This edition of Experience Sussex! is being sent to all taught students.

Make the most of your time at university | 20 October 2025

Landing in your inbox every other Monday during term time, Experience Sussex! is your student magazine.

This week’s issue is all about sustainability and how you can be part of the change. From digging into the Forest Food Garden project, to discovering greener ways to travel to campus, we are spotlighting practical, inspiring ways to reduce your footprint and support a more eco-friendly university. 

Read on to connect with everything that makes Sussex great!

Help make a difference at the Forest Food Garden

The Forest Food Garden is now running year-round volunteer sessions for staff and students!

Join us to help care for our beautiful forest food garden, learn about sustainable food growing, and enjoy the benefits of spending time outdoors. These sessions are a great way to connect with nature, meet like-minded people, and make a positive impact on campus. Do not forget, if you are collecting points for your Spirit of Sussex Award, these sessions count towards it. Find out more and sign up. 

Enjoy a greener way of getting to campus

Did you know there are lots of options for more sustainable ways to get to campus? The Travel Hub, run in partnership with the Students’ Union, Sustainability Team, Pedal Point (bike shop) offers advice, discounts, and support for low carbon travel. The Travel Hub is open Tuesday to Friday, from 12:00 to 18:30, in the Arches next to the Student Centre.

Cycling
On campus at Pedal Point bike shop you can buy refurbished bikes, access donation based repairs, and stock up on essentials. No experience is required, volunteer training is open to all. Docking stations are located at Bramber House and Sussex Sports.

Trains
Falmer Station is located opposite campus. Trains to Brighton and Lewes run every 10 to 20 minutes on weekdays. Check your route, as some trains require changes or skip certain stops.

Buses
Buses are often more affordable and now include more direct routes to campus. Purchase tickets at the Students’ Union shop, onboard with cash or contactless, or through the Brighton and Hove Buses app. Complete student verification in the app to access discounted fares. Choose a citySAVER for unlimited travel in Brighton and Hove, or a networkSAVER for wider travel including night buses. Discover sustainable travel options. 

Do your bit for sustainability with the sustainability toolkit!

Have you ever wondered how you can live and study in a more sustainable way? The Sustainability Toolkit helps you explore simple, impactful habits, such as reducing waste, choosing low-impact travel, and saving energy, that support a greener lifestyle. It also highlights ways to get involved on campus, from joining student-led initiatives to supporting community gardens and sustainability events.

My sustainability internship at the University of Sussex

Discover what Sussex student, Caine Morris, had to say about his time interning with the sustainability team. In this blog, Caine discusses his reasons for wanting to contribute to our efforts for a sustainable campus and the steps that Sussex is taking to make it a reality. Read more. 

Tell us what you love about Sussex and get a cupcake!

The What Uni Student Choice Awards are the only university awards voted by you, real students sharing real experiences. Tell us what you love about Sussex and help shape the rankings. We will be on campus on October 29 with a sweet treat to thank you for sharing your feedback. Look out for us in the Student Centre and the Students Union. It only takes a minute to have your say. You can also share your review here.

Halloween happenings 

Get ready for chills, thrills and plenty of pumpkin-spiced fun as Halloween at Sussex returns on Thursday 30 and Friday 31 October! The celebrations will take over the Student Centre and spots across campus, bringing two packed days of creative, tasty and spine-tingling activities for everyone to enjoy.

Try your hand at pumpkin carving and lantern decorating, grab a treat (or maybe a trick!) from our Halloween table, and settle in for spooky film screenings, complete with free popcorn. You will also find themed stalls where you can meet some of our friendly support services and discover what they have to offer. Find out more. Two days of spooky fun across campus!

Each issue, we’ll highlight a question from student 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 is one thing you have learned from someone with a different background?

"We are all the same" - ydin55

"Acceptance" - angelicapapageorgiou 

"I recognize that I didn't know much about other countries, history, religion and news" - yukonab719

"Change is necessary and it takes a lot of confidence. Be brave to take the challenges in life" - v___uuu.u 

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

When chimps helped cool the planet Chimpanzees once played a key role in regenerating Africa’s rainforests, effectively helping to cool the planet. Dr Alex Chepstow-Lusty (School of Global Studies; Faculty of Social Sciences) is quoted, explaining that the species acted as the forest’s “proto-gardeners” by dispersing large seeds such as palm oil.

Honeybees Fed Pollen Substitute with Vital Fats Raised More Young Scientists engineered yeast to mimic pollen sterols, boosting honeybee brood production up to 15-fold. Professor Dave Goulson warns artificial diets may threaten floral diversity and wild pollinators. 

Your nose gets colder when you are stressed. A BBC journalist joined a University of Sussex experiment using thermal cameras to track stress, revealing that your nose gets colder when you're under pressure. Professor Gillian Forrester says this “nasal dip” could help researchers study stress in humans and even great apes in a simple, non-invasive way.

• More than just life experience. How work prepared me for uni. Written by Lou Bruce.

• How to manage your time as a student. Written by Serena Cobbinah.
  

October is Black History Month at Sussex here are two standout events in collaboration with the Students' Union:

• NextGen Mentorship (25 October, 11:00am to 2pm) offers expert-led sessions in branding, pitching, and networking, plus exhibition opportunities.

• The Black History Month Trade Fair (30 October) showcases Black-led creators and community projects across campus.

There are some brilliant events happening on campus, including:

•  Push to Play. A celebration of the creative community at the University of Sussex, curated by student collective PATCH.  Thursday 23 October at 7.30pm in the Attenborough Centre for the Creative Arts.

• The history of witchcraft and feminism. A talk by Sussex academic Dr Laura Kounine. Friday 31 October at 1pm in the Attenborough Centre for the Creative Arts.

As of 2025, 18% of staff are from minority ethnic backgrounds, with 69% of those being in academic roles.

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.