The student experience

Junki Nitta

Junki lived on the Falmer campus, but also fell for the charms of the Eastbourne campus, with its residential tranquility and the unspoiled nature of its seafront. Here he is pictured in Tanzania, where he travelled during the Easter undergraduate vacation, and also gathered material for his assignment on the international education/development module. His specialist choice modules were in the social sciences, covering core themes in sociology and comparative studies. Junki enjoyed living in a flat at the Falmer site, within a truly international group of students, from Saudi Arabia, Vietnam, Turkey, Australia, and France He recalls that the ISA year gave him, “lots of new challenges such as managing cultural differences, increased individual responsibility in a new place, but also memorable opportunities”.

As well as Africa, Junki's travels took in France, Belgium, Holland, Poland, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Austria, Italy, Spain and Greece - all, as Junki put it, 'on my doorstep' from Brighton/Gatwick. More local travels - moving between the Falmer and the Eastbourne campus, for instance - gave him regular opportunities for conversational English.

Hitomi Inoue

Hitomi lived on the Falmer campus and is pictured in Westminster, London. She specialised in modules on English literature and language, and particularly enjoyed the way in which at Brighton she could pursue specialist topics at a depth and with a chosen focus, that made her studies more personalised than in the general Waseda curriculum. 'Seminars were very tough', she commented, but also invaluable in improving her spoken English.

A highlight of her time at Brighton was the collective living in the halls of residence, getting to know international students from several other countries as well as the UK. Hitomi also found time, in the undergraduate vacations, to visit Helsinki, St. Petersburg, Paris, Berlin, and Vienna. In summary, Hitomi commented: 'I have really enjoyed the ISA experience at Brighton, especially the chance to study English Language and Literature in a deep and focused way. The closeness to London has been great too. And the impressive beauty of Kew Gardens will live with me all my life. Thorpe Park, on the outskirts of London, was also great fun'.

Hayato Fukuchi

Hayato lived on the Eastbourne campus, in the Welkin Halls, and took specialised modules on the socio-cultural study of sport. Here, he is pictured with his bicycle in Copenhagen, Denmark, during the Easter undergraduate vacation. He found the sociability of the halls particularly valuable, and based himself primarily in Eastbourne. He found the campus and the town to be very welcoming and friendly, and easy access to London allowed him to study the architectural landscape of the city for one of his assignments.

At the end of the study year Hayato cycled from the Alps to the Pyrenees, taking in the spectacle of the Tour de France along the way. Working very successfully at his academic studies, and developing strong English-writing skills, Hayato also warmed to the outside environment, commenting: 'I have enjoyed greatly the tranquility and quiet of Eastbourne, both the town and the university campus. The West Lawns and the coast towards Beachy Head are particularly beautiful, and my memories of the sea and the cliffs will stay with me forever'.