uk!
The University runs a programme of fun activities in partnership with the Students' Union, to help you settle into Keele student life, make friends and – for some of you – get to know your new home. We encourage you to go along to as many events as you can - just look out for info in the event descriptions to find out about if an event is of interest to you.
IF YOU'RE LIVING ON CAMPUS...
• Arriving from the UK: you will get your Keele Card with your accommodation keys.
• Arriving from outside the UK: you will get your Keele Card on completion of any immigration checks that are required. International students who require a Biometric Residence Permit (BRP), please also read the section below.
IF YOU'RE LIVING OFF CAMPUS...
• Arriving from the UK:
Thursday 14th and Friday 15th September, 10am to 4pm
Collect from the open learning space, Chancellors Building, by booked appointment. You will be sent an email nearer the time with instructions about how to book your collection slot.
Monday 18th to Friday 22nd September, 10am to 4pm
Collect from the pop-up enquiry point in the open learning space, Chancellors Building, by booked appointment. You will be sent an email nearer the time with instructions about how to book your collection slot.
From Monday 25th September
Collect from the Library. Please allow two working days following the upload of your photograph for IT to produce your card.
• For international students who require a Biometric Residence Permit (BRP): If you have selected Keele University as your BRP collection location, you will receive your Keele Card at the same time as you collect your BRP from the Immigration Compliance and Advice team. Please be sure to use Keele University's ACL collection code 2HE542 to enable convenient collection of your BRP from campus. If you have selected another collection location, you will still collect your Keele Card from the Immigration Compliance and Advice team. You will receive an email after arriving in the UK to inform you of the process.
We're sure you will have lots of questions - and we are ready to answer them! If you've got a question, big or small, then get in touch with the Student Services Centre: the team are here for all Keele students, whatever you need, throughout the whole year. This includes quick questions, as well as information, support and guidance about things like your welfare and wellbeing, money advice and much more. Within this, we have our dedicated counselling and mental health support services, and disability support and inclusion services, too.
Get in touch with the Student Services team
If you think you'd feel the benefit from having the support of a fellow student to help you through the next few weeks, then that's what our peer support schemes are about.
Our teams will also be running a pop-up enquiry point in the Chancellor's Building Flexible Study Space between 10am and 4pm from Monday 18th to Friday 22nd September. Here's who will be there:
| Team | Ask them about |
|---|---|
| Front line student services | General queries |
| Admissions | Qualification checks, DBS queries |
| Immigration Compliance & Advice | BRP issues, Visa checks |
| Records | Enrolment queries, Keele Card collection |
| Income Office | Queries about payments |
| IT | Keele Card photos, IT issues |
| Timetabling | Timetable queries |
School administrators will also be at the enquiry point on Tuesday 19th and Wednesday 20th September to answer any questions you have about your modules, late module registration or changes to modules.
If you need help with accessing any of our online systems or need help getting connected, then our IT team are there to help!
For advice on how to find books and journals, guidance on reading lists and any other library queries - library staff are available to help!
If you'll be coming on to campus, then you'll be interested in finding out about the Library buildings too (open 24/7 during term time). There's also lots of guidance about off-campus access.
Everyone accesses their own personal course timetable through the KLE. Log-in to the KLE with your username and password and choose 'Timetable' from the black bar at the top of the page.
Please email the timetabling team if you have any questions: timetabling@keele.ac.uk.
Starting university is an exciting time, with lots of things to get your head around. Please don't be hard on yourself if things don't go quite to plan. It’s important to take time for yourself during these busy first few weeks and throughout your time at Keele. Think about your welfare and wellbeing and get in touch with Student Services if you need any advice or support.
We know that continuing your studies in a new country in a second language can be daunting. The Language Centre is here to help you with your English, including how to write academic papers, becoming familiar with British academic culture, avoiding plagiarism and academic misconduct, in addition to using appropriate language and structures.
For this reason, all international students, for whom English is not their first language, need to attend an ‘Introduction to the Language Centre, English Support and English Diagnostic Assessment’ session. These sessions will take place online in a Teams meeting. The Language Centre will email you to let you know which session you have been assigned to.
In this session, we will introduce ourselves and the modules that we offer. You will be asked to complete a short diagnostic of your academic reading and writing ability in English. We will use this diagnostic to recommend modules and/or 1:1 tutorials that will help you while you are studying at Keele. This diagnostic will not affect your status as a student at Keele.
Additional materials on ‘An Introduction to Academic Essays’ and ‘How to avoid Plagiarism and Academic Misconduct’ will be provided at the end of these sessions to help you to prepare for your studies here at Keele.
If you have any questions about English support, you can contact the Language Centre at enl@keele.ac.uk
Make sure you have downloaded the Keele App onto your device, or are accessing it regularly via a web browser - just go to app.keele.ac.uk - to view events taking place as part of our Welcome Festival, which will added to the calendar in the What's On section of the app.