College family (university)

A college family is an informal and traditional student support system at some universities in the United Kingdom, including the University of Cambridge, University of Oxford, and Durham University. In this system, older students pair up and "marry" to provide guidance to new students, known as their "college children", entering the university. "Children" are allocated by their college to whom prospective "parents" indicate their readiness to "adopt" beforehand.

The tradition helps new students acclimate to university life, offering them advice on academic, social, and practical matters. The "parents" are usually responsible for organizing social events and being a point of contact for their "children" throughout their first year. "Spouses" can also provide support to each other.

Typically "parents" can only adopt in their later years of studies, but students tend to form "marriages" already in their first year. Over the years, various rituals and rules have developed, such as engagement parties and the taboo against romantic involvement with one's "college spouse."

A typical college family consists of two "parents" and three to four "children", although group marriages can also exist. The family tree can be extended to include "siblings," "grandparents," "aunts" and "uncles". Some positions within student societies are "hereditary," such as the Antisocial Secretary at Queen's College, Oxford.