Moving to England

[H-Hour]

I got accepted to two schools in England and I'm pretty sure I'll be attending the University of Sussex in Brighton this fall. Is anyone here familiar with the area? I've got some questions:

1. Do you have a recommended method of travel for me to get from London to Brighton? I found National Rail online, but maybe you guys know a better (cheaper) way. I'll probably go straight from the airport unless I stay and hang out with some friends.

2. If I'm going to Sussex, is there a particular area of the city you recommend I look for renting a flat? Maybe somewhere that is within walking distance or has good public transportation to the school? Any tips on how to find available places for rent? I'm looking for a cheap apartment, but I don't want a dorm (ie - just a bed and a sink). I at least want a stove to cook with and a shower that is just for me and any possible roomates (dorms in the U.S. typically have a "group" bathroom on each floor - I don't want that). Beyond that, I'm pretty flexible in terms of living alone or with roommates, or how much space I have. It seems like rent in the U.K. is done by week. Is that right? In the U.S. it's always monthly. Also, are furnished apartments common?

3. What companies do you recommend for internet service? I work online, so I will need to get internet service up and running quickly once I get there.

If any of you Brits have any more tips, that'd be greatly appreciated. Things like where to shop for cheap food, books, etc. I'm 24, so I'm not quite a regular undergraduate student, but I'm not so old just yet.

I'll probably be leaving early September.

[CingularDuality]

Isn't Overlag from Sussex? I'm not sure if it was him, but I'm pretty sure that one of our Britons was from Sussex...

[Just G]

Hi There,

For travelling to Brighton check out this webpage as its from the actual Uni site and will give you directions depending on which airport you arrive at, also coach can be cheaper than train but make sure youre not in a hurry as traffic jams and roadworks can delay this journey considerably !.
Your University webpage has some good links for tourism and also this info for international students.
I looked around at average bedsit/furnished 1 bed flats and they look to be around the £450 mark, with that in mind, if you can afford it you should try and get a 2 bed furnished and find a student to share with, as you will always pay a premium for 1 bed flats here.
Hope this helps a little.
G

[Root]

Originally Posted by CingularDuality

Isn't Overlag from Sussex? I'm not sure if it was him, but I'm pretty sure that one of our Britons was from Sussex...

Last I checked, Overlag is from London. Xink and I are both from Sussex, about an hours train ride from Brighton. I believe there are 1 or 2 others from this neck of the woods.

Sussex is one of the top 30 or so universities in the UK, so it's a good choice. It ranks higher in certain areas, but I'm not an expert on that.

What airport are you coming in to? It it's gatwick, you can catch a train direct and be there in less than an hour (if you catch the right one). The national rail website is fine for figuring out how to get there from whichever airport you're flying in to.

Transport in Brighton is pretty good, as there's more than one bus company. I used to work there, and was astounded to see buses run on time. For travelling further afield, the rail links are pretty decent (less than an hour to London)

For DSL, I'd strongly recommend you take a look at www.adslguide.org as it compares a huge number, and provides details on what's available and at what price. Everything is linked to the ISP's websites for further details.

I'm reasonably local to Brighton, so you're buying the first round

Grab me on IM or email if you want more info!

[Wulfyn]

wow big news H!

i'm not from that area so i'll leave it to the other guys to give you better info

[DudeMan]

overlag is from romford, near me, i cant say i know brighton all that well or sussex i am sorry, but if i were you i would enquire on campus for accomidation, i can only speak from my experience, but the University of East London docklands accomidation is ensuite, you only have a communal kitchen for cooking, although you keep your food in a fridge in your room.... also they will more than likely have a hook-up to the internet as part of the room, certain premises in my uni do...

as for cheap shopping, im afraid you will have to do a bit of quality over price thing.... you can go to safeway, however my experience there is the shop is generally dirty, the food is cheap but no good at all... i shop at tesco, it is cheap, and good quality for the price plus their selection is a hell of alot better, they have all the name brands.... well our name brands, sorry no hershey over here...

if you do go for a private residence, then BT internet by far, it is for me atleast the most reliable i have had, i have been with AOL, deamon, freeserve, and christ knows... but BT is very good...

as for travel, when Riyker came to visit last year he was pleasently surprised with the state of the underground and public transport. personally i hate public transport, but it isnt that bad.... i wouldnt know about transport to sussex, i think the national rail system will be the way... but i dont use it and i dont know... i love my car...

good luck....

want to know anything else let me know... oh please oh please beware of the chavs... they are slightly lower down the evolutionary chain than cave men.... and scientists arestill trying to find inteligence within this group....

chavs = group of likely lads generally clobbered up in burberry... and gold chains, they thing they areacross between eminem and 50 cent. and they take pride in their kitted honda civic or ford escort.

Edit... ok just researchedyour university, and they have old and new buildings... old ones are shared showers... new are not... but they advertise both on and off campus properties around the place... check this out... http://www.sussex.ac.uk/residentialservices/

[Root]

Originally Posted by DudeMan

you can go to safeway, however my experience there is the shop is generally dirty, the food is cheap but no good at all...

You mean they *still* haven't converted them all over to the Morrisons brand? No wonder their shares are in the crapper. If you want cheap, wal-mart own a UK chain called Asda. If you're planning on shopping in brighton, you'll have very little choice, as only 2 of the (worthwhile) major UK supermarkets are present.

[DudeMan]

Originally Posted by Root

You mean they *still* haven't converted them all over to the Morrisons brand? No wonder their shares are in the crapper. If you want cheap, wal-mart own a UK chain called Asda. If you're planning on shopping in brighton, you'll have very little choice, as only 2 of the (worthwhile) major UK supermarkets are present.

now you have got me doubting myself, is it safeway....i only say this because its right down the road from me about a mile... ill check when i drive past next time. doesnt matter morrisons isnt that good either, i tried the one in stratford... its clean.... but it isnt good selection, and it isnt that cheap.... asda isnt bad, but dont expect a walmart... it is anything but, its just owned by walmart... it does not have all the things you guys have in your walmarts... you can buy anything over there i have heard... but they are quite cheap... you are best off doing a weekly in allof them, and then choose.... but the three front runners i would say are tesco, asda and sainsburys. probably in that order in my opinion.

ofcurse you do have the option of having your shopping delivered, which is what i like to do... tesco and sainsbury are both online... and who wants to stand in the que....

anyway..,. good luck H, let us know when you are over.....

[Strag]

Congrats, H! You'll still be playing with us, though, right?