Studying at university is one of the most exciting and rewarding things you will ever do. You’ll be exploring a subject that really interests you, meeting new people and taking advantage of great opportunities. At Sussex, our aim is to provide a stimulating environment, state-of-the-art resources, and a curriculum designed to help you gain the skills and experience to make the most of your future.
Key facts
lots of exciting ways to learn – make your own decisions with independent study
technology-enriched, state-of-the-art learning resources offer inspiration at your fingertips
learn lifelong study skills from the start with our induction programme
academic feedback challenges you to keep improving throughout your degree
- What's it like to study at Sussex?
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University study is very different from what you will be used to. You are expected to do far more work for yourself. There is a range of formal teaching methods, such as lectures, seminars and tutorials, but you will be expected to make your own decisions and become increasingly independent in your work.
Much of your learning will depend on how you use the learning resources, the extent to which you participate in discussions and group work, and how you tackle module assignments. Learning and teaching activities will usually involve large-group teaching combined with smaller-group activities.
Formal contact hours tend to decrease as you progress through your course and become a self-directed learner.At Sussex, the scheduled contact time you receive is made up of lectures, seminars, tutorials, exercise classes, laboratory and practical work, and group work (refer to the definitions below). The exact mix depends on the subject you are studying. This scheduled contact time is reflected in the Key Information Set (KIS) for the course, which can be found with each course entry at Undergraduate study. In addition to this, you will have further contact time with teaching staff on an individual basis to help you develop your learning and skills, and to provide academic guidance and advice to support your independent study.
- Study success
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When you arrive at Sussex, you will have a well-designed induction programme that will equip you to make the most of our technology-enriched environment and learning resources. You will also meet your individual academic advisor.
- Assessment and degree classification
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Your progress and achievements will be assessed by a variety of methods. This will be supplemented by academic feedback to help you understand your strengths and weaknesses.
Your final degree classification is based on a number of different kinds of assessment in order to give the fairest picture of your individual abilities and achievements. For most courses, your marks count towards your final degree classification from the second year onwards.
Lectures
Lectures enable the whole student group to be taught together. Often a number of different lecturers will contribute to a series covering a broad subject area. Lectures are important, but they represent only a starting point: you are expected to build on what you learn
Seminars
In seminars, a group of students and their tutor talk through ideas, question assumptions and discuss aspects of a topic in depth
Tutorials
Many subjects offer tutorials where you can ask questions, check your understanding, solve problems and discuss assignments individually with a tutor or in a small group
Exercise classes
Exercise classes are similar to tutorials, with a larger group of students working through exercises set by the lecturer
Laboratory and practical work
Laboratory and practical classes test the concepts and methods introduced in lectures and tutorials
Group work
Group work enables you to collaborate with other students on a project. The ability to work effectively in groups is much sought after by employers
Independent study
Independent study enables you to prepare for – and follow up – topics in greater depth. This is especially important when you are undertaking an assignment
