The Tab’s handy guide for Sussex first years: 2016

What to really expect

| UPDATED

Congratulations, you have been accepted into possibly one of the weirdest universities in the country. Sussex is no doubt a very unique place, from the kooky people to the incredible locations all around Brighton.

You have probably already searched high and low on student room and all over Facebook for information for what you new life at Sussex will be like. However, like googling a headache, this can be super misleading and  only tell you the horror stories surrounding Sussex.

Here is a guide for you lovely people joining us in September so you don’t fall into the same traps we did. Guard this information with your life (and probably bookmark the page).

Buses

So you wanna explore Brighton? No problem, just never get the train if you plan on coming back after 11.30pm as the Falmer train no longer operates. This means you are stuck with the bus, but they’re pretty decent in Brighton. First of all you need to Download the Brighton and Hove buses app. Trust me, this is crucial. This app works as your ticket and it much cheaper than buying it on the bus. The student network saver is often the one you need and is valid all day and until 4.30 am the next day.

ALWAYS BUY A RETURN TICKET, THIS IS MUCH MORE COST EFFECTIVE.

For those unaware of the bus timetables, the 25 bus is the one you want for everything. It can be the 25, N25 (the nightbus), or the 25X (the quick bus to town from campus). They will either drop you at Old Steine ( right by the pier) or in Churchill square (the shopping centre near the lively west street). To get back from town, the most common stops are outside Grace strip club and the Brighton pavilion; two places you no doubt will wish to visit.

Check the 25 bus route here, trust us this is the one you want in your first few weeks.

You want to download this ASAP. All you do is purchase your ticket on here and show the driver for cheaper and quicker use.

Food Shopping

We all need our fuel to keep us partying and one day you will have a stab at becoming vegan, everyone has tried it in Sussex. Nevertheless you need to figure out where to do your Quorn shopping. Campus has two shops. The Co-op which is known for it’s huge queues and pretty high prices, and the  Union shop which stock a few different bits than the Co-op and it your place for Sussex merchandise. Buying a NUS card is very important as it gets you 10%  off in Co-op.

However, if these two aren’t doing it for you, there is a nearby Asda (Hollingbury) and Sainsbury’s (Hollingdean) that deliver to campus and if you’re feeling a little bit luxurious (or living in Northfield) Waitrose also deliver. There is also an Aldi in Brighton for when your student loan runs low. It’s on the 25 bus route, all you need to do is get off at St Peter’s church.

Drinking and entertainment

Here is the good bit. No doubt you are all looking forward to turning your life into a brief project X sequel. However you need to be clued up with the best spots and not to get mugged off.

– West street will be your ally and enemy.  West Street can be a good laugh every now and then but locals try to steer clear from it due to it’s rowdy reputation. Why not go to Casablancas? A jazz bar that plays live music every night with insane drink deals like double rum and mixers for around £2.70? Envy on a Sunday is also a good shout, they host bingo and live cabaret with half price drinks after the show.

– If you were planning on visiting East slope or Falmer bar (the bars on campus) we suggest you either get down there really early or venture into Brighton. The bars are known for being extremely busy during freshers and queues mean it could take hours just to get a round.  Jump on the 25 bus and hit the seafront for some amazing clubbing or cheaper drinks (hello, Vodka Revs). Of course you can go to the campus bars when things have died down after freshers.

– Freshers events have been known for being a bit shit but fear not. Here at The Tab we found that even though many were not entirely impressed with the selection, we all enjoyed ourselves and is cool to look back and feel nostalgic. Try to do as many as you can. The SU have done a good job this year with organising some cool events so we hope they will break the mould.

– Think about it, if a place is surrounded by promoters trying to coax you in there a pretty good reason for that. Get out of West Street and visit SmashBrighton. Brighton’s nightlife is one of a kind and sometimes you can get lost with all the different events.

– SKINT tuesdays is the cheapest night in Brighton. Hosted at East slope bar, drinks cost ridiculously small amounts such as beers and double spirit mixers ranging from £2.15 to £2.80

– The seafront clubs are always a good laugh. If you visit during the week they always have special events for students. Last year they hosted frat themed parties, full moon parties, hallow’een nights and a tonne more.

–  For drunk food, you absolutely have to get chips from RFC. If you’re out late enough to skip sleep and just go straight for breakfast, Buddies is the place to be as it’s open 24 hours.

Working and Jobs

– Everyone is gunning for those great positions at bar and retail work on campus which is why you need to get your foot in the door quick.  Here you can find all the available work the Union have on offer.

– Sussex also have a career hub that is full of local student jobs. As soon as you have your login details for your Sussex IT account, jump on and explore what work they have on offer. They offer a wide range of on-campus work, internships, graduate placements, and many others.

– Churchill square also advertise work on their website. They have a wide variety of student friendly jobs to keep the funds flowing.

– Promotion work gets a bit of a bad rap down in Sussex but many students turn to it for work. It is pretty easy stuff and pays pretty well and has a few extra perks to boot. Its always good to get queue jump, free drinks, make friends, and interact with the management of clubs to get on their good side. Check out Rox online for work if this sounds good.

– It also doesn’t hurt to hand out your CV in a bunch of places and search through Gumtree.

Things to look out for

There are a few things that are synonymous with Sussex and it would be wise to acknowledge them before you jump in and make a fool of yourself.

– Sussex is stereotypically left wing and are known for radical political statements and protests. Don’t feel weird if you see placards or demonstrations in Library square.

– If you see a Brighton University student, be kind. They are human like you and me and not the demons we paint them out to be in our local banter.

– Yik Yak is the best app to download for Sussex. It is essentially anonymous twitter and is a good way to share funny stories and find out if there is anything happening on campus.

– Printing costs are the bane of everyone’s life. Everyone hates them, make sure you put money on your account before you print. York house is a perfect place to quickly get in and print.

– Anyone living in the Park Houses will have their mail usually delivered to York House. Check your letterboxes for notes that tell you this.

– If you like coffee, Room 76 (attached to Falmer bar in the back) do really good drinks which are also way cheaper than Starbs. They also have a cocktail night which is worth a visit.

– Eduroam, which is our Wi-fi system, is shit. It is god awful and was voted 2nd as the worst thing in Sussex University. Our advice is to make the most of your Ethernet cables supplied to you at the beginning of term to try and improve the speed.

– Follow Teh univursity of susex on Facebook, they are hilarious.

– Do not try to join loads of societies in the first week, you’ll only have time for one or two and a lot of them have joining fees.. Come write for us instead; We’re cool enough and it doesn’t cost a penny.

Our advice for Freshers week

– Saturday 10th: This is moving in day. We don’t suggest that you don’t plan to do much on this day. Go with the flow and meet your roommates, and decide what to do together. Avoid the on-campus bars as they will be packed (Last year there was a 1 hour long queue to get into East Slope). Make sure you go to the free shop!

– Sunday 11th: The SU have done a great job organising the Welcome to the jungle party. We suggest this is the place to be. We also recommend getting a roast dinner at East Slope bar,  reggae roasts are a ting.

– Monday 12th: You’re probably a bit tired and that is cool. East slope will be hosting a gaming day so pop along. The West Street bar crawl is very hit and miss, might be a good chance to grab a group of friends and have your own crawl. Pavilion Tavern have Quids night where they have a tonne of drinks offered for only £1.

– Tuesday 13th : AVOID SKINT. Why? Skint is by far the best year round event held by the university and for good reason. The cheap drinks and location mean a tonne of people come down. Remember the packed campus bars on the Saturday? This will triple in size for East Slope. Come back when things quiet down the following weeks.

Tuesday is also the date of the Brightonian nights tour held by the SU to see some bars that are not as well known and a good change of pace.

– Wednesday 14th: Wednesday is student night. Places all around Brighton will have drink deals for students and a bunch of other events. Why not visit the biggest pub in Brighton, Kings and Queens?

– Thursday 15th:  We’ll be honest here, The Tab team all agreed the pier party was a bit shit. We felt the queues and price we paid were a bit too much. We did find the after party was good so make a appearance there. The Globe (which is a bar in town owned by the uni) is hosting a cocktail night. These cocktail will be very cheap and will be a good chance to check out the bar. Afterwards, you could go to Casablancas across the road for even cheaper drinks and sweet live music.

– Friday 16th: Judgement day. Here you will find out why Sussex students tend to avoid Brighton on the weekends. Things tend to get turned to 11 with West Street looking like a half mile crime zone, drinks costing a kidney, and bars turning into sardine cans. This is probably a good time to chill on campus.

– Saturday 17th: Well you just have to go Boundary Brighton…

Our biggest advice though… Just fucking enjoy yourself. Don’t do today what can be dealt with a hangover tomorrow.