Freshers Week 2012 was crammed full of big-name events, small-scale socials, society tasters, sports trails and induction talks. As the clouds and rain of Autumn descend on the Sussex campus, we take a look back at the sunny week that was.

"We wanted something for everyone"

"One of the reasons I stood for election as Activities Officer was to make Freshers Week more exciting and fun.

"We tried to make sure there was something for everyone; whether it was partying with new friends to big names like Huw Stephens and Jakwob, trying something different like barn dancing or riding the waves of the surf simulator at Monday Funday.

"We also put on special events for postgraduates, mature students, student parents and those living off campus as well as ensuring the week involved family-friendly events and alcohol-free events.

"I've been working with Union staff and the other elected officers for months and months getting Freshers Week ready. I’d like to thank everyone for taking part and making this week one of the most memorable ones of my life.

"I had an incredible week, meeting new students and working with an amazing team of volunteers who were always on hand to make sure everything ran smoothly. I hope you had an unforgettable week too and make sure to look out for the rest of the events throughout the year!"

Richard Mashiter, Students' Union Activities Officer

Tell us what you made of Freshers Week 2012 in our short survey.

We've collected our favourite tweets and photos from the week, check them out at storify.com/USSU

We've got photos from lots of our events plus some behind-the-scenes pictures on our Facebook page at facebook.com/thestudentsunion

Freshers Week in numbers

250 Gold Tickets sold in 24 hours 

200 stalls at the Freshers Fair

100s of tweets including the #sussexfreshers hashtag (we lost count after 350)

1,600 people at our sell-out Welcome Sunday Party

172 students interviewed for jobs in our shops and bars and 60 recruited

22,877 transactions at the Co-operative, Bramber House

531 burgers & 5,253 pints of beer sold at East Slope Bar

563 burgers and 897 hot drinks served at Falmer Bar

800 members of our official Freshers Facebook group

1 light-up peacock at Welcome Sunday Party

135 crates of donated items claimed from the Free Shop

1,618 people signed up to the Freshers newsletter

0 raindrops during the week (though the sports trials weren't so lucky!)

Missed it?

Don't worry if you missed our events, we've got more coming up this term and we're selling tickets to Shakedown Festival (and they're cheaper than buying them from elsewhere!)

You can also find out more about our sports clubs and societies online so don't panic if you missed the Freshers Fair. Just browse our lists of sports clubs and societies and contact them directly to find out when and where you can meet them.

Finding it hard to settle in at Sussex?

It can feel like everyone else is having a great time and making lots of new friends whilst you're still struggling to get used to university life and meeting people. Some people take a little longer than others to find new friends so don't panic!

The University's Student Life Centre offers these top tips for settling in:

• Try to relax and be yourself. It is important to strike a balance between trying new things and being adventurous, and also being aware of what is comfortable for you.
• Pace yourself - you don't have to be social all the time. It's good to have a night in now and again.
• Go to all the teaching sessions so you get to know other people on your courses. After lectures/seminars, see if anyone wants to have a coffee or lunch. 

They also suggest getting involved in Students' Union activities as a great way to meet new people and keep yourself busy - advice we'd definitely agree with! We have lots of sports clubs and societies plus you can volunteer on campus with us or in the local community. Take a look around our website to find out more.

You can contact the University's Student Life Centre if you want to chat to someone about feeling homesick and your well-being. They have the answers to some commonly asked questions about settling in on their website

Struggling with something?

We've got lots of advice and tips online on the following topics (amongst others) plus you're always welcome to get in touch with our professional Advice & Representation Centre for free, confidential advice.

• Academic advice - including transferring to another course or university
• Housing advice - including finding somewhere to live and dealing with a dodgy property
• Money advice - including budgeting and funding you're entitled to
• Sex, drugs & alcohol advice - including where you can pick up free condoms
• Wellbeing advice - including how to stay healthy and safe and cope with stress
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• We also have online advice for particular groups of students such as part-time students and students with families.
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• >> Check out all of our online advice

The University also has a list of useful contacts on a range of topics including careers, writing and support.