Top 10 most read National Student articles of 2013
7th January 2014
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2013 on The National Student saw everything from Example abusing students via the medium of twitter (“your profile pic should be on the front cover of the brochures at mental asylums”) to endless questions about the fate of fictional French zombies to a blacklash against the supposedly popular student pastime of clubbing.
There are a number of things that make a potentially viral article – reliability to life, ease of reading (leading to increased sharing) and hints of scandal are just a few examples. Sometimes it’s as easy as catching on to a current conversation and arranging your words succinctly enough that you fly to the stop of the Google search pile as soon as you hit publish.
We’d like to think our student writers managed a little bit of all of the above last year, and more.
So, what was our most popular article of last year? Was it the tale of Exeter’s now infamous Elina Desaine, who was in November ‘crowned’ as the UK’s Horniest Student by the lovely people over at Shag at Uni? Was it when we reported on a room full of puppies being brought in to ward off exam stress for the lucky students of Aberdeen? Or was it when we got bored of reading about Oxbridge dominating every academic chart that has ever existed and instead decided to report on the naming and shaming of the country’s WORST university?
There are some anomalies in the list, we have to say. But sometimes it’s the weird ones that work. So, in ascending order, here are our most read articles of last year...
10. 10 reasons to go on Erasmus
Not being in the UK for a year? Sunshine? The FOOD? These are the things that immediately spring to mind when we think about studying abroad. We don’t know if any of them were on the list that Monika Komar created for us in May, but we’re sure her points were good too. And so, presumably, did the 1,664 of you who clicked the all-important ‘like’ button.
9. Comment: Why I've stopped pretending I like clubbing
We’ve all been on a night out in a rubbish club, where the people around us are sweaty/drunk/unaware of personal space and the music is tinny and honestly, why are we still doing this to ourselves? Eleanor Brimelow took a stand against the expected student pastime of endless nights out in February (“It’s this sense of obligation that cattle prods many students out the door”) and you agreed in your thousands.
8. And Britain's Horniest Student is...
Oh, Elina – what did you do? Many of you asked this question. Many also derided Ms. Desaine for everything from her looks to her moral choices. Many, in return, stuck up for her right to do whatever the hell she liked. Debate raged. She left twitter. Exeter thought about taking disciplinary action. Shag at Uni failed to respond to our persistent requests for comment. As is the nature of the internet, people continued to read the article.
7. 'Puppy room' to relieve exam stress at University of Aberdeen
Aberdeen University won at student happiness this year when it brought in a room full of puppies purely for student stress relief at exam time. We were left questioning why we didn’t go there, and also why every other university in the country didn’t take up the puppy scheme.
6. Say hello to Mr Balls, the world's weirdest mascot
Indeed, which is? Many, many people wanted to know – far more, we predict from statistics, than wanted to know which uni was the country’s best. We aren’t going to tell you the answer though; you’ll have to click on the link for that.
4. The Returned: 8 Unanswered Questions
Why can’t they get over the bridge? Is Lena dead? Are they all? SO MANY questions, and NONE of them were resolved. Arghhh.
3. Example abuses students after Graduation Ball bail
Example made a big PR mistake when he pulled out of Southampton University’s Graduation Ball in June, not least because he followed it up by verbally attacking annoyed students on twitter and comparing his no-show to students skipping lectures. Because, you know, that’s the same thing. Bad move, Example. Or, as we’d prefer for you now to be known because you’re essentially just getting told off, Elliot John Gleave.
2. Top 10 Croatian festivals to check out in 2013
Everyone was looking towards Eastern Europe for their summer festival plans in 2013. Look out for an updated guide to 2014’s best Croatian festivals on The National Student later this year.
1. Steamy video leaked from Exeter University Safer Sex Ball
And now, the number one most read article of 2013: it’s that time one couple just couldn’t keep their hands (and other parts) off each other and were subsequently caught having what appeared to be full sex on CCTV at Exeter’s Safer Sex Ball. The event was later cancelled in (over)reaction to the scandal. Touché, we say.
There you have it – the top articles of last year. So, well done, writers of The National Student. May you continue to dream up, create, discuss and share more of the same in 2014.
There are a number of things that make a potentially viral article – reliability to life, ease of reading (leading to increased sharing) and hints of scandal are just a few examples. Sometimes it’s as easy as catching on to a current conversation and arranging your words succinctly enough that you fly to the stop of the Google search pile as soon as you hit publish.
We’d like to think our student writers managed a little bit of all of the above last year, and more.
So, what was our most popular article of last year? Was it the tale of Exeter’s now infamous Elina Desaine, who was in November ‘crowned’ as the UK’s Horniest Student by the lovely people over at Shag at Uni? Was it when we reported on a room full of puppies being brought in to ward off exam stress for the lucky students of Aberdeen? Or was it when we got bored of reading about Oxbridge dominating every academic chart that has ever existed and instead decided to report on the naming and shaming of the country’s WORST university?
There are some anomalies in the list, we have to say. But sometimes it’s the weird ones that work. So, in ascending order, here are our most read articles of last year...
10. 10 reasons to go on Erasmus
Not being in the UK for a year? Sunshine? The FOOD? These are the things that immediately spring to mind when we think about studying abroad. We don’t know if any of them were on the list that Monika Komar created for us in May, but we’re sure her points were good too. And so, presumably, did the 1,664 of you who clicked the all-important ‘like’ button.
9. Comment: Why I've stopped pretending I like clubbing
We’ve all been on a night out in a rubbish club, where the people around us are sweaty/drunk/unaware of personal space and the music is tinny and honestly, why are we still doing this to ourselves? Eleanor Brimelow took a stand against the expected student pastime of endless nights out in February (“It’s this sense of obligation that cattle prods many students out the door”) and you agreed in your thousands.
8. And Britain's Horniest Student is...
Oh, Elina – what did you do? Many of you asked this question. Many also derided Ms. Desaine for everything from her looks to her moral choices. Many, in return, stuck up for her right to do whatever the hell she liked. Debate raged. She left twitter. Exeter thought about taking disciplinary action. Shag at Uni failed to respond to our persistent requests for comment. As is the nature of the internet, people continued to read the article.
7. 'Puppy room' to relieve exam stress at University of Aberdeen
Aberdeen University won at student happiness this year when it brought in a room full of puppies purely for student stress relief at exam time. We were left questioning why we didn’t go there, and also why every other university in the country didn’t take up the puppy scheme.
6. Say hello to Mr Balls, the world's weirdest mascot
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Indeed, which is? Many, many people wanted to know – far more, we predict from statistics, than wanted to know which uni was the country’s best. We aren’t going to tell you the answer though; you’ll have to click on the link for that.
4. The Returned: 8 Unanswered Questions
Why can’t they get over the bridge? Is Lena dead? Are they all? SO MANY questions, and NONE of them were resolved. Arghhh.
3. Example abuses students after Graduation Ball bail
Example made a big PR mistake when he pulled out of Southampton University’s Graduation Ball in June, not least because he followed it up by verbally attacking annoyed students on twitter and comparing his no-show to students skipping lectures. Because, you know, that’s the same thing. Bad move, Example. Or, as we’d prefer for you now to be known because you’re essentially just getting told off, Elliot John Gleave.
2. Top 10 Croatian festivals to check out in 2013
Everyone was looking towards Eastern Europe for their summer festival plans in 2013. Look out for an updated guide to 2014’s best Croatian festivals on The National Student later this year.
1. Steamy video leaked from Exeter University Safer Sex Ball
And now, the number one most read article of 2013: it’s that time one couple just couldn’t keep their hands (and other parts) off each other and were subsequently caught having what appeared to be full sex on CCTV at Exeter’s Safer Sex Ball. The event was later cancelled in (over)reaction to the scandal. Touché, we say.
There you have it – the top articles of last year. So, well done, writers of The National Student. May you continue to dream up, create, discuss and share more of the same in 2014.
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