University of Sussex

Brighton

Sussex Accommodation Thread 2011!

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The guide for my campus tour the other day mentioned it! First time I'd heard, but I did know it has its own bar etc. Its not completely unlikely as they don't have a pool onsite already. Fingers crossed. Hope it has water slides :biggrin:

I think they may have been confused. The USSU posted an April fools joke that the Attenborough center was going to become a swimming pool: http://sussexstudent.com/news/index.php?page=article&news_id=248233

I've heard nothing about a swimming pool, I'm afraid!

If you want cheap accommodation then East Slope, Park houses/village seem to be your best bet - all of them are pretty sociable too! Stanmer was the least sociable in my first year, but this may have changed, I know a few people living there this year and they seem to be happy enough!

University of Sussex

Brighton

Reply 21

lilahnurave

Original post by gemini89

Interesting, I've only heard that it will have a social centre including a cafe and laundrette. No bar/swimming pool that I know of....but hey, it's big enough to hide one that us non-campus guide students don't know/haven't been told about :wink:

Well if it does have one, I'll make sure they let you come play on the slides :wink:

Maybe it'll have a wave machine too... :biggrin:

Reply 22

gemini89

Original post by lilahnurave

Well if it does have one, I'll make sure they let you come play on the slides :wink:

Maybe it'll have a wave machine too... :biggrin:

Hehe, while I appreciate the sentiment I will be graduating in July! Actually just finished my degree yesterday. Just was being a bit nosy :tongue:

Reply 23

lilahnurave

Original post by gemini89

Hehe, while I appreciate the sentiment I will be graduating in July! Actually just finished my degree yesterday. Just was being a bit nosy :tongue:

Cool what did you study?

Reply 24

Bente

Original post by lilahnurave

Yeh Northfield is the brand new one behind Lewes Court at the back of campus. Um its just because there are rumours that it will be mostly international students which could make it harder to socialise, and socialising is one of the main reasons I'm going to uni :wink:

but we only get to go on campus for one year so I didn't want to miss out on Northfield if its going to be awesome. And if it has a swimming pool it will be :biggrin:

I've been reading all over about people being worried about not being able to socialise with International Students, I mean everyone has to be able to speak English to a certain extent. Of course I'm biased being Dutch myself, and because I've been to several International schools including boarding. But if you just show some effort it all works out..
I just don't understand where this general opinion of this is coming from..

Reply 25

gemini89

Original post by lilahnurave

Cool what did you study?

Politics and Contemporary European Studies (CES), though my first year was Anthropology and CES. Hope you have a great time at Sussex!

Original post by Bente

I lived with a Korean guy for a term in first year - he was doing an English course (as in learning English) and I saw him about three times. In 10 weeks. He basically just stayed in his room, went to his classes, hung out with other people on his English course....my housemates and I were friendly to him when he moved in, but it was difficult to do anything else when we never saw him.

I think it happens more with students from Asia - this is only my own experience....I'm sure there are plenty of international students from Asia who are very social and want to make British friends, but I didn't really ever meet many :frown:

(edited 12 years ago)

Reply 26

lilahnurave

Original post by Bente

I understand what you mean, but I know several people who have felt pretty isolated when in halls with mostly internationals. One of them was my sister. Not really fair to blame it on not making an effort. Also international students often don't stay for the whole year, so the potential to make long lasting friends isn't there. And have to say on the four open days I've been to I did notice that various nationalities really did stick together in their own groups

Reply 27

Bente

Original post by gemini89

Yes I've experienced the same. Last year in my school most of the Asian students stuck together, just like any nationality did. If you really want to, you just have to try really hard I guess. And like you said, it depends on the person. But it makes sense too though, I mean not knowing the language well in the place you live makes it difficult to talk to those people and easier to stick with those you do know. Oh well :smile:

Do most people just hang out with the people in their flats?

Reply 28

lilahnurave

Original post by gemini89

Politics and Contemporary European Studies (CES), though my first year was Anthropology and CES. Hope you have a great time at Sussex!(

Thank you! I am super excited :^_^:

Reply 29

Bente

Original post by lilahnurave

Also international students often don't stay for the whole year, so the potential to make long lasting friends isn't there. And have to say on the four open days I've been to I did notice that various nationalities really did stick together in their own groups

Oh I didn't know. How were the open days? I've never been to visit. So I hope it's what I'm expecting :smile:

Reply 30

lilahnurave

Original post by Bente

Oh I didn't know. How were the open days? I've never been to visit. So I hope it's what I'm expecting :smile:

Have you seen the virtual tour on the sussex site? http://www.sussex.ac.uk/aboutus/campus/

Only two of the open days were at sussex, but my boyfriend is a 3rd year so I've got a pretty good overview of what its like. Open days were really good, both were on really hot days and with the campus being in the middle of the countryside it looked really nice. Everyone was really friendly, and I liked that they don't have the attitude of some unis that imply you're luck to be there. The campus is kind of charmingly ugly :wink:

the history is pretty interesting, and when I found out that the ugly concrete structures are actually built to look like animals, I kind of warmed to them. One is a turtle I think, another is a moth.. and the whole campus is supposed to look like a cat from above!

I think I am biassed though because I know how much fun my bf has had at Sussex. I also liked that I got an email through on the way home thanking me for attending, and listing contact emails for everything the introductory talk had covered, and attachments to all the handouts in case I had missed any. Was quite impressed :cool:

Let me know if theres anything else you want to know :smile:

Reply 31

gemini89

Original post by Bente

Do most people just hang out with the people in their flats?

Intitally yeah as your housemates are the first people you meet....and then that expands to your block (if you live in Lewes Court like I did) or people on other floors (if you're in Park Houses) or neighbours (Brighthelm, East Slope etc). Then you start meeting people at various events, and then your course so while some people often keep their 'core' group of friends as their housemates, their friendship group is actually a lot bigger :smile:

Reply 32

THU

Hee lilahnurave

I was wondering if you could help me a bit with some questions about Sussex. I am Dutch student holding an offer , but couldn't make it to a UCAS day !

I have to choose between Keele and Sussex , I really liked to community feeling there but halls were very unsociable. If I would decide to study at Sussex which hall of residence can you recommend?And would I be living in 'flat style' or 'dorm style? I also want to avoid getting stuck with 'the international clan' (nothing bad about it though) so is accomodation mixed with Brits?

Thanx so much !

Reply 33

lilahnurave

Original post by THU

Hey! Um depends how much you want to spend? And whether you want somewhere quiet or on suite or somewhere thats party central etc :biggrin:

The accommodation is almost all single person rooms, apart from some shared rooms in East Slope and some studio flats.

From what I understand from speaking to the bf - unless you apply to specifically be house with other international students, then you will be in accommodation with brits (bar the odd international student)