Gold rush season is coming. For the uninformed, ‘gold rushing’ is when we collectively clamour to have sex with all the people you’ve failed to in the past or have liked throughout your time at University but never had the opportunity to get freaky with.
What’s it like being a sexually active university student? For some of us, recounting last night’s one night stand to your housemates just doesn’t faze us. It’s just another piece in the puzzle of our tragic existence.
But for others, sex is not an easy topic to broach, especially as we are inundated with messages about young sexual desire every single day. STIs are dirty and taboo. Not being able to get it up means you’re lacking in male prowess. Sleeping with a certain number of people is a reflection of your loose and flaky character. Having a fetish or kink means you’re some sort of social deviant.
Frankly, how much do we know about sex? And how much do we even know about the sex lives of our friends? For all you know, that sweet girl in your seminars could be a phone sex operator, whilst your housemate may be concealing his intense foot fetish.
Her Campus Nottingham decided take a little peek under the sheets and question fourteen anonymous University of Nottingham students about their sex lives, uncovering the good, the embarrassing and the downright delightfully bizarre…
Student #1
Heterosexual female, ‘it’s complicated’.
Number of past sexual partners: 7 or 8. Let’s stick with 8.
Biggest turn on: I guess just someone’s vibes, I know that sounds kind of silly but just the way they act. So you know when someone stands kind of awkward? Yeah, the opposite of that. I couldn’t pin down any kind of physical trait at all.
Biggest turn off: Bad smell and bad teeth.
First time story: In a tent at Reading.
Most embarrassing sexual experience: I try to block them out. For example, I was giving a guy head, I had a cold and a bit of phlegm came out and I had to work hard to get it off.
Have you ever/would you ever consider experimenting with the same sex?: I mean, never say never but probably no, not in a serious way anyway.
Any sex confession of your choosing: I slept with a guy who went to prison for possession of weapons of mass destruction. I only found out afterwards when his friend took me aside and told me ‘there’s something you need to know’.
One word to describe your sex life: I mean, can I do it as an ice cream flavour? Tutti fruitti.
Student #2
Heterosexual male, single.
Number of past sexual partners: 5
Biggest turn on: The way a girl dresses, there’s something that makes a girl so attractive if she’s cool in the way she dresses.
Biggest turn off: When I was having sex with someone recently, she kept calling me ‘baby’ which I found a bit much, especially for a one night stand.
First time story: It was after our GCSE maths exam. We went home, had sex for like 15 minutes. Couldn’t finish and it ended because I got a phone call from my mum.
Most embarrassing sexual experience: My ex was going down on me once and she tried to deep-throat and ended up throwing up on me.
Have you ever/would you ever consider experimenting with the same sex?: No, if I’m honest.
A sex confession of your choosing: I quite like being a little rougher i.e. choking.
One word to describe your sex life: Slow.
Student #3
Heterosexual female, single.
Number of past sexual partners: 9? I did count the other day, I think it was 9.
Biggest turn on: Honesty and confidence? I don’t think there’s anything physical that I could say is a massive turn on.
Biggest turn off: Over-confidence and self-assurance.
First time story: First time was with my long term boyfriend after a year or so. I made him wait a year and then thought ‘yeah, I’m ready for this.’ It was brief. Bit fumbly, as I guess is probably the case for everyone when both partners are virgins.
Most embarrassing sexual experience: I feel like they’ve never been bad for me, more for them…for example, a one night stand after a little bit too much alcohol on his part and he tried his best to get it going and he failed…
Have you ever/would you ever consider experimenting with the same sex?: Probably not, no real reason, I’m just not attracted to people of the same sex. I’m more just curious but not attracted.
Most adventurous place to have had sex: In a tent in a campsite full of people at a Spanish festival.
A sex confession of your choosing: So had sex with a guy the other day. Totally had a tampon in. Had to fish that one out afterwards.
One word to describe your sex life: Can I go for two? Emotionally barren.
Student #4
Homosexual male, single (forever).
Number of past sexual partners: No idea what the exact number is, but I think around 60ish.
Biggest turn on: I have one filthy one and one less so. The first is going bareback (without a condom) and the latter is when someone breathes into your ear.
Biggest turn off: When anal goes wrong. You can imagine.
First time story: My first ‘thing’ with a boy – started in year 9 when we’d go to his house after we had Latin last period (I know, I’m ridiculously middle class). This happened over a couple of years. We’d go back to his and watch straight porn together, because neither of us were out. At first, we did it with our chairs facing away from each other so it wasn’t ‘gay’. Then we got a bit more complacent and just did it next to each other, and it evolved into ‘helping each other out’. Then we eventually tried oral and it was probably year 11 when we first tried anal, but didn’t have a clue what we were doing. It was not a pleasant experience.
Most embarrassing sexual experience: Me and this guy were having sex once when we were both really drunk, and we had to stop halfway so he could run to the toilet and throw up. But don’t worry – we continued like half an hour later.
Have you ever/would you ever consider experimenting with the opposite sex?: I’ve kissed quite a lot of girls but I have zero interest in doing anything else.
A sex confession of your choosing: I have a friend at home, who has a younger brother who knows I’m gay, and he found my number on her phone and started texting me. About a week later, he lost his virginity to me in the back of my car. She has no idea. Younger, but still of legal age, I should point out.
One word to describe your sex life: Twinky.
Student #5
Heterosexual(ish) female, in a relationship.
Number of past sexual partners: 4
Biggest turn on: Probably the guy taking control. Not BDSM type but like, you know.
Biggest turn off: A guy who isn’t confident. Fake it till you make it. If the guy isn’t confident, it makes you feel less confident. But if you’re overly confident or arrogant, it’s such a turn off to me, even if you’re super sexy.
First time story: So, my first time wasn’t my first time. We were both so nervous, he couldn’t get it up and then his little brother knocked on our door so we gave up. The second time when it actually worked, we waited for his family to leave the house and then did it, nothing special or romantic or particularly horrifying, just PG vanilla missionary. But I waited until I was with someone I really cared about and who cared about me and that was really important to me. And we were each other’s first time, which was also important for me.
Most embarrassing sexual experience: I gave a guy a blowjob in a car. I was extremely drunk. He was not. I felt pressure and ashamed of myself and it completely ruined the dynamic of our relationship. Girls should never feel pressured into a situation, you always have the right to say no without fear of repercussions. I was lucky in the fact that the guy kind of respected the fact that I was embarrassed and didn’t spread it round or anything like that but I think, knowing my state of intoxication, he shouldn’t have even put me in that position. I think the good thing is that I’ve learned from it and have gown and learned my own power in situations, so although it was a mistake, I’m not necessarily regretful.
Have you ever/would you ever consider experimenting with the same sex?: Sure, I have kissed girls before. I don’t really like the idea of vaginas though, so I guess that’s a hindrance. But I’m not opposed to the idea.
A sex confession of your choosing: I once had to get a taxi home with a guy I’d slept with and the girl he was taking home that night and walk with them back to our block, where he was going to sex her. Lol.
One word to describe your sex life: Fiery.
Student #6
Heterosexual female, single.
Number of past sexual partners: I think 15
Biggest turn on: Ooo hard one, I like my butt being grabbed and bitten.
Biggest turn off: During sex, it’s when they can’t finger. In general, when they’re like a roadman.
First time story: Me and this guy had been flirting for a while. And then he invited me round to his and we went to Crisis. One thing led to another, he came to my room, his friend left and we had sex. I don’t really get the hype, I just felt a bit full with it in me.
Most embarrassing sexual experience: He had a tiny penis and I couldn’t stop laughing.
Have you ever/would you ever consider experimenting with the same sex? Deffo wanna try but I don’t know who with.
A sex confession of your choosing: I love bondage and used a sex swing…
One word to describe your sex life: Non-existent.
Student #7
Heterosexual male, dating.
Number of past sexual partners: 4
Biggest turn on: Wet hair, I don’t know why.
Biggest turn off: Maybe smelly breath, but it has to be really bad, i.e. haven’t brushed their teeth in a week.
First time story: So, we were in a bit of a strange relationship, her parents didn’t know about me so we had very limited opportunity to do anything like that. Eventually, she rings me up on the phone and says she wants to do it tomorrow, so I was very nervous. The next day, we went shopping for condoms and then went back to mine. My parents were in but I think we both just really wanted to do it at that point so we didn’t mind. We were going at it for half an hour then my mum comes upstairs and knocks on the door saying ‘I’ve got a story to tell you’ and then I was like ‘can it wait?’ It feels like she opened the door so slowly, it was horrifying, she walks in with a plate of meringues and raspberries. We just lay there, I don’t think we even moved or anything, we just lay there and it was horrible.
Most embarrassing sexual experience: A girl I went out with never orgasmed, she always just reached the verge. And her eyes would roll back to show the whites of her eyes which would kind scare me and I’d end up laughing.
Have you ever/would you ever consider experimenting with the same sex? I don’t really know, it’s not something I’ve thought about massively. I guess so, yeah.
A sex confession of your choosing: I get a bit of a semi when I dry my hair.
One word to describe your sex life: Nervous.
Stay tuned for part 2…