Dv8 Sussex College, University in Brighton, Brighton and Hove

Reviews

1. zentticG live ★☆☆☆☆

   Let me start by saying this: if disappointment were a campus, DV8 College would be the head office. I genuinely don’t understand how a place that claims to be about creativity, media, and professionalism manages to miss the mark so aggressively on almost every possible level. From the moment you walk in, it feels less like a college and more like an afterthought someone shoved into a building and called “education.” First of all, the teachers. Calling them “bad” almost feels generous. A lot of them seem completely checked out, like they’re only there because they have to be, not because they care about teaching, mentoring, or even pretending to inspire students. Lessons feel rushed, half-explained, or straight-up pointless. You’ll ask a question and get either a vague non-answer, a sigh, or something that sounds like they’re reading off a script they barely understand themselves. There’s no passion, no drive, and absolutely no sense that they’re trying to prepare students for the real world. If you’re hoping for guidance, constructive feedback, or teachers who actually know what they’re doing, you’re going to be waiting a long time. And then there’s the login and computer system, which honestly feels like it was designed by someone who hates students. Logging in is a nightmare. Passwords don’t work, systems crash, accounts randomly lock you out, and half the time you’re wasting more of your lesson trying to access basic files than actually learning anything. Nothing flows smoothly. Everything feels outdated, clunky, and broken. For a media-focused college, you’d think basic tech infrastructure would be a priority, but apparently not. It’s embarrassing. Now let’s talk about the building, because wow. This place is literally in a flat. Not a proper campus. Not a professional studio environment. A flat. It feels cramped, awkward, and completely wrong for a college that wants to be taken seriously. There’s no atmosphere of creativity or professionalism—just the constant feeling that you’re somewhere you’re not supposed to be. Walking in doesn’t make you feel motivated or excited; it makes you feel confused, like, “Wait… this is it?” Then there’s the equipment, which is honestly laughable. They only use Canon cameras, and not even the good, professional-level ones you’d expect from a serious media college. Other colleges are out here using industry-standard, high-end professional cameras, lighting rigs, and proper gear that actually prepares students for real jobs. DV8? Nah. You’re stuck with basic Canon cameras that feel more like entry-level YouTuber gear than professional filmmaking tools. How exactly are students supposed to compete in the real world when they’re training with equipment that’s already behind the industry? And the classroom environment? Don’t get me started. You walk into a classroom and immediately see that one kid—you know the type—sitting there thinking he’s the absolute badman . Acting like he’s already famous, already successful, already better than everyone else. Constantly talking, constantly showing off, constantly acting like he’s some kind of creative genius when in reality he’s just loud and annoying. It’s painful to watch, and somehow the teachers just let it happen. No structure. No discipline. Just chaos and ego. The overall vibe of the place is incredibly unprofessional. There’s no sense of standards. No sense of ambition. No feeling that anyone is being pushed to improve or grow. It feels like a place where mediocrity is accepted and effort is optional. If you actually care about learning, developing skills, and being taken seriously in creative industries, this environment will drain your motivation faster than anything else. What makes it worse is the false promise. DV8 College sells itself like it’s some edgy, industry-connected, next-level creative hub. But once you’re actually there, the reality hits hard. There’s no polish. No structure. No professionalism. Just underwhelming teaching, bad systems, weak equipment, and an environment that feels slapped together.

   almost 7 months ago
2. Harriet Fletcher ★★★★★

   This is a fantastic little college that really helped my son on his path to working in the music industry. He found mainstream education challenging and not right for him and the staff at DV8 really understood how he works and learns and I am so grateful that we found them for 6th form. Thanks to DV8, he is now gong to study for a degree in Music and Sound Production.

   almost 11 months ago
3. Phoenix ★★☆☆☆

   I am a previous student here, some of the staff were chill n nice n understood me n the struggles I faced. Other staff were not understanding at all they would just put my behaviour down to me being "bad tempered" "not willing to work" when in reality I struggled to keep up with the work load n the speed of the teacher that was teaching me, n I struggled to ask for help aswell but luckily I had them certain leaning support staff that were able to understand that I needed help without me having to communicate that I needed help.

   1 year ago

1. lolli xx ★★★★☆

   All of the teachers here are so lovely and they offer you a lot of help and support with any issues or problems you may have. Since i have been at this college it has helped me with my anxiety and has made me feel supported and safe. the college have also organised quite a few trips for us to go on which have all been nice. personally my experience here has been the best from any other school/college i have been to and i would recommend coming here if you prefer to not be with a lot of people since it is a small college and the classes don’t have a lot of people.

   almost 4 years ago

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