Landing in your inbox every other Monday during term time, Experience Sussex! is your university student magazine. Each edition helps you make the most of your Sussex journey from easy ways to make friends, to discovering fun social and cultural activities, and getting involved in our diverse, supportive and friendly campus community.

Students’ voices are at the heart of Experience Sussex! with tips on student life and advice on getting the best from your university experience. This issue is a Welcome Week special, read on to find out about all the brilliant activities and events happening this week.

Welcome Week is your introduction to life at the University of Sussex. It’s a week-long programme of events where you can get to know our beautiful campus, discover our student services, meet other new students and get settled in. It's the first week of term and runs from Monday 22-Friday 26 September. Some highlights of Welcome Week you will not want to miss include:

• Life at Uni Fair, Monday 22 - Friday 26 - Atrium, Student Centre

• Freshers' Fair, Wednesday 24 - Mandela Hall, Falmer House

• Welcome Week Breakfast, 9am-11am every day, Eat Central

Vice-Chancellor's Welcome Celebration

On Friday 26 September 2025, the University of Sussex’s Vice-Chancellor, Professor Sasha Roseneil will host a special event to welcome all new students. This celebration marks the end of Welcome Week and the start of your Sussex journey. Places are limited to 500 students per event, so please do book your spot as soon as possible:

10.30am - 12pm: University of Business School (USBS)

12pm - 1.30pm: Faculty of Media, Arts & Humanities (MAH)

1.30pm - 3pm: Faculty of Social Sciences (SocSci)

3pm  - 4.30pm:  Faculty of Science, Engineering & Mathematics (FoSEM)

Students' Union Welcome Week

Get ready for a week of unforgettable events hosted by your Students’ Union. Whether you’re starting your Sussex journey or returning for another year, there’s something for everyone. From the International Students' Welcome Event and the Sussex Festival, to the Big Night Out, Freshers’ Fair stalls and the seaside vibes at the Pier Party, the SU has you covered for fun, friends and fantastic memories. 

Please be aware, the SU runs the Official Sussex Freshers 2025 Programme. Some external promoters may contact students offering events or tickets; these are not endorsed by Sussex or the SU. Only trust info from official SU channels and the Welcome App! Have an incredible Welcome Week 

Stay up to date with the Students’ Union by subscribing to their newsletter.

Social Shout Out

Each issue, we’ll highlight a question from social media to help our student community share their knowledge and experiences of university life with one another.

The question we asked you for this issue: What advice should returning students give to new arrivals?

@Themightyposk: “Make the most of the services offered here – mental health, academic support, and more.”
@Georg.e_h: “Get outside your comfort zone. University is a life-changing experience, so embrace it!”
@Hangleton: “Stay focused, don’t party too hard, get to know your fellow students, and read widely!”
@edwardfrancis527: “Don’t be afraid to join societies and talk to people — their Pier Party event is 100% worth it!”
@mamacrowathome: “Enjoy every minute that you can — it will whizz past!”

Sussex in the News

Sussex regularly features in local, national and international media showcasing our research, student and staff achievements, and the University’s far-reaching impact.

The Coast is Queer - The upcoming Coast is Queer festival, which is hosted at the Attenborough Centre for Creative Arts, featured on BBC radio stations across the South East.

Prof James Hirschfeld retired from the university after almost 60 years, during which time he taught some 15,000 undergraduates and published 80 research papers.

University of Sussex to help build 'Quantum Silicon Valley. Peter Kyle MP, Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology’s visits Sussex computing labs.

University of Sussex Chaplain shares 60-second sermon on the challenges and opportunities of starting university.

Why do wind farms attract so much misinformation and conspiracy? Dr Marc Hudson from the Business School explains how these worldviews fuel resistance to renewable energy and pose challenges for the energy transition.

From Sussex to South America: A New Beat for Climate Justice. Sussex PhD candidate has travelled to Peru to record an album with an Amazonian Indigenous people

Student Blog

Coming to Sussex after a long academic break? Here are three tips to help you by Similoluwa Adefioye, MA International Education and Development

Real-world learning: Abdlrhman’s experience consulting for Brighton & Hove City Council
by Abdlrhman Alqmati, MSc Project Management

What to expect from living in student accommodation on campus
by Tugce, BA Psychology

Events

Emotional Wellbeing Drop-ins (No registration required)
29 September 2025 14:00 until 16:00

Res Life Lounge - 29 September 2025 19:00 until 21:00 (Res Life Lounge is a regular social event run by the Residential Life Connectors)

The persistence of female political power in Africa
1 October 2025 16:00 until 17:00

All at Sea Movie Night
4 October 2025 18:30 until 21:00

Chamber Choir open rehearsal
29 September 2025 18:00 until 19:30

Did you know?

The University of Sussex was awarded its Royal Charter on 16 August 1961, formally establishing it as a university and marking it out as the first of Britain’s new post-war “plate-glass” universities. Conceived in the 1950s to meet surging demand for higher education, Sussex represented a bold new approach to university design and teaching. Its innovative curriculum, emphasis on interdisciplinary study, and modernist campus architecture became a model for other universities created during the 1960s.

What would you like to see?

Experience Sussex! is here to help you make the most of your time as a student. Let us know what you would like to see more of by emailing: internalcomms@sussex.ac.uk.