Study Abroad at University of Sussex, Brighton

Coming from a large state school in the U.S. I was unsure going into the semester. I expected myself to travel to big cities throughout the weekend during my semester so I didn't mind. In just a month of being in Brighton I found myself missing the city whenever I could leave during the weekend. Brighton became a familiar place, I was lucky to meet many people who became close friends and people in my life. The university setting was small enough for me to meet classmates in the courses I was taking. But large enough to hold events and offer clubs available to join. The only downside was housing, I lived far from campus. I didn't mind if they would have told me that before I got there. I feel that the housing was unorganized. Other than that the city was amazing! Lots of local shops and cafes!!

I had a great time studying at the University of Sussex for the fall 2018 semester. Because I was only there for one semester, I did not get the chance to live on campus, and therefore was living in a hotel in Hove with a group of other international students. It was not the best living situation as far as the facilities go, but I did enjoy getting to live with other exchange students and liked being in the city - I was a 5 minute walk from the beach! The school also put on a lot of great programs, from freshers week to the dog walking society to dance classes that I was able to drop in and take. I also only had class three days a week, so most of my time was spent off campus. This gave me plenty of time to explore other parts of England as well as travel throughout Europe.

Overall, I loved my time at Sussex!
Studying at the University of Sussex was not too stressful, while at the same time also being challenging and interesting. I enjoyed my courses and the ones I didn't, I could exchange easily in the first few weeks. The university really makes an effort to support its incoming exchange students, so they can have a great time overseas.
Brighton as a city is perfect for students when it comes to activities, shopping, and going out. No matter what you're into, there's something for everybody. Prices can be a bit high compared to others, but things are still affordable.
Another advantage is living so close to London. It only took me 30 minutes by train to get there. So in the unlikely event you won't find anything appealing in Brighton, London is just around the corner.
I loved it and I'm sure you will too!

Studying abroad is always a good idea! I wanted to learn better English and be out of my comfort zone for a few months. Overal my experience with studying for a semester in Brighton at Sussex university was great! I want to point out that specifically the Sussex abroad team was really great! They organized a lot of trips, helped out all the international students with ANY problems. Above all, they were very friendly which made it easy to go to them with problems or questions. Another very good reason for studying at Sussex for a semester is Brighton! What an amazing city: close to London, small city at the coast with the amazing nature surrounding it but also a city centre that is very alive and perfect for students. With a lot of typical english bars, but also some clubs.

It’s an unique experience. I had the opportunity to learn about a different culture and education system. By doing an exchange semester you’ll be able to make new friends and to improve your non native language skills. You will travel and meet new people and places while you enroll into a normal academic semester at the university. In my case, I was able to take engineering modules that my home university doesn’t offer, so it was amazing, as it provided me a new understanding of the engineering world opportunities. I also enjoy my stay as the campus is full of young students who love to chat and make friends. The accommodation was a little expensive but it worth it, as the university is a little far from town and it saved me a lot of time to live inside it.

Truly an amazing experience that I absolutely would not trade for anything else. Sussex has an extremely diverse student body and holds many different activities to encourage social interaction and cultural integration. They have an extensive list of societies suitable for whatever interests you - and if there's one that doesn't have your favourite hobby or activity, you can create a society yourself! Before going to Sussex I thought I'd only be experiencing the English way of living, but being put together in a house with nationalities from across the globe, I've learned so much more about various cultures such as Spanish, Italian, Japanese, Greek, American, Korean, Dutch, and even Estonian!

The fact that Sussex is located right in Brighton and is around twenty minutes from the town and sea by bus provides extreme convenience for the students to have a healthy balance between their academics and social life. There are so many quirky cafés, cute restaurants, and vintage shops in town! One can never get enough of all the food that these unique restaurants in Brighton offer and should definitely be part of one's bucket list to try all of them.

There is a whole range of fun activities provided by the student union and clubs and societies make sure there is never a dull moment whether you want to have a good time partying at some of the (abundant) local nightlife, or if your idea of a good time is joining a sporting team or getting together for some wholesome crafting or wine and cheese nights with friends. There is always an opportunity to have fun and meet new people. Not to mention the fantastic location of the university, right on the edge of Brighton, one of the most beautiful beachside cities and full of so much music and hipster culture, as well as one of the most inclusive places in the UK. The only negative I can think of for Sussex Uni is as a student going for only one semester, I was not able to live in the on campus accommodation, however I have found out from someone who is going next year that this has changed and anyone is able to live on campus.

Living in Brighton was amazing, and Sussex is a great school to study in on exchange.

I’d recommend Sussex if you don’t really plan on staying in a library 24/7 and want to focus more on meeting new people, joining clubs, travelling, and other extracurricular activities. Brighton is a really cute place to live and it’s only an hour or so away from London Gatwick airport which has cheap flights to Europe.

The city’s nightlife is alive every night, at least by my standards. Even if you’re not really a party animal there’s tons to do. The campus itself is surrounded by beautiful nature and you can easily go for a walk after class and explore.

Writing this review is making me miss it a lot, so I really do recommend coming here. You won’t regret it!