BruKeele Survival Guide

B R U K E E L E   S U R V I VA L   G U I D E   V E R. 2.0
(as of 2017)

Part I: Pre-departure.

▲ IMPORTANT ▼

• Passport Photos – extremely useful! Max. 15 copies.

• Certificates & your important documents. Keele regularly checks the VISAs of International students, so it is best to bring important (original if possible) certs that are relevant to your VISA, esp. English/IELTS result. *** If you are under the Brunei Govt Scholarship, please bring relevant documents that are useful.

• Your University CAS/ Acceptance letter and UK Visas & Immigration Letter (please carry them in hand as they will be checked during Arrivals at the Custom once you arrive in UK if you are a new student).

Registration with UPP (Unit Penuntut-Penuntut) through the online UPP Student Portal http://registration.upp.org.uk . This needs to be done as soon as possible to allow the preparation of your BSU/UPP card as soon as you arrive in the UK. All UK students (scholarship, loan & self-funded) are required to register. The guide for this process can be found here: https://www.upp.org.uk/media/1321/guidelines-for-on-line-registration-for-new-students-using-upp-portal_2017_jt.pdf

▲FOOD▼

Bring instant food for the first few weeks of settling down in Keele. Entirely up to you but best advised foods that cannot be bought/found in UK

• Instant Noodles - Indomee (it’s the Indonesian version, not Malaysian as what we have in Brunei) and Maggi Curry/Ayam can be found in most oriental shops. An oriental shop not far from Keele Uni is Wing Lee (http://www.wing-lee.co.uk/contactus.html) which sells various Asian foods such as perencah Brahim. You can go there by taxi.

• Milo/Teh Tarik in packets. (A small tin of Milo powder mix (400 grams) costs about 4 pounds there. There are a variety of hot chocolate drinks as well)

• “Perencah” - of varieties of nasi goreng, vegetable taster, Aji-no-moto, Belacan, Soups, Chicken stock, Brunei type curry powder. (Please pack, seal, wrap them properly to avoid spillages and waste)

▲KITCHENWARE ▼

You do not need to bring utensils and plates from Brunei; you can get them cheap in the UK unless you prefer plastic plates/cups (you can bring them from Brunei but just enough for 2 would do).

Below are what’s best to bring:

*** NOT NECESSARY. Only if you must & if you prefer types from Brunei

·         Rice Cooker (with the spoon & cup if necessary) – Small/medium would do so you won’t add up too much weight. They’re quite expensive in UK. E.g. A 1.5L rice cooker about  £23 from Argos or £16 from Tesco.

·         Small Kettle (Serves one/If you want one in your room) ***

·         Cutting (kitchen) knives ***

·         Spoons and forks ***

Places to get kitchenware: Morrisons, Wilko, Dune-lm &amp, Tesco ;Home Bargain

▲ CLOTHES ▼

·         DO NOT BRING A LOT OF CLOTHES (only your necessities) as UK is known for its shopping craze, but don’t bring almost nothing either.

·         DO NOT BUY WINTER CLOTHING/GEARS FROM BRUNEI. It only adds extra unneeded weight to your luggage. They’re cheaper (& cuter!) in UK.

·         Bring 1 OR 2 Cara Melayu/Suit or Baju kurong. (For special occasions such as Islamic & Bruneian celebrations/Junjung Ziarah)

·         Praying (Sembahyang) Necessities; Praying mat, Al-Quran & Yassin (if your prefer book types & please handle them with care)

·         A Hoodie/Jacket to go through Sept/Oct cold – just enough till you get your first Uk jacket/coat.

·         Smart/ Formal clothes - if you have placements to do.

▼ BEDDING ▲

·         It is NOT NECESSARY TO BRING THEM (BEDDING SHEETS) FROM BRUNEI + you can get cheap beddings in UK.

·         The bed & pillow sheets will be provided by Keele Uni Accommodation however it is upon request and there will be payment. *** Please check your Accommodation Contract in your Keele eVision.

▲STATIONARIES ▼

·         MUST – Laptop / Pendrive / Hardrive.

·         Pens & Pencils are BEST ADVISED TO BE BOUGHT FROM BRUNEI. Of course there are stationeries in UK but they’re cheaper and you have more choices compared getting them in UK. NOTE: (If you prefer ink types, it is advised to wrap them properly and separately to prevent spillage)

Known Stationery shops are Wilko, WH Smith, Ryman or any supermarket.

▲ TOILETRIES ▼

·         Gayung – MUST! (You can use small bottles while travelling OR if you’re lazy to add weight to your luggage – for your own use at halls/houses OR small plastics heating/pouring pans that can be used as Gayung is available at Poundland)

·         Small bottles of your personal grooming tool, enough for settling in.

·         It would be handy to bring a pack or two extras if you prefer brands THAT ARE ONLY AVAILABLE IN ASIA/BRUNEI. If otherwise, Amazon probably has them. You can always post them but it won’t be cheap.

*** E n d   o f   P a r t   I:   P r e – D e p a r t u r e ***

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B R U K E E L E   S U R V I VA L   G U I D E   V E R. 2.0

Part II: Departure.

▼ TAKE NOTE! ▲

We would like to advise you to be aware of airline regulations and carefully plan a safe departure ☺♥

·         Remember to checklist all your pre-departure necessities!

·         Laptops should be hand carried so are your important documents as stated.

·         Medical check results/x-rays do NOT have to be hand carried.

·    Take a look at BSUnion’s (Brunei Student Union) brochure made especially for new students: http://bsunion.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/BSU-New-Students-Brochure-201718.pdf . It contains various  useful information including what to do once you arrive in the UK, etc.

*** E n d   o f   P a r t   II:   D e p a r t u r e ***

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B R U K E E L E   S U R V I VA L   G U I D E   V E R. 2.0

Part III: Arrival.

W e l c o m e   t o   U n i t e d   K i n g d o m!

▼ TRANSPORT TO A: LONDON OR B:KEELE ▲

A: TO LONDON

A.     If you are staying in London for a few days (Do not use Roseville taxi if you’re going to London for a few days! Just get the standby taxis or you can arrange a pick-up online):

·         With family - best to get a taxi/rent a car to London (according to your destination hotel/Brunei Hall in Paddington)

·         With group of friends - Car pool a taxi (at least 3 people) OR go on Heathrow Express to Paddington.

Useful websites for airport cabs quotes:

·         http://www.airporttaxis-uk.co.uk/

·         http://www.heathrowairport.com/transport-and-directions/taxis-and-minicabs

·         http://www.londonheathrowcars.com/

·         For students planning to stay in Brunei Hall for a while, it is encouraged for you to inform the Brunei Hall staff at least one week in advance before the date of your stay. Refer here (https://www.upp.org.uk/articles/2017/june/syarat-syarat-sebagai-penghuni-persinggahan-transit-brunei-hall/) for terms and conditions and how to notify the staff of your stay via e-mail (head to number 9 for whom to send your e-mail to).

P/s: If in doubt, do Google and do your own research. Above are only few suggestions.

*********************************************************************************You can straight away go to Brunei Hall, in Paddington, - if you wish to register yourself and get a BSU card (important for your BH Stays and huge Brunei events) ASAP. It also can be done when you go to London after settling in Keele. NOT IMMEDIATE BUT A MUST.

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▼ GETTING AROUND LONDON▲

·         Get an Oyster card:

Used both at subways and London buses - Can be bought at Subway Stations & small shops.

·         If you are an Apple user, best advice to download these two apps: Citymapper (London) and Tubemap to get around.

·         Android users can also download apps for getting around London: Citymapper - London Transport and London Underground Tube Map.

·        Google Maps App can also be used to track buses, tubes, etc.

·         Most halal restaurants are available around Bayswater, there are also around Paddington. BananaTree, Melur, Bonda Restaurant, Pak Awi, Tinsel Town, Chicken Cottage, Rasa Sayang, Noodle Oodle London, C&R are to name a few. If you have friends already studying in UK, ask a list of London eating places so it will be convenient for your family and you. All you need to do is google “Name of restaurant + London (+ Halal/Malay cuisine)” – In Shaa Allah, you are good to go.

B: TO KEELE

  *** R O S E V I L L E   T A X I [+4 4 1 7 8 2 6 3 1 2 3 4] / R O S E V I L L E   T A X I [+ 4 4 1 7 8 2 6 3 1 2 3 4] ***

B.     If you are going in Keele / Stoke-On-Trent straight away:

·         With family/group of friends: best to get a taxi – BOOK/CALLED IN ADVANCE. (Roseville Taxi: +441782631234)

Or rent a car to Keele – BEST FOR WITH FAMILIES W INTERNATIONAL DRIVING LICENCE (according to your hotel or straight to Keele Uni for registration.) // you can get rental cars at the airport. It doesn’t hurt to Google if you’d like to know more details.

·         With group of friends:

o   Car pool a taxi (atleast 3 people)

Route:  

Straight from Heathrow Airport to Keele University – best to call the cabs, BOOK/CALLED IN ADVANCE. (Roseville Taxi: +441782631234)

o   OR TRAIN (From Heathrow - Paddington - London Euston - Stoke-On-Trent // Call a cab to send you to Keele University)

Route:  

1.      From Heathrow to (/Paddington if using HE* then to) Euston Station – Take Heathrow Express* or Heathrow Connect (cheaper) to Paddington, then get a cab to Euston Station OR You can straight away go to Euston Station using a cab

2.      From Euston Station to Stoke-On-Trent – Using the train, you can choose the most likely available train that goes to Stoke-On-Trent which are Virgins Train(http://www.virgintrains.co.uk/ Faster/ < 2 hrs / expensive) OR London Midland Trains (http://www.londonmidland.com/ Slower / abt 3 hrs / cheaper)

3.      Stoke-on-Trent Station to Keele University/Halls/Hotel – Call the cab, cheapest cabs in SOT is ROSEVILLE TAXI [+441782631234].

o   OR by COACH by National Express (5 hrs++ / Also best booked in advance) You will arrive at Hanley, City Centre therefore you still need to call the Cab to Keele University. ROSEVILLE TAXI [+441782631234][http://www.nationalexpress.com/wherewego/airports/heathrow-airport.aspx]

*********************************************************************************You can straight away go to Brunei Hall, in Paddington, - if you wish to register yourself and get a BSU card (important for your BH Stays and huge Brunei events) ASAP. It also can be done when you go to London after settling in Keele. NOT IMMEDIATE BUT A MUST.

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▼ WHAT’S NEXT? WHAT’S BEST? ▲

·         I M P O R T A N T!

IF YOU ARE UNDER THE BRUNEI GOVT SCHOLARSHIP, YOU WILL BE PICKED UP BY OFFICIALS AT THE AIRPORT BUT *** FROM LONDON TO KEELE IS ACCORDING/ UP TO YOU. (Does not apply to SBPP Loan students).

·         IF YOU ARE GOING  STRAIGHT TO KEELE UNIVERSITY, STOKE-ON-TRENT (SOT), BEST TO USE TAXI (in numbers) OR COACH (if alone or < 3 ppl).

·         IF YOU ARE CALLING THE TAXI, PLEASE PROVIDE THEM THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE, NUMBER OF LUGGAGES FOR YOUR CONVENIENCE. This is due to huge number of bags Bruneians tends to bring! ROSEVILLE TAXI [+441782631234]

·         YOU CAN ALSO ASK THEM TO PICK YOU UP AT BRUNEI HALL/LONDON (IF BY ANY CHANCE YOU ARE STAYING IN LONDON FOR A FEW NIGHTS) PROVIDING ALSO PASSENGER & LOADS DETAILS. MAKE SURE YOU HAVE BH’S ADDRESS. ROSEVILLE TAXI [+441782631234]

·         CALL IN ADVANCE TO GET QUOTES! ROSEVILLE TAXI [+441782631234]

·         P H O N E S / I N T E R N E T:

Best advised to get O2 or 3 – they have the most service around Keele honestly and can be bought from any convenient stores or their own stores if you happen to be at huge shopping places. For any further details of plans and tariff you can check at their respective websites: http://www.o2.co.uk/ / http://www.three.co.uk/

• Once you’ve arrived on campus, you now have access to eduroam, the university’s Wi-Fi. Just select it and log in with your Keele e-mail address & password. More info here: https://www.keele.ac.uk/wireless/

·         For cheaper hotel room rates, PLEASE BOOK THEM IN ADVANCE THROUGH ONLINE OR THEIR OWN WEBSITES, WHETHER THEY’RE HOTELS IN LONDON OR IN KEELE![http://www.booking.com] / If in doubt, you can always google “London Hotels, Paddington” or “Hotels in Stoke-On-Trent”.

*** E n d   o f   P a r t   III:   A r r i v a l ***

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B R U K E E L E   S U R V I VA L   G U I D E   V E R. 2.0

Part IV: Coming to Keele.

W e l c o m e   t o   S t o k e – O n – T r e n t !

H o m e   t o   B r u K e e l e !

▼ REGISTRATION & ENROLMENT▲

As soon as you arrived in Keele (on a Freshers’ week/Orientation Week), look for “Freshers’ Guide”

Please Register yourself (@ The Chancellor’s Building), get your:

1.      Keele Card.

2.      Keys to your accommodation.

3.   BRP Visa

FYI: Some halls use keys to enter their blocks, some Keele Card and individual rooms have their own individual keys (or sometimes same key to block & room). So it is important to get them first. If you arrived on Orientation week, you should be able to pick your keys to your room during registration. If you are unable to attend orientation week, keys to your room can be picked at The Accommodation Office @ Darwin Building.

▼ MOVING IN▲

1.    If you are staying at a house/off-campus:

Get a cab to your place. Make sure you carefully plan your meet up with your landlord and etc. ROSEVILLE TAXI [+441782631234]
UBER [TAXI BOOKINGS THROUGH UBER APP]

2.    If you are staying at the halls (Keele University Campus):

·         There will be vans (On Orientation Week) that will help you to go to your accommodation according to your allocated halls, do take note of your Block. (They won't carry your bags to your room fyi)

·         Take advantage of the emptiness of your halls. Local students won’t arrive just yet, so take your pick on fridge / freezer/ cupboard space @ the kitchen. Don’t be shy and don’t wait up for your friends or you’ll be squeezing everything in a tiny space.

·         On-Campus facilities includes:

1.      Launderettes – Each halls have their own laundry area. Cost about £2.50 +/- for wash & £1.10 for drying.

2.      Islamic Centre – This is the surau which is available only @ Barnes Hall area.

3.      Social Spaces – Each halls have their own social spaces. sofas, TV, games, vending machines etc. A nice place to just chill and get together.

▼ PRAYING▲

• There’s a surau at the Barnes Hall area where the Friday prayers take place as well. But you can only access it if you register your card to enter it. Click here to register you card:

http://www.keele.ac.uk/studyatkeele/accommodation/prospectivestudents/livingoncampus/islamiccentreaccess/

• For Kiblat:

a.      You can to ask someone from the Keele Islamic Society OR

b.      Check the internet for where the needle of your compass should be pointing at. It’s at 118 degree from North OR

c.       Use a reliable Islamic/Muslim App on your Smartphone

▼ GETTING A BANK A/C▲

To open a bank account, you will need to get a letter from the University before going to the Bank of your choice. (You can get the letter from Tawney building) Once you’ve opened your account, you then need to wait for another 1-2 weeks for a letter (with your debit/credit card) from the bank. Only then will you be able to activate your account/card. Bank options: Santander, Lloyds, Barclays, HSBC, Natwest. There’s a Santander branch on Keele campus which is convenient for you to ask questions or manage your banking. A Lloyds ATM is also available next to the Santander branch but you can still use it if you have a different bank account.

**FOR SCHOLARSHIP STUDENTS, you will have A LOT of money in-hand. I would advise you guys to not spend it all. WHY?

• Accommodation – Even though your room costs 3++/month, you will be paying the university by instalment. That is:

§  40% (of the total amount) in October

§  40% in January

§  & 20% in May.

So please make sure that you do not overspend when you first arrive as you will be needed to pay about 900-1300 in your first instalment (depending on which hall you will be staying in).

• You will be given 2/3 months allowance in advance (just before you leave for UK) and you will only start getting your allowance again in December. Manage your money wisely.

▼ GETTING AROUND STOKE-ON-TRENT! ▲

There are 4 area you need to get familiar with which are:

1)      Newcastle-Under-Lyme Town

2)      Shelton Area (For halal necessities)

3)      Stoke

4)      Hanley City center

N E W C A S T L E – U N D E R – L Y M E

It is 15 minutes by bus (£1.90 for students, £2.20 for adults), 5 minutes by taxi (~£4) – from Keele University. It is the nearest place for you to get your daily needs / groceries & etc.

• Wilko. This is where you can get almost all of your kitchenware, or bed linens etc. at very reasonable prices! There’s a bigger one in Hanley as well if you’d want more choices.
• Poundland
• Morrisons. A huge supermarket! Nearest to Keele for your groceries shopping.
• Aldi. Another supermarket next to Morrisons.
• Bodycare (Cheap toiletries)
• Home Bargains (miscellaneous things, and very cheap too).
• Iceland (frozen food store) you can get cheap frozen foods and a whole lot options too.
• Argos! You can take a look at the range of things they offer at www.argos.co.uk

Known familiar restaurants at this location are Art of Siam (Thai cuisine) / Costa. Of course there are some more but these are just to name a few.

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S T O K E

It is 20 (+/-) minutes by bus, 5 (+/-) minutes by taxi – from Keele University. It is a small town just as Newcastle-Under-Lyme but we rarely go there just passing by. If you’d like to go to Sainsbury you can stop by Stoke! & there is a sushi place at Stoke called Miso Japanese Restaurant.

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S H E L T O N   A R E A  

(H A L A L   N E C E S S I T I E S)

It is 45 (+/-) minutes by bus, 8 (+/-) minutes by taxi – from Keele University, 8 (+/-) minute walk from the Stoke-On-Trent railway station. It is the nearest place for you to get your halal necessities** (meat & other halal products at its max) and halal restaurants* are also available around this area. To name a few are:

·         Pak Foods**

·         First Choice**

·         Al-Murshid**

·         Karahi Master*

There are also halal takeaways around Keele and they’re just a call away or a click away through an online website. [http://www.just-eat.co.uk/] Enter away your post code & you are good to go! Capones and Chilli Jacks are one of the good ones.

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H A N L E Y   C I T Y   C E N T R E

It is 45 (+/-) minutes by bus, 15 (+/-) minutes by taxi – from Keele University. It is the furthest place from Keele University. There is a shopping place called The Potteries, if you’re planning to do some real clothes shopping, get yourself here! Ooo & there’s Tesco in Hanley! They have shops you will be familiar with as mentioned in the Newcastle-Under-Lyme section. To name a few new shops are:

·         Tesco (about 5 +/- minute walk from The Potteries)

·         Primark (In the Potteries)

·         Dixy Chicken (Halal restaurant @ Hanley, in front of The Potteries)

▼ TRANSPORT▲

● ● ● B U S ● ● ●

You will be using bus to get around Keele University (First Bus, around campus), all around stoke; you have two options:

First Bus 25 towards Keele University for more information on tickets, routes and offers please check the link below:

[http://www.firstgroup.com/ukbus/staffordshire_cheshire/journey_planning/keele_uni/]

or D&G Bus No. 85 (http://www.dgbus.co.uk/bus-times-in-staffordshire-and-stoke-on-trent.html)

● ● ● T A X I ● ● ●

Most Bruneians will use Roseville. There are other taxi services available too but Roseville is the most reasonable in terms of price! Roseville Taxi also has a mobile app that you can use to make in-app bookings and track your taxi.

Always make sure to have cash in hand when using Rosville Taxis as they only accept cash.   ROSEVILLE TAXI [+441782631234]  

If you’d like to more know other cabs provider, download the “Keele University App” on your smartphones and click on “Transport”.

As of 2016, Uber services are now available as well. Download the Uber app on your phone to make online in-app bookings (the only booking accepted by Uber). Transactions will be made through Debit Card payment only ; the app will register your debit card details.

*** E n d   o f   P a r t   IV:   C o m i n g   t o   K e e l e ***

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B R U K E E L E   S U R V I VA L   G U I D E   V E R. 2.0

Part V: Uk Transport.

Public transport is major in UK. You need to be familiar with the use of train, buses and other forms of public transport not just around Keele but to other places too! J

A. T R A I N S E R V I C E S;

YOUNG PERSON’S RAILCARD: 16-25 RAILCARD

http://www.16-25railcard.co.uk/

If you’re planning to travel anywhere by train, you must get yourself this the next time you’re about to buy a train ticket. It gives you 33% off train ticket prices and that saves you a lot!

IMPORTANT! YOU NEED TO PRESENT YOUR RAILCARD DURING TICKET PURCHASE & DURING THE TRAIN RIDE WHEN THE CONDUCTOR CHECKS YOUR TICKET. MAKE SURE YOU ALWAYS HAVE THEM IN HAND ALL TIMES OF YOUR TRAVEL.

You need:

1) The railcard form (Get it at the Railway station)

2) A passport photo

3) Your passport

4) £30 to pay and it last for a whole year. (You can also buy a 3-year Railcard exclusively online for just £70, saving you £20 over the cost of three 1-year Railcards.)

• Registration for the 16-25 railcard can also be made online: https://www.16-25railcard.co.uk/. Once you’ve registered & made your payment online, your railcard will be sent to you via post.

B.  T R A I N S E R V I C E S;

TRAIN RIDE TO LONDON OR ELSE WHERE!

www.londonmidland.com

www.thetrainline.com

www.nationalrail.co.uk

www.crosscountrytrains.co.uk

www.virgintrain.co.uk

I’m sure you all need to get to London from time to time OR other places. From Stoke-On-Trent to London (/ vice versa), with a railcard, Virgins train & London Midland provides a direct train ride. £41(+/-) and £21 (+/-) respectively, open return ticket, with railcard. Virgin takes about less than 2hr and London Midland almost 3 hrs.

*Open return – valid for a month

*return – same day return

If you buy your train tickets in advance (like, a week or 2 before), you will also save a fortune. Make sure you are well aware of your specified train times (and seats if reserved).

You can also buy your tickets on smart phone apps and you just need to pick them on the departure station or any station you of your choice. You can check train tickets prices & purchase them via the Trainline app, etc.

If you are not very familiar with London transport, make sure get yourself an Oyster card to get around London. Oyster card can be used on the tubes and buses! For more info: http://www.tfl.gov.uk/oyster

C.  COACH RIDE

www.nationalexpress.com

Not many of you will be a huge fan of this, but coaches can be useful and cheap at times. If you’re not a huge fan of carrying around your luggages to anywhere, get the coach! They’ll store them in the huge compartment inside the bus so you don’t need to worry much about it.

If you buy your tickets in advance as well, you could get a single ticket to London for just £5. But be warned, it’ll take you almost 4 hours just to get there. So if you’re not fussed about long journeys, take this. Besides, you can just sleep!

*** E n d   o f   P a r t   V:   U k   T r a n s p o r t ***

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B R U K E E L E   S U R V I VA L   G U I D E   V E R. 2.0

Brukeele Survival Guide version 1 (2013)

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1SO3twonLLji3VAkUTTAKJB_D8qfO2k7xy-SGZaWkwWE/edit?usp=sharing