Study Abroad at the University of Brighton, England

I couldn’t have been more appreciative of this experience. If I could relive it all over again, I would in a heartbeat. I honestly feel like I found my second home! I got lucky and never felt homesick, if anything I feel like I’m going to feel homesick when I go back to the United States. Without the help of USAC and the International Students team at the University of Brighton, this experience would not be what it was. I highly recommend anyone who is thinking about studying abroad in Brighton to go ahead and go for it!

For my semester abroad, I wanted to find a location that was English speaking but wasn’t a super populated city, and I found Brighton! This was absolutely the perfect fit for me, I get all the positives of the city, countryside, and nightlife that I could possibly want. Our program staff were incredibly helpful at helping us with the culture shift, and made it feel like we had family here if we needed it. The inclusion of field trips also allowed for friendships to easily blossom and I now have super close friends that I am dreading leaving. The only thing that I wish was different was our accommodation location. The Falmer campus is quite far from the coast, which makes traveling to go to the beach, stores, or classes more time consuming and decreases the likelihood of me going out. I would rather pay more to live closer to the action then feel farther away. Besides the living situation, I only have positive things to say about this program!

My experience here at the University of Brighton was one that was truly unforgettable and I will be greatful for it for the rest of my life. My study abroad has given me life long friends and the ability to know that whereever I am in the world I will succeed, meet amazing people and most importantly I will thrive. Although there were hard times when I felt like I wanted to go home or I needed to be within my comfort zone I am so glad that I kept going so I could continue to have the amazing days. All in all, I am so thankful that I did this and I would not trade a second of this experience for the world!

I enjoyed the organised field trips that allowed me to visit places that may have been hard to get to on my own or that I may not have even known of. This also allowed me to go out of my comfort zone and gain the confidence to later explore more outside of Brighton on my own. I felt very safe in my city in general but even more safe with the knowledge that I had resources to help me and people to talk to if I needed. I would absolutely recommend going abroad to the UK, especially Brighton. It is such an accepting, artistic, and youthful city and is now one of my favorites. The one thing I was worried about before this program was figuring out public transport since I had never done it before, but I promise it is so much easier to figure out than you think. And there are so many kind, amazing people in this community that would absolutely not mind you asking any questions you need to ask, in fact they are usually eager to help and you’ll end up having some amazing chats!

This was my first time living away from friends and family since my first year at college, and there I was still in the same state of California. This adventure was unlike anything I had ever done before. I had to learn to be uncomfortable in almost every environment, and in the end I am stronger for it. Ive learned so much about being an adult, making friends, and gaining a love for the new. Every problem I faced turned into something new to learn and adapt to. I wouldn't have it any other way.

First of all, the staff is amazing and very helpful. They assisted me with absolutely everything I needed. The professors are also very kind and always ready to help. The people I met at the university were all very nice, without exception. I can only recommend it to anyone.

During the introduction week, all the international students were taken on a trip to London, which was very nice because it really helped us make friends in a city where, as an international student, you don’t know anyone. The city itself is also very nice to visit, especially the beach.

All in all, the four months I’ve spent here have been awesome.

Everyday life and leisure
Brighton is only about an hour away from London by train. This is definitely a bonus if you don't want to live in the big city but still don't want to miss London. Brighton also has quite a few small shops and restaurants, especially in the ‘Lanes’ and the ‘North Lanes’. Brighton has its beautiful corners and of course the sea, but it is also very run-down in some parts. Brighton is also quite hilly.

Accommodation
We were all housed at the Falmer Campus, which is on the edge of Brighton and quite far out of the city centre. You always had to take the train or the bus and that always took quite a long time.

When I first started to think about studying abroad, there was no place I wanted to study more than the United Kingdom. After spending a semester with USAC, I have to say that this was the best decision I could have ever made. Those three short months enhanced my academic skills, and I grew more than I ever thought possible. As a socially anxious person, the group I studied with in Brighton are some of the kindest people I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. Traveling to places I have only dreamt about, I grew out of my shell and became a person who is now more culturally aware and understands more about walks of life far different than where I come from. Because of the professors and instructors at the University of Brighton, I got to cover more than half the areas of the United Kingdom than I could've possibly on my own. At the end, I felt satisfied despite my limited time there, I felt like I didn't miss anything.