What Students Say
Likes
- Faculty : Student ratio is healthy
- For masters students, there are minimal number of classes which gives them the opportunity to do/learn many other things
- For PhD students, there is a high level of independence to do their own research or work around their own course structure
Dislikes
- For PG Taught courses, Limited contact hours is both a blessing and a curse. For students who are not used to self-learning (which is most Indian students), it's a huge curse as most of the learning is expected to be through your own research
- For PhD-level courses, the independence comes at a heavy cost which takes a while for students to realize that ownership of their course
- There are far fewer "induction" programs that will help students (particularly international students) get fully integrated into the university. This is less of an administration problem as they keep trying more of a cultural problem on a campus with such diverse set of students. It's almost impossible to feel organised.
Course Curriculum
8
- The difficulty level of my course curriculum is very, very high. It's a combination of more theoretical and practical. Additionally, there is a lot of academic/scientific writing involved. You're expected to make frequent presentations.
- Positive aspects of my course: Lots of independence, no interference of anybody else other than you and your supervisor, flexibility
- Negative aspects of my course : Feels less structured. When you're struck, finding help isn't always easy. It can have a huge toll on you mentally.
- PhD students do not have to attend any classes. Although we can audit any course we like in the uni. Most professors are welcoming. While there are not strict timings, you're expected to work at least 9-6 for 5 days a week. In practice students work an average of 55 hours every week.
- I am not sure if there are any other Indian students in my course in my department. Even in other departments, it's a much smaller number.
Admission Experience
- Since I did not apply for taught courses, my process of applications, interviews, acceptance and rejection is very different from others. I applied to universities across the globe depending on the research project that aligns with my interests and my knowledge.
- I applied to DTU, Deakin, Sussex, Cranfield, Auckland uni, Oklahoma uni etc. I did not continue other interviews after I got an offer letter from Sussex, as I was happy with my supervisor and project at Sussex and didn't want to waste others' time.
- My research project was very interesting. It has a scope to make MRIs very accessible, and it motivated me quite a bit.
- My supervisor seemed like a very considerate guy who is understanding and responsive.
- The university administration was also considerate and communicative
- IELTS eligibility will usually be 6 or 6.5 depending on your course. But recent news is that there might be slightly higher requirements
- Getting funded admissions is not easy. The interviews are fairly challenging and technically deep. Finding the right opportunities that match with your interests is also challenging.
- My admission process – I saw a PhD advert for a project. Reached out to the prof. Got interviewed a few rounds – with presentation. Then there were some admin checks. Then there was the offer letter. Followed by ATAS clearance.
- For PhD students, the process might take about 1-2 months depending on your prof., type of funding, etc. My process is that I reach out to the prof. Professors usually take a week or two to respond depending on their availability. So, the earlier one reaches the better it is. If there is alignment in interests, then an interview will be scheduled generally. Followed by 1-2 rounds of follow-up interviews. Then, if the prof is happy with you, the prof would forward to the admin team. They would do checks and release the offer letter.
- For master's students, the turnaround time is usually quick. Hardly a month.
Faculty
8
- Faculty-to-student ratio is very high in the overall university. This is beneficial because you will be allocated mentors and they will have quality time for you. In my course, we will have a dedicated supervisor who will keep in touch with us on a weekly basis. There is no specific teaching in my course.
- But we learn through discussions, reading groups, book clubs, etc., where there's continuous mutual learning from everyone's experience. No, faculty do not assist in finding jobs for students. Although they might reach out to students if they have funding for any research.
- My supervisor is a nice guy. Very passionate about science and extremely hard-working. I derive a lot of value from his experience.
Campus Life
6
- My uni has only 1 campus. In Brighton. Brighton is a beach city. Summers are beautiful. Very touristy city.
- Campus has a huge library open more than 20 hours on most days. Sports facilities include Badminton, Cricket, Hockey, Tennis, Table Tennis, Gym, Volleyball, Football, basketball and several other sports.
- Although there are some medical facilities on campus, they are run by the NHS (to the best of my knowledge). It's not easy to get an NHS appointment. Even in cases where you have panic attacks, it takes hours for the NHS to treat you. Sometimes, it feels like you're almost by yourself when you are sick. You can't get an appointment for fever or any such ailment for weeks together. This is not a Sussex problem. This is a UK-wide problem. NHS appointment dates are abysmal.
- There are several discrete events that happen on campus for different communities. One World Week and Climate Justice weeks have some interesting stuff. There will generally be a club for every nationality/religion/culture.
- While Indian clubs are generally not well-funded, unlike other clubs which have a lot of continuity and history, it varies from year to year. Every sport will have a club and a college team along with respective practice/coaching hours. You can become a part of Sussex teams.
Part Time Jobs
- For PhD students, Teaching Assistant opportunities will be available during term times. Generally, most PhD students do TA work for 7-8 months a year.
- For master's students, it's very difficult to find Teaching Assistant (TA), Research Assistant (RA), or Departmental Assistant (DA) positions. But they find work sometimes in libraries, co-ops or sports. But hardly 2% of students would find consistent campus jobs.
- Pay range for TA/RA/DA positions – Generally 25% more than minimum wage
- Maximum hours of work allowed = 20, as that's the legal upper limit. It's not very easy to secure on-campus part-time jobs.
- Students usually earn £10-12 per hour. You can find part-time jobs by walk-ins; some online portals are available but walk-ins work the best. There'll be an interview which is fairly easy and they'll see if you have relevant experience. If you already have experience, you'll get a better preference. But finding part-time jobs that suit your requirements is difficult. Mostly, you'll get jobs in eateries.
Placement
2
- Less than 1% (in the case of master's students) of the batch secures employment within 6 months of completing their course. PhD students will go for PostDoc or purse similar opportunities
- For master's graduates, £30,000-40,000. For PhDs, £50,000 is the average salary.
- Hardly 1-2 in a batch of 150-200 got placed in a good company. Market hass not been good in the UK in the last 2-3 years.
Accommodation
Off Campus
8
- I found my accommodation via the uni portal. I stayed on campus. Since I was a late joinee, I did not get uni accommodation right away. There's a massive accommodation crisis in Brighton. It's very difficult to find a place within your budget near to the uni. My recommendation would be to stay on campus if you can afford it.
- While outside might be slightly cheaper, the overall quality of your life reduces, which will affect your studies. At least half the Indian students would live on campus, as it's easier. While campus accommodation is not the cheapest, outside rents are not too cheap either. My rent was £800 per month on average, including bills. Next year might be up by another 15% because of the inflation.
Exams
- IELTS is generally mandatory for PhD courses. Statement of Purpose, 2 Letters of Recommendation and a CV are expected. Along with your other academic scores, project portfolio. In my field, it's a good practice to show some open-sourced projects that you developed. Any volunteering experience definitely adds as a soft skill. Yes. interviews are the basis on which we get an opportunity
Fees
- Usually the tuition fees for taught courses are about £25000 for a 1-year course. Accommodation fees vary from year to year and depending on the accommodation type as well. My accommodation on campus cost me an average of £10000 per year. Brighton is one of the most expensive cities after london. Fees are usually expected in 2-3 instalments.
- Other expenses: Groceries would cost me around £200-400 per month. Bus and transport: £80-100 per month. Takeaways: 50-100, because I would rarely eat outside.
Scholarship
- Yes, I received School Funding (which would not be available for Taught Masters courses)
- Eligibility criteria is a bachelor's degree (but a master's is expected to get a realistic opportunity) unless you have lots of relevant research experience. IELTS – 6 or 6.5. Relevant experience in terms of academic projects or papers or internships. Ability to clear technical interviews.
- Most PhD students will be funded by either the school or some other funding agency. I haven't come across many self-funded students.
- For master's students, there are a good number of scholarships available but they cover about 20-30% of the tuition fee only. Around 2-3% of the students get Chevening scholarships, which cover 100% of fees and offer a handsome stipend.
