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Top TU Articles of 2017

By Craig OCallaghan

Updated December 18, 2017 Updated December 18, 2017

In London this Christmas? Here are some things to do

Wherever you live in the world, 2017 has been one hell of a year. In the US, the first year of Donald Trump’s presidency has sparked several high-profile protests and a near-constant stream of revelations about connections between his team and Russian influencers. The UK has had to contend with turning Brexit into a reality; France, Germany, the Netherlands and many other European countries have had significant elections; hurricanes and natural disasters have devastated Puerto Rico, Mexico, Bangladesh and more.

In short, it’s OK to be slightly relieved that Christmas is nearly here, and that in a couple of weeks we’ll be able to say goodbye to 2017. Before we jump into 2018 though, let’s take a look back at some of the biggest stories on TopUniversities from the last 12 months.

January

Way, way back at the start of the year, most of you were preparing for exams and already beginning to cast one eye towards the future. Perhaps it’s with your New Year’s Resolutions in mind that so many of you read, liked and shared our piece on the 7 Essential Skills Every Graduate Needs in 2017. Whatever the reason, hopefully you’ve spent the last year brushing up on your coding and foreign languages.

February

February saw the launch of the QS Best Student Cities 2017 ranking, with Montreal coming out on top ahead of Paris and London. Unsurprisingly, this result had plenty of readers talking, especially as there was a different champion in our rundown of the Top 10 Student Cities – According to Students! Either way, the message to take away from it seems to be move to Canada.

March

Another month and another ranking, with the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2017 published in March. Now featuring 46 different subjects, as well as rankings for five different subject areas, this is arguably the largest ranking we publish and there were plenty of eye-catching stories to celebrate in it.

Nothing, however, caught our reader’s attentions quite like developments in the US however, where Donald Trump tried (and initially failed) to implement a travel ban affecting citizens of several Muslim-majority nations. Unsurprisingly, Universities Around the World Criticize Trump’s New Travel Ban, although that hasn’t stopped it from being implemented in a reduced format.

April

Easter break arrived in April this year for most students, and although the summer exam period was getting nearer and nearer, it seemed most readers were keen to pretend they were literally anywhere else. Most of our popular stories from this month centered on the experiences of students in different countries, providing readers with a glimpse of what it’s like to study in a foreign country. By far and away the most popular of these was Sopiko Beriashvili’s article on Eight Magical Things to Know About Studying in Venice.

May

For the first time ever, we published our annual QS World University Rankings in June, a move which was already gaining plenty of attention from readers in May. With the release of the 2018 ranking a matter of weeks away, everyone wanted to know What to Expect from the QS World University Rankings 2018.

Meanwhile, on campus, exams started in earnest, leaving plenty of readers keen for information about revision aids or tips on improving their mental health.

June

After all the anticipation of May, summer arrived in June and so did the 2018 edition of the QS World University Rankings. Understandably, most of this month’s popular articles were to do with this year’s results which saw Massachusetts Institute of Technology once again named the best university in the world. For a complete overview, check out the Top Universities in the World 2018.

July

With summer in full flow and exams a distant memory, July was a month for heart-warming stories about graduating grandmothers and scholarship winners overcoming the odds to study at their chosen university. Of all the stories from this month, nothing grabbed people’s attention quite like the story of the QS Leadership Scholarship: 2017 Winner Neelofar Rahimi, who overcame being shot and losing her brother en route to studying in the US.

August

Around the world, August brought with it the end of holidays, exam results and nervous first-years preparing for their first few weeks at university. As well as looking for information on how to prepare for university, readers also spent this month researching their options for the future, whether it be the pros and cons of studying a master’s degree or the Best Business Schools in the US in 2017.

September

Graduate employability was the focus on TU this September, with the QS Graduate Employability Rankings 2018 published towards the start of the month. That wasn’t the only big rankings story though. Elsewhere, University of Oxford Tops the Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2018.

October

For new students, October is the month when university really begins to feel like home. It helps that, in most countries, October ends with a series of alcohol-fueled, fancy dress nights out to celebrate Halloween. Fortunately, there was nothing scary to be found in the QS World University Rankings by Region 2018, which were also published this month. Arguably the biggest headline to come out of it was that Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile is the Best University in Latin America.

November

November saw us go rankings-mad, with not just one ranking or two but three, including the completely brand-new QS World University Rankings: Business Masters Rankings 2018 and QS World University Rankings: Global MBA Rankings 2018. Understandably, these drew a lot of attention, especially the Top 10 Universities for Master’s in Business Analytics Degrees. We also published this year’s BRICS ranking, a run-down of the best universities in Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.

December

All of that brings us to December, AKA right now. The month may only be halfway done but we’ve already consumed more mince pies than we can handle and seen plenty of exciting articles grab the attention of our readers. With everyone just counting down the hours until Father Christmas comes, it’s really no surprise that our most popular piece has been a quiz asking the only question that matters at this time of year: How Christmassy Are You?

In London this Christmas? Here are some things to do

This article was originally published in December 2017 .

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Written by

Craig OCallaghan

As Head of Content, Craig is responsible for all articles and guides published across TopUniversities and TopMBA. He has nearly 10 years of experience writing for a student audience and extensive knowledge of universities and study programs around the world.

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