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Bulletin the University of Sussex newsletter
Express Yourself!!
We talked to some fledgling students in their first week of term. Here's what they had to say about registration, Sussex and the student lifestyle:
James, who thinks that everything is "alright, yeah," is pretty enthusiastic about coming to Sussex - besides saying "it's alright, yeah," he points out the benefits of living in East Slope: "at first it was weird living with six strangers, but we're getting on brilliantly." He says that nothing bad has happened to him so far "apart from getting a bit lost," and that the best thing has been "meeting loads of really nice people" - though he definitely misses his Mum's cooking. James is studying Ecology and Conservation after finishing A-levels in Geography, Biology and Art. He's hoping to make it into Brighton soon to sample the nightlife - so far he's been too busy enjoying the pubs on campus! Catherine is in East Slope too, and she says: "I really like the fact that it is a flat and not a dorm - we're all different, but we're getting on really well." She's just done A-levels in Geography, Chemistry and Biology and is studying for a Geography BSc. "It was a bit daunting arriving by myself, but I've made new friends really quickly, which is great. I've definitely taken to the social life on campus, and so far I've been to everything that's been on offer! Although moving in and getting things sorted out at first was a bit horrible, I'm having a really good time." Unlike James, Catherine isn't missing her Mum's cooking - she doesn't miss her parents at all, and says she is "glad to have so much independence." She came to Sussex because of its location and Brighton's club scene, but she's looking forward to getting away already on the "brilliant field trips people who do my course go on."
Friday October 16th 1998
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James Cook and Catherine Macmurdo have gravitated towards each other as fellow county-dwellers. They are both from Devon but lived about forty minutes away from each other, so haven't discovered any mutual friends yet - but they probably will!
Laura Loh has come to Sussex on an exchange from her hometown, Los Angeles, where she went to UCLA. She says "Brighton is a big change from LA - both the University and the town are very different. The weather is a bit dreary, but I'm getting used to it. And I'm closer to the sea here than I was when I lived in Los Angeles. The main difference I've noticed so far between the two universities is that Sussex is so much smaller and more cosy than UCLA. I prefer the size, it's much more friendly." After watching a lightning production of Hamlet staged by SUDS in the middle of the societies fair, Laura says she is tempted to join the society: "they made it look like fun." Her one bad experience so far was trying to open a bank account in town - "I was really offended that they just assumed I was from overseas," but she says everything else has been good and people have been really friendly to her. An English major back home, she will be studying English here, and chose Sussex "because of its strong English department."
Darren Norris came to Sussex after studying for the Access course at Chichester, which he says was "a really good course." He's finding it all "quite hectic - I'm having trouble trying to work out where to go and when," but says "so far everyone I've talked to seems really nice." Darren is pleased he's been able to get a grant this year, but he's still on a tight budget, so he hasn't been participating in as many of the revelries as he might have liked. He'll be commuting from Chichester which means "I'll have to spend half my life on the train," but "I've only got one 9.00 seminar so it should be OK." He's studying history in AFRAS and is really enthusiastic about his course - "Every lecture I've had so far has been quite inspiring." He says - "the whole place seems great - I can't wait to really start." 
Alie Bird, studying social anthropology, has come to Sussex after 12 years working for an EFL company. She says she's always had the idea of coming to do a degree "up her sleeve", but was waiting for the time to be right before she did it. She is interested in AFRAS because "I want to explore my colonial roots - I was brought up in Kenya and I want to face the implications of my colonial past." Alie has been "surprised by how many people there are chasing few services - for example, in the queues for registration. But the academic side is well organised and clear and the faculty have been welcoming." She feels "incredibly privileged to have had a chance to come to University, not only because I've actually been admitted, but also because I can afford the fees." As a mature student, she says "I don't feel my experience would be wildly different from a younger student - but then I don't feel very mature!"
