Study Abroad at the University of Brighton, England

I had an incredible time living and studying in Brighton. The Famler campus (where I lived) was small, quiet, and surrounded by beautiful parks. The campus cafe has lots of yummy food and coffee. My course instructors were all kind and supportive. Mary and Becca (the study abroad administrators) were extremely welcoming and helpful with everyone’s needs during our exchange- they made living in Brighton feel like home. The organized trips we went on as an abroad group were absolutely amazing and was a highlight for me during my experience. Due to Brighton’s close proximity to the LGW airport traveling the rest of Europe was extremely easy and affordable! Brighton is a lovely seaside town that has amazing pubs, gardens, food, shopping, people, and energy. For future students wanting to study abroad I would highly recommend coming to Brighton. I definitely will be back in Brighton soon.

Coming from the United States the environment was always a controversial topic, and my home university did not offer a diversity of classes to take. At the University of Brighton they provided a "no nonsense" type of teaching about the environment providing me with much more information than I ever received in the United States. The classes are very interesting, and offer a wide variety of topics and information. They expect a lot of you, but allow you to learn at your own pace with a reliance on outside reading, due to only having class once a week, and is much more laid back than it is in the United States. Having class once a week, and the three-week long spring break provides a wonderful opportunity to travel from London Gatwick airport. I had the opportunity to experience 14 countries as well as taking day trips around England. The study abroad coordinators are wonderful! Some of my favorite people that I met during my stay, and organize various field trips to see England and France, as well as connecting with the other students that are abroad. All of the study abroad students are housed in the same apartment building, which allowed me to develop close friendships with my flatmates.
This program, with the freedom of learning at your own pace, and independence of traveling alone allowed me to become a better person, and fall in love with the United Kingdom. I believe Brighton is the best town to live in England, because it is a medium-sized city with a large student population. There is fun nightlife, as well as the opportunity to relax on the beach with your friends. Living in Brighton was an opportunity I'll never forget, and I highly recommend it to anyone.

The University is amazing. The study abroad staff is fun and friendly and always willing to help. Would recommend exploring the city of Brighton and England in general. Becca and Mary, the people who run the program, are super super helpful and fun, and make the experience so much better. The field trips are amazing and low cost for what you get, and the friends you make along the way are worth it.

I had the time of my life studying abroad in Brighton! Being able to visit multiple schools and see the difference between teaching in England, vs America, was such a rewarding experience. I learned a lot about incorporating drama techniques in the classroom and it has come in handy with my current class. I loved being able to experience the surrounding cities and learn about their culture. I was always exploring, and trying new things. Living there really helps your jump feet first, and understand their day to day life!

I student taught through the University of Brighton. I was there for 2 months and lived with a host family. The staff at the university were so welcoming and made you feel right at home. We were able to go on various trips organized through the university. My favorite was a weekend trip in Paris. Although it was different than the traditional study abroad program, it was a great experience both personally and professionally.

The biggest piece of advice I could give anyone coming to Brighton is to get involved! It's literally so important to get to know the locals and it really helps to have some friendly faces around. The best decision I have ever made was joining a society, it made my experience here completely worth it. I stayed for a full year and have no regrets, and sometimes even wish I could stay longer. Brighton is super independent, interesting, open, and as much fun as YOU make it. It's a big, little city and there is always something new to find, from vinyl shops to charity shops to restaurants to retail shops (most of which offer student discounts, don't be afraid to ask!), I guarantee you'll find a place you'll fall in love with. Only words of caution I would give is if you decide to live on the falmer campus, you will need a bus pass (good news is there is an app with student deals) to get into town and the Night Bus (starting usually at midnight) can feel like forever–due to extra stops. The grades are very different (I promise 70%+ is an A, don't panic) and schooling in general is more independent work. You will have plenty of free time to hang out with the new friends you make! Last bit of advice is to not let the common language fool you, England is it's own unique place with it's own slang and differences (if you're from the US like me you might be confused at times, though most people will clear up the confusion if you just ask), it's just like studying abroad any other place, you will have to learn the culture and be able to go with the flow in order to really enjoy your time.

Where do I even start? As a general statement, the people and the places made the experience incredible. The exchange students were all lovely, and my flatmates, classmates, lecturers, and randoms met along the way are people who impacted my life in so many different ways. Being able to visit so many places in the UK and Europe was a great by-product of studying - its hard to pick a highlight when each place and experience was so unique. Being able to visit some of the world’s design capitals - Scandinavia, London, Switzerland, Barcelona- was amazing to see in the flesh what we can only read about at home. Going on the Brighton surf trip to Morocco, skiing in the Swiss alps, sinking pints of Guinness in Dublin, sailing through the Nordic fjords and all the other trips are definitely lifelong memories i’m grateful to have. My expectations were exceeded: the course was so different to my home university, which served as a much-needed creative rejuvenation half way through my third year. I met so many talented, incredible people (students, great lecturers, people in the community, practicing creatives) and made the most of the collaborative vibe at Brighton. There were fundamentally no limits – new techniques, ideas and approaches were welcome and encouraged. England is also pretty great to live in – the culture is very similar to NZ, there is no language barrier and the access to design opportunities is endless. Also, Brighton’s close proximity to Gatwick Airport meant travel around Europe was so easy, despite protest from my bank account.

The University of Brighton is located just minutes away from the amazing seaside city of the same name. Brighton itself is beautiful, fun, exciting, and full of incredible clubs, coffee shops, theaters, and there is always something new to experience every day from a "Ghost Tour" of the historic Laines to karaoke night at the King and Queen pub! The University itself is spread over several campuses with most study abroad students living on the scenic and lovely Falmer campus which is surrounded by rolling hills and stunning sunsets. The academics, at least in the Humanities school are fairly casual and not too demanding while still being fascinating topics taught by knowledgeable professors . However, this casual atmosphere leaves plenty of time to explore Brighton and travel outside the country. However, I mainly went on trips with the lovely USAC program to lots of amazing places in England including Bath, Stonehenge, and Oxford to name a few, as well as the wonderful and unforgettable trip to Paris! I found these trips very cost effective and well organized, led by the amazing Becca and Mary, our program leaders! They were so kind and warm, and made the transition to a new country very easy and assuring. I would recommend this program to anyone looking for an experience in a homey but edgy city with tons of history and charm, in addition to a flexible schedule with plenty of time for personal adventures!