How do the colleges work at Cambridge / Oxford, and how should I decide which college to apply to?

Both Cambridge and Oxford are made up of a number of distinct colleges. A simple comparison would be to think of the fictional houses of Hogwarts.Functionally, most students live within college accommodation, especially in first year, and so it is where you will make most of your initial friends. Colleges also provide places to eat meals (typically in a great hall and/or a college bar) and socialise (in student rooms or in common areas). Many colleges will have a bunch of societies where you can interact with like-minded people (e.g. comedy club, music society, feminist society etc.) and sports teams which will play against the other colleges at a slightly more approachable standard than the main teams of the university. While your lectures will NOT be in your college (they will take place at your subject's department or another location nearby), most of your supervisions/tutorials will take place in your college. These are 1-2 hour sessions between a teacher and a small number of students where you will be able to seek help on problem sheets / essays.All of the colleges are similar, with slight variations in academic success / location / wealth / architecture / size. The main thing is not to panic too much about choosing, because you will love it, wherever you end up . That being said, you may wish to do a bit of research about the different colleges. If academic success matters most to you, you can look at the inter-college league tables (search for "Tompkins Table" for Cambridge or the "Norrington Table" for Oxford). If size matters most, then the college's intake numbers are also visible online - the larger colleges may have more traditions, more money, and more like-minded people, whereas the smaller colleges will be more adaptive, and more intimate. Location can have a profound effect, so have a look at where different colleges are with respect to your department / the main supermarkets / city centre. Note that some colleges will be able to offer affordable accommodation for all years of your studies whereas others may only provide this for first years. Needing to find your own place can be a tad stressful and often means living slightly further away from the centre, but it is also a useful life experience.In the past it has been possible to apply without specifying a college, though I would recommend that you try to pick a particular college which is your favourite.