Residence...my home away from home!

Residence life is unlike anything you’ve ever experienced before. For most people it's the first time they have ever lived away from home, which brings with it, it's own challenges and rewards. Not the least of which is learning how to do laundry and being responsible for waking up and attending class. 

Life in Residence!

Living on res is really convenient since you can come and go to classes without having to wake up super early, you can stay late at school without having to worry about catching the last bus and you are in the best possible position to get involved on campus...since you live there!

In each res there are “houses” depending on which floor, building or suite you live in. The “houses” are great because you can get to know your neighbours without having to awkwardly knock on their door. The people you live with in res really become like family especially if you’re an international student. First Year residence is guaranteed so, if you're an incoming student and you want to live in residence you will be able to find a place to live. The fall/winter residence application is still active here is a link if you want to apply.

Tips for Residence

1. DO IT!!! I lived in residence for my first 2 years and it was the BEST experience! It helps make the transition from high school to university easier!

2. Think about the kind of person that you are at home and who you want to be at university. If you’re a real studious person at home and you really want to keep that up in university you MIGHT want to consider having a single room. If you’re the life of the party, you might not want a room-mate, unless you plan on rooming with a friend. The housing people are really good at pairing people up…IF YOU ANSWER THE QUESTIONNAIRE HONESTLY! Keep in mind that in most of the residences there are more single than double rooms so don’t be too bummed if you don’t have a room mate. 

3. There are 2 different types of residences offered at Keele. “Traditional” Residences and “Suite-Style” Residences. Traditional = (Complex 1) Tatham Hall and Vanier Res. (Complex 2) Stong Res. Suite Style = (Complex 2) Calumet Res and Pond Road Residence. Winters and Bethune Residences (Complex 1 & 2) are a mix of traditonal and suite. 

4. You major matters when it comes the residence offers you receive. Housing tends to put similar majors or college affiliations together. People in The Arts tend to get offered rooms in Winters Res while people in The Hard Sciences (bio, chem, etc.) tend to get offers in Bethune Res for example.   

5. EVERYONE ALWAYS WANTS TO GET INTO POND. Pond Road Residence is the newest and some say the nicest. It is really nice, BUT it’s kinda far away from everything classes and food places on campus. It is also known as a hub for international students, since it hosts “Global House.” Pond is nice but I wouldn’t count out the other residences!