Societies, sport and social: uni life outside class

Studying is very important but there’s much more to university life than lectures and seminars. We talked to some of our students and asked them to share their extra-curricular choices – from sports to politics, ecology and charity work.

Park life at Brighton uni

As an international student of University of Brighton, ‘park life‘ the sport and physical activity programme, has always been a really nice option to play any sport and interact with new people from different courses. This opportunity is extremely flexible, as it is for recreation and can be joined by anyone. Getting associated with sports clubs gives a lot of exposure to the students in terms of making new friends, training with them, socialising, keeping your physical and mental health in a good state. I would highly recommend every prospective student to join clubs, societies or engage in park life to have a cheerful uni life.
Ketan Srivastva, Physical education

Ecology and charity work

I am a member of the Ecological Society, which is absolutely wonderful. We can share so much knowledge. My favourite thing so far was a camping trip to Knepp Estate – we saw so many amazing animals. Societies are a great way to gain transferable skills like communication, organisation and leadership. I’m a charity and fundraising officer for Brighton Debating Society and ran a five-hour charity radio show raising money for the mental health charity Mind. It was a lot of hard work, but the payoff was more than worth it!
Seniz Mustafa, Ecology and conservation

Become a Brighton uni student ambassador

Being a student ambassador has been the best thing I’ve done so far at the university. It’s giving me a taster of what different things are like in the working world, so I’m gaining lots of experience which I wouldn’t have had the opportunity to access otherwise. I’ve become a lot more confident, and I have been given so many incredible opportunities. I took part in an Open Mic event, and it was a really fun and social event which helped me get to know people on my course. I was also able to showcase my own work in front of an audience, which was nerve wracking but rewarding.
Angelica Blake-Lawson, English literature and creative writing

Join Brighton Panthers

Trying new things and getting out of my comfort zone has been the best part of my university experience so far. I joined the Jiu-Jitsu club in my first week; I’d never done any martial arts before, but I watched a video at their freshers’ fair stall and was hooked. By second year, I’d become the president of the club! I also joined the archery and climbing clubs. The Brighton Panthers sport club membership covers multiple clubs, so it makes sense to try out new sports to get the best value out of your membership. Most of the friends I’ve made at uni have come from the clubs and societies I’ve joined, so it’s really worth doing.
Eva Martin, Pharmacy

Get into politics at uni

I knew I wanted to be part of a society while in university, and Brighton offers plenty to choose from. In year two, I joined the Socialist Society, which has helped me meet some amazing people with similar passions to my own and provided an excellent outlet to express what I believe in. Getting out of a heavy work cycle every week has also been excellent for my mental health, it’s so important to take time out for something you enjoy.
Rose Astill-Dunseith, Globalisation: History, Politics & Culture

Women in Business

Recently I have joined Women in Business Society and I am Vice President Social. I got this opportunity by joining another meeting with the University of Brighton in which I met the president of the society. She spoke to me about the society and I decided to join. I have always believed that showing up is the most important thing. You always learn something new by participating events and activities.
Anxhela Shaholli, Accounting and finance

Join a uni sports team

The university offers so many courses and an endless list of sports and societies, so you are bound to meet friends for life through similar interests and hobbies. I was fortunate enough to be part of the hockey team throughout my time at university. Travelling to different universities, enjoying socials and going on tour with the team are experiences that I will never forget.
Chris Hunter, Civil engineering