International Study Centre

Leisure time on campus

Although you will study hard at the University, there will also be plenty of opportunity for you to enjoy yourself and relax. In addition to the variety of entertainment and sports facilities offered in Brighton, there is a wide range of on-campus activities to fill your spare time.

The University of Sussex Students' Union (USSU) is the focus of many student activities. It organises entertainment and social events and runs shops and bars on campus. It also provides welfare advice. Membership of the Union is free and automatic. The Union officers, who are students elected each year, make sure that there is student representation throughout the University community so that your views are heard.

Social activities for international students

To help you make the most of your stay in the UK, the International and Study Abroad Office organises day trips to places of interest, social events, and trips and parties for the children of students. See the current programme for a sample of activities on offer.

Learning about different cultures and customs is part of the fun of studying abroad. You can experience living with a British family for a weekend through a special scheme that encourages international students to travel and see more of Britain.

There are also a number of international student societies that organise events:

• ACAS (African, Caribbean & Asian Society)
• Greek & Cypriot
• International Students
• MEXSAS (Mexican Students Association)
• Society of Turks
• Sushi (Japanese)
• USAS (University of Sussex Asian Society)
• USCS (University of Sussex Chinese Society)

Entertainment

USSU provides a range of entertainment on and off campus – comedy gigs, quizzes, live music nights, club nights and more. Mandela Hall plays host to battle of the bands. USSU's on-campus venues are:

• East Slope Bar: Live music, football, barbecues, but above all a great place to meet friends any night of the week.
• Falmer Bar: A lunch time coffee, or a drink on the way home, Falmer bar also serves food and has an outside seating area.
• The Cube: Packed out every weekend, a great alternative to central Brighton clubs. Music ranges from Indie to R&B.

See a 360 degree panorama of the Students' Union facilities at the University of Sussex online tour.

Clubs and societies

USSU supports, and helps fund, a number of societies. Run entirely by students, these range from Amnesty International group to conservation, photography and rugby clubs. However you like to fill your spare time, there is bound to be a club or society dedicated to a specialist interest of yours. Societies are divided into the following areas: Academic, Art, Community Action, Cultural Identity, Drama, Music, Performance, Social Action, Special Interest, Spiritual & Religious.

Joining a society is a good way of getting to know new people. Many societies have a thriving social programme in addition to their main activities. To explore the range of current activities available, see the USSU A-Z of societies.