Sophia Lam (University of California) won first prize in the Campus Life and Brighton category of the 2011 International Summer School photo competition with her snap of ISS students going on a trip and waiting in the rain at Brighthelm bus stop

International students, mainly from the USA, have captured their experience of studying at Sussex this summer in a series of prize-winning photographs. 

Students from the University of California have won all four categories of this year's International Summer School (ISS) photo competition. 

The winning students' snaps each capture a different aspect of spending this summer at Sussex; from iconic London scenes, to experiences with new friends and, stereotypically, swapping a sunny summer in the Golden State for brollies at Brighthelm bus stop. 

The contest came to a close yesterday (Thursday 25 August) evening with a prize-giving ceremony and exhibition in Bramber House. 

Amazon.com giftcards were awarded for the best three entries - £50 for first, £20 for second and £10 for third - in each of the four categories: 

Campus life and Brighton

1. Sophia Lam (California, Irvine)
2. Osose Oboh (California, Los Angeles)
3. Melissa Ward (California, Irvine) 

New places, different cultures, different environments

1. Osose Oboh (California, Los Angeles)
2. Daria Baxter (California, Santa Barbara)
3. Soeren Jessen (Hamburg School of Business Administration) 

International understanding

1. Melissa Ward (California, Irvine)
2. Sophia Lam (California, Irvine)
3. Christine Sun (California, Berkeley) 

New friends

1. Daria Baxter (California, Santa Barbara)
2. Osose Oboh (California, Los Angeles)
3. Cindy Montenegro (California, Santa Barbara)

The competition was judged by the University's photographer, Stuart Robinson, and Professor Michael Farthing, the Vice-Chancellor. Stuart said: "Overall the field of entries was very strong and there were no easy decisions." 

To view the winning photos, visit the University's Facebook page. 

The contest was open to each of the record 565 students who attended this year's summer school, now in its 13^th year. 

Students came from 35 different countries; many from the United States, others from Denmark, Germany, Greece, Mexico, the Netherlands, South Korea, Spain, Sweden and Turkey. 

The students come for four or eight weeks and take one intensive class in each four-week period. 

This summer, students could choose from classes in a range of subjects including anthropology, art, biology, business and management, creative writing, economics, English, global studies, history, international relations, mathematics, philosophy, physics, politics, psychology and sociology. 

Most students live on campus and take part in a social programme that includes walks on the Downs, karaoke at East Slope (a perennial favourite), weekly pub quizzes and organised outings into Brighton. A team of current Sussex students and finalists serve as student guides, introducing the visitors to life at Sussex, in London and in Britain. 

A number of optional trips are organised every year including to Bath, Brussels, Cambridge, Paris, and Stonehenge as well as into London to see the Houses of Parliament, the Royal Apartments and the Globe Theatre. 

The ISS is part of the Centre for Community Engagement (CCE). Chris Sykes, Director of the ISS, said: "Our highly-rated academic programme is the core of the summer school experience but our social programme is equally unrivalled and the photo competition entries illustrated all aspects of this with the students showing us their quirky takes on campus life, new places, new friends and international understanding." 

For more about the ISS, go to the ISS web pages.