Fraternities or university brotherhoods are groups of students who share experiences and fun of life in the University. But how do these student societies work? Are there fraternities in Spain?

What ´s a university fraternity?

To understand what a fraternity is, one must look at the etymology of the word. In Latin, frater and sonor mean «brother» and «sister» respectively; For that reason in English the brotherhoods of students receive the name of fraternities and sororities, depending on if its members are boys or girls. And in fraternities students share everything, as brothers. In fact, they are often considered as «brothers of different parents».

What ´s a fraternity at the University?

In Spain we know the world of university fraternities for American cinema. These university student organizations are deeply rooted in American student culture. The fraternities appeared in 1825 with the founding of Kappa Alpha, at the Union College of Schenectady (New York), and since then it has been a tradition to be called with letters of the Greek alphabet.

The fraternities fit perfectly with American society, whose individuals sought forms of association against a socio-economic context marked by a very marked competition. The brotherhoods soon showed their potential to make relationships, establish contacts and allow their members to rely on the unshakable loyalty of their brothers.

Since the emergence of the fraternities, all the presidents and vice-presidents of the United States. Have belonged to some brotherhood, a tradition that broke Obama.

How do fraternities work?

The brotherhoods are organized by chapters, lodges, etc., imitating the structure of secret societies. As in them, the aspirants must undergo an initiatory ritual that in the case of the fraternities often includes jokes and tests (sometimes humiliating), and whose purpose is to get students to surrender, their loyalty to the group, etc.

They usually have secret greetings and passwords that help them identify themselves among former members of different promotions that are not known personally.

In U.S.A. It is very common for fraternities of students to acquire housing in universities, where all the «Greeks» live, as they are often called together.

Some excesses have been criticized, such as the abuse of alcohol or the heavy jokes that are spent on the novices, although the members of the university brotherhoods are dissociated from these practices and usually defend their groups as meeting places among young people wanting to share everything Type of experiences and even projects that go beyond the university period.

Are there brotherhoods of students in Spain?

In our country the existence of university brotherhoods is not consolidated as in American society.

However, there are other forms of university student grouping, such as the Tunas, for example.

And although Spain can not belong to an American fraternity, you can enjoy the best of a brotherhood (avoiding the worst and most criticized of these societies) by sharing your life as a university student with your classmates in a student residence or a college higher.

Students who choose our college residences each year not only share the common areas of our luxury facilities. They also share their life in and out of college, and support each other, forging friendships that will accompany them throughout their lives.

If you are a student and you are looking for accommodation to study in Madrid, take a look at our student flats, which are the best in the Capital. Enjoy the university!