30,943 discussions, 145 guides
Sussex University
30,943 discussions, 145 guides
Sussex University
University of Sussex
Falmer
Brighton
BN1 9RH
Tel: +44 (0)1273 606 755
1961
URF
University Radio Falmer is run by the students' union and has had quite a tough time recently. During the Christmas break 1999, the station's equipment was stolen. They are back broadcasting now on a standard Restricted Service Licence. The station is only available on campus.
Students' Union Website
We thought we would mention the SU website here, as it doesn't fit anywhere else. The SU website is more functional than attractive. If you do go to Sussex, you might want to help them improve this.
The Pulse
The Pulse is the Student Union's magazine which is published every term in a glossy format. It has recently won the Guardian Best Student Magazine Award, the Independant Best Student Magazine on a Shoe String Budget (yes, there is such an award!!), and runners up in a whole host of other awards. The articles are generally entertaining and deal with such issues as Fashion and Music.
Badger
This is the student union newspaper which used to be published weekly, but is now published every fortnight. This cut means that more can be spent of each issue and the quality of the articles has improved. It reports on happenings in the local area, and around the university.
Simon Fanshawe - Comedian
Nick Fisher - "Just 17" Agony Uncle!!
Brendan Foster - Agony Uncle
Peter Hain MP - Labour (FO minister for Africa)
Billy Idol - Rock guy...sorry we can't really describe him
Andrew Morton - Writer
Dermot Murnaghan - ITN News
Julia Somerville - Newsreader
Virginia Wade - Wimbledon Singles Winner
The largest and most popular bar at Sussex is the East Slope, with a capacity of just under 300. It has a fairly trendy feel to it. The Park Village Bar is another worthy with a capacity of around 100 and some great jam nights. Because of it size it frequently feels busy, and due to its proximity to the Halls of Residence, it frequently is. The Students' Union also hold live acts in Mandela Hall, and have hosted Ash in the not too distant past.
The Grapevine bar is owned by the university and tends to be quieter but is still fairly well attended. Airport lounge would be the most appropriate description of style.
The Hothouse has changed hands recently but is still a hole. The Falmer bar has had a refurb and looks great with big comfy sofas and a funky café style. The food is tasty and can be healthy if you want.
Presently the East Slope has local and student bands, as well as Jazz and acoustic nights. Park Village caters for all those who like mixing and does the occasional karioke! With the lack of a major dance venue, the SU ents can feel limited, and many students go into Brighton instead.
This will all be solved, though, with the new Hothouse and Falmer Bar.
There are three major Balls each year, starting with the Christmas Ball followed by the Valentines Ball
Finally, there is the largest event of the year...the Summer Ball. The Summer Ball has been held in the Hilton Metropole Hotel, It usually costs around £45 (cheaper than many universities), and includes a three course meal. It isn't well attended though.
Sussex doesn't have the widest choice of clubs and societies, but there should be something there that you will find enjoyable or interesting. One thing we did notice, is that there seems to be an incrediable amount of "do gooder" societies, whose aims are either to save the planet, stop famine or help little old ladies in the community. These are all great aims...but how many different soceities do they need. As a general rule there are loads of hippies at Sussex. Subjects such as Anthropology and development studies do a lot to boost the population. This makes for a pretty relaxed atmosphere but can get a little bit annoying when all you want to do is smoke big brand tobacco and enjoy a McImmoral burger in peace.
One general fun society we noticed was The Autonomous Students Society which "aims for an irreversible, world-wide, proletarian revolution with unrestrained pleasure as its only goal". Hmmmm.
The cricket team often does well in national competitions.
Guaranteed: 100
The University guarantee a place in Halls for all first years who apply by the due date and accept an offer to Sussex. Halls is in italics as this may mean lodging with a family for a while at the start of term whilst things get sorted out. 30% of other years (mostly final year and disabled students) are housed.
Many of the Halls of Residence have been recently refurbished and consist of: - Single rooms in halls - Flats of various sizes (most with en-suite rooms) - University owned houses, which are shared
All of the accommodation is self-catered with communal kitchens, but catered food is available a numerous locations around campus. Each room also has telephone access, linked to the University switchboard, and voicemail facilities are available. If you ever want to wash your clothes then there are launderettes.
Here's a locally sourced run-down:
EAST SLOPE - Not the best flats, but always filled with parties, especially on the hill out the back. Living in the higher flats can be a pain though. Nice social kitchen areas. Usually 6 or 8 in a flat, going up to 12 in a few. PARK VILLAGE - A bit of a "tried to be East Slope" complex going on here. Rooms can be OK, but kitchens are too small for socialising properly. Usually about 8 in a flat, no sinks in the rooms! LEWES COURT - a.k.a. Lewes Palace. Really nice, but you pay for it. A few good parties to be had here, and often a game of footie on the grass outside. 6 or so in a flat. BRIGHTHELM - Mainly postgraduates, so not great for undergrads. Lovely rooms, lovely kitchens. 6 or 8 to a flat. PARK HOUSES - (Norwich, Lancs, York and Kent) Each is a little different to the other. YORK has 24hr security and the porters lodge, so its a little more subdued, but with 12 to a (slightly cramped) kitchen, its usually quite social. NORWICH is fairly similar to York, but without the security and resident porter. 12 to a small kitchen again. LANCS is again similar, with a few nicer grad rooms. 12 to a kitchen (again). KENT is slightly different. It tends to be more popular, both in its TV room and the kitchens (which are a little larger than York's), and usually it's a cheerful bunch of people.
Overall East Slope and Kent House seem to provide the best parties, as a general rule with uni accommodation the cheapest places to stay are the most fun.
The 200 acre University of Sussex campus is based about 3 miles inland from Brighton, near the village of Falmer. The buildings, many designed by Basil Spence, are mostly modern, redbrick structures surrounding numerous quads. It all looks very nice for a University built in the 1960s!
The campus is quite remote and as a result fully self sufficient. It would be possible for a student to come here and never need to leave...but invariably they do, attracted by the temptations of Brighton. Brighton has much to offer socially, with an array of pubs and nightclubs (see the University of Brighton unofficial-guide for more information). There are also late night buses running until 2am, which is always good if you end up at a club.
Many students have cars and they can be quite helpful. However, the bus comes to the rescue of the non-vehicularly endowed with regular trips into Brighton costing about £1.00. There are also trains from Falmer station to Brighton and London.
The campus is a bit of a mobile phone black spot. None of the networks have great coverage but One2One is the worst but that's OK because no one uses them anyway.
Parking is only available to students living off campus and only from areas a certain distance away. As a result postcodes are sometimes used when deciding on whether to issue a permit. In reality, though, many students park on campus without a permit. If you get there before 9:30 there are no probs finding a space. Clamps are a risk.
There are three banks on campus: HSBC, Barclays and Lloyds TSB.
Since most of the buildings are modern, the disabled access and facilities are considered good. Falmer House is also being refitted to better accommodate students with mobility difficulties and Kulukundis House is specially adapted for disabled accommodation. Special arrangements can be made for most forms of disability.
The Falmer House Stationery Shop is described as 7quot;stationery heaven". It has all the usual for things academic, like pens, pencils, 50 colours of highlighter, and those little stress balls. The prices aren't too bad either. There is also York House Stores which supplies everything not covered by the above including food and drinks. You can do all your shopping here, but you'll be broke in a month. There is also a print and photocopy shop.
There is both a bookshop and a second hand bookshop on campus. The latter is run by the Students' Union.
The sports facilties are very good and seem to be dotted all over campus. However, there are small charges for using them, but this doesn't usually break the bank.
The refurbished Falmer Sports Centreon campus contains two gyms, a dance studio, fitness centre and mutigym, squash courts, sauna and solarium. There is also an injury clinic with physiotherapists and some pretty nifty looking equipment. Outdoors there are 14 acres of playing fields, some of it floodlit, a floodlit all weather pitch, tennis courts and more squash courts, all of which are near campus. There's also another gym up a winding road. Sounds very mysterious.
There really is no excuse not to come out of Sussex University fit and healthy.
Nothing run by the SU but there are frequent bus and train services and a good nightbus from Brighton.
The University is surrounded by green spaces! The Downs are also quite close.
The library has over 750,000 books and around 1,000 study places. Students seem to think that the facilities are good and we didn't hear many complaints about overcrowding. However, there is always the chance that the book you really need is checked out, the day before your essay is due so don't risk it. Apparently the library is also a social hang out and students are often to be found relaxing on the steps out front. Beats working I guess.
There are over 1,000 computers at the University, as well as 24 hour access. All in all they are considered good, although the most cutting edge students do insist that the computers could be updated. The Maths building is our hot tip for finding a good machine.
With a welfare system like the one that exists here, you really have no excuse not to have a beaming smile on your face 24-7!! USSU runs a Welfare Advice Unit with two welfare advisors giving information on anything from student housing to contraception. This complements the University's 7/8 cousellors!!!! There is also an NHS run health centre, with doctors, nurses, maternity care and a dentist!
