Welcome
Welcome - or welcome back - to the University of Sussex. We very much hope that you'll find the coming academic year intellectually stimulating, personally exciting, and academically rewarding.
This Handbook is designed with the aim of helping you find your way around your University. When you register as a student at Sussex you become entitled to use the facilities and services that the University provides; and you also agree to abide by its rules and regulations. This Handbook provides you with a guide to what the University offers, what we aim to help you to achieve, and what expectations we have of you.
The Student Handbook is produced annually. The vast majority of services are available to all students, but there are a few exceptions and these are made clear in the appropriate section. The Handbook does not contain absolutely everything you'll need to know over the next year, so you should familiarise yourself with the student web pages, and Student essentials is probably the best place to start. You should also take a look at the other publications mentioned in the text, as well as any handbook issued to you by your Department or School.
Finally, University is very much about achieving your academic and personal potential, but it's also about developing networks of friends, new interests, and life skills. Make the most of it! My top tips are:
- work hard - those students who attend 80% plus of their scheduled teaching achieve the best degrees overall. Plan your workload and think carefully about how to manage your reading and preparation for written assignments and exams revision.
- find time to relax - going to university is about making friends, finding new interests, and learning to create a balance between work and play. Make sure you find time away from your studies to take advantage of our sports facilities, to get to know Brighton and its surrounds, and to join in with our academic and other societies. Look after yourself and have a look at the student well-being pages for sources of information and support.
- make use of the support and advice that is available to you - I am sure you're going to have a great year, but don't forget that there are a range of services available to assist you, if you need them. Find out more via the Information & support resources web pages.
If you have any suggestions for improvements in this Handbook, do please send them to me.
I wish you every success during your time at Sussex.
Owen Richards
Director of Student Services
E o.m.richards@sussex.ac.uk