The Student Room Group

love or hate Keele O___O

okay
ppl have told me you either love keel or hate t and i have to make me decision really soon.
what are its good points and bad points?
are u glad u picked it??
why do some ppl hate it?? eeek *scared*
i visited and liked hte buildingds and idea ofa big campus but it wasnt as pretty as royal holloway, it was more farmy.. umm.. i dunoo
please help
ps. PM me pppls if u dont mind me added to your msn for talking bout uni and stuf

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Reply 1
I find that people who hate it are the ones who didn't take the decision seriously enough. I mean really, if those people had come for a look round they would realise its not all banging nightclubs and so on. Its in a village :s-smilie:

I'm very glad I picked Keele, I think its a lovely place. Whereabouts did you look? The academic buildings are mostly ugly 70s ones, but some bits, especially Keele Hall and lake, Keele woods, the walk near Lindsay to the music block, the music block itself, are all gorgeous.

You will get biased opinions here, because obviously we like Keele enough to want to talk about it on an internet forum, but I think a lot of people love it.
Reply 2
royal holloway and worcester
im worried cus, even if i put RH first and keele insurance and change my mind and come to keele then i might not get accomdation.
isit rue ome accomdation is quite bad and some lecturigis quite bad?? thats just what some1 said.
also the fact u are cut off from places
Reply 3
Well as I've already said, if you are expecting some wild night life this isn't the place to come. I'm sure if you've been to look around you can decide for yourself if it feels cut off or not. The accommodation is fine, the lectures are fine.

I meant whereabouts in Keele did you look? Did you just look at the academic buildings?
Reply 4
pinkpinkuk
Well as I've already said, if you are expecting some wild night life this isn't the place to come. I'm sure if you've been to look around you can decide for yourself if it feels cut off or not. The accommodation is fine, the lectures are fine.

I meant whereabouts in Keele did you look? Did you just look at the academic buildings?

yes... o___O
are there any pics of other places
Reply 5
i found this on the Keele website t'other day when i should have been revising:
http://www.keele.ac.uk/university/campus/views/

the links on there show you a few of the pretty bits :smile:

and i'm pretty sure there is a 'pictures of Keele' thread on this forum somewhere...
Reply 6
I like those pictures of 'Keele hall and grounds'



Needs a BBQ though :wink:
Reply 7
wow i never saw anywthing pretty like:
http://www.keele.ac.uk/images/photos/depts/khall01.jpg

but i mean, if the buildings you learn at arent pretty then ur not gona go and see em
also, int he winter whats it like at uni, i mean does everyone stay in their rooms or what?
Reply 8
Ah then you missed out Keele hall. Its easy to do, its set back a little from the road running through.

You get a few people down Keele hall in the winter (the lake freezes over and its gorgeous) for snowball fights and stuff, but not like the summer, when its usually crammed.

It depends on who you are living with really. You will always get some people that would prefer to stay in their rooms and some that want to go out all the time.

Mind you since its on a hill and quite unprotected it does get blooming cold in the winter. I am living in Newcastle-under-Lyme (bottom of the hill pretty much) and when I went into Uni it was like walking into a snowglobe or something :rolleyes: I could see my breath in Keele, but in Newcastle it was quite mild. Strange micro-climate...
Reply 9
eeeeeek
i hate the cold
how warm are rooms and other places to hang out (not inlcuding like cafes and places which cost money)
The rooms are not cold (unless you're in Lindsay L8 I think it is, which was my friends room and was always cold :wink:) since the heating is generally alright, and if its not, someone can come round and fix it.

Free places to hang out indoors are quite few I think. Other than Halls of Residence, there is the library (woo fun... but warm in the winter, especially if you sit next to a window with your feet on the heater), Chancellors Building where there's some tables and stuff, Leisure Centre also has some tables.

But other good places to go are Le Cafe (make a Latte last as long as possible, its very warm and some comfy sofas to be had), Union Square (you don't have to be eating, but the chips are quite good) The Union (The Lounge also has comfy sofas, again don't need to be drinking) and Harvey's, although its quite small.
ah keele - the marmite of unis. i did put keele as insurance, didn't intend to come here, didn't even fill out the accommodation forms until they sent me another lot, and i managed to get on campus. obviously i'm not saying you definitely would, but just saying that i did. i'd say if you want somewhere to hang out during the day on campus, the lounge and union square are the best, you can just sit and chill out, even take a bit of work in there, play pool etc. and in the summer you can sit outside union square with a drink and chill, it's pretty nice really.
id agree with one of the other posts though (sorry i can't remember whose it was) saying that if you want a raging night life keele isnt for you, but the union is really good to go out, as long as you dont mind a bit of monotony. each night there is something different on, so it's not boring. an advantage is that you do tend to bump into people you know when you're out, and feel a lot safer than if you go out in newcastle or hanley.

anyway, essay almost over! i'd say keele really is an individual thing, but as with most things it is what you make it, if you come here determined not to enjoy it, chances are you won't, and vice versa.

good luck with your decision making, i'm sure what's meant to be will be :smile:
Reply 12
Emily-Sarah
ah keele - the marmite of unis. i did put keele as insurance, didn't intend to come here, didn't even fill out the accommodation forms until they sent me another lot, and i managed to get on campus. obviously i'm not saying you definitely would, but just saying that i did. i'd say if you want somewhere to hang out during the day on campus, the lounge and union square are the best, you can just sit and chill out, even take a bit of work in there, play pool etc. and in the summer you can sit outside union square with a drink and chill, it's pretty nice really.
id agree with one of the other posts though (sorry i can't remember whose it was) saying that if you want a raging night life keele isnt for you, but the union is really good to go out, as long as you dont mind a bit of monotony. each night there is something different on, so it's not boring. an advantage is that you do tend to bump into people you know when you're out, and feel a lot safer than if you go out in newcastle or hanley.

anyway, essay almost over! i'd say keele really is an individual thing, but as with most things it is what you make it, if you come here determined not to enjoy it, chances are you won't, and vice versa.

good luck with your decision making, i'm sure what's meant to be will be :smile:


never be sorry for writing an essay when ur helping some1!!
thanks, i was thinking it did seema bit marmiety, i hate marmite but im sure the analagy isnt too speicifc.. i think i the kinda of person who would like Keele really.. i dont go out clubbing much and i like sports activities etc i like the idea of going abroad blahdy blahdy the media ppl were all really nice
i dunno tho.. royal holloway is more presitigious and convenient and i can always go on club trips instead of studying aborad altho it wud work out more expensive..

i dont like how i be far from home and cut off from everywhere however i know id have a great time
but id really lie to explore london while at RH O___O

i may as well put RH first i think.. i mean if i changed my mind and did get into RH i might be able to switch to keele but it probs wud be a lot harder the other way around O____O
i have to decide in like 20 mins - lol
i think i was always gona put RHr eally...
i think...
eeek
tho i am sure iw ud not hate keele. ive never hated any school except for bullies
eeeek
thanks for help
maybe be back
Reply 13
Good post Weaverduncan, I have to argue constantly that Keele is not as secluded as everyone who obviously have never been there seems to think it is.

A decent night spot Hanley is just 6 miles away!!! 6 quid in a taxi!! You won't get those kinda prices anywhere South, whilst still maintaining its rural feel. The grounds and the lacks are amazing in the summer.

Nevertheless RH is a beautiful University.
Reply 14
ok thanks

luv, the 'Moog' xo
Reply 15
6 quid in a taxi?
as if, more like £16 when you're comin' back on a friday/saturday night.

It's £4 from the union to hawthorns at night, no joke.

Taxi drivers make it up.
I'm coming to Keele on the 19th Aug - two days after exam results - I really HOPE its not as 'rurarally'/'farmy' as some have said. I'm a towny through and through and wouldn't even think about village life until im around 50 - when thinking about retirement - so erm...

Previously, I declined all 6 offers: Birmingham; great uni etc etc **** course; Bournemouth had an okay course just the campus and stuff was fairly limited (accept the canteen!!!); UEA 'grey days' norwich was just as annoying, others were just lacking in other areas too.
I just hope the surrounding areas of Keele are good.

So far I'm sold on course, campus, and student life as in societies and clubs..but thats from a prospectus and word of mouth (well word of forum).

Sorry to go on just I keep having trouble finding a uni with:

#A course I like and has practical elements as well as an academic side
#Flexible course i.e choose modules from other departments
#Good student experience e.g. societies, clubs, extra-curricular, enrichment
#Good city/town: clubs, shopping etc
#Good campus

So hopefully Keele is good in the above or its gonna be a longggg gap year..

Please comment, Thanks:smile:
Reply 17
i only had to see Keele for the first time and i just knew its where i want to go, hopefully i wont regret it lol
Reply 18
I think its a bit of both, there will be things you love (keele woods, the people etc) and things you hate (VC's pay rise and various issues =P)
Ghost Grey


Sorry to go on just I keep having trouble finding a uni with:

#A course I like and has practical elements as well as an academic side
#Flexible course i.e choose modules from other departments
#Good student experience e.g. societies, clubs, extra-curricular, enrichment
#Good city/town: clubs, shopping etc
#Good campus



The above is all offered at Keele, I'd say that before coming to Keele I thought I was a complete townie, which to an extent I am but Keele offers the "bubble", which in both good and bad extremes is a blessing - you're safe, you're with people you know, and you can't go anywhere without seeing someone you know.

The courses speak for themselves tbh, and after graduation you are more employable thanks to the breadth of your degree.

There are enough societies here that you end up with less free time than you expected (I'm going into my second year as Head of Music for KUBE, so can say that from my experience every minute participating is worth it).

If you have a car (you can bring it with you) Necastle-UL is ten minutes away by car, the buses are fine, and clubbing in Hanley is a night out away from the union and with the right people is a good time. Going out in the Union, where the 3 - 5 areas within the building can accommodate over 1500 people (approx!) on one night, where you could go out in your pjamas and people would just presume you're on a 'social' with a society or out for a themed party, means that "The Union" is like going to your local, heading out to another bar, and then going clubbing all in the same building for around 3.50-4.50. You can go out with your housemates, loose them, find course mates, or some random you bump into in a shop occassionally...and finish the night singing Take That's "Never Forget" with friends you didn't know you had. Until you get on facebook the next day and find 6 friends in common.....