Journeying through in-betweentimes and spaces: exploring commuter students’ practices of, andstrategiesfor,universityengagement.

Emma Wainwright

This research considered the journeying through ‘inbetween’ times and spaces experienced by university commuter students. Drawing on the geographies of students and geographical mobilities literatures, we explored the embodied and affective processes of journeying between home and university, and the impact of this on university engagement.

Journeying is marked by both students’ assertions of agency and socio-economic position which shape their practices and strategies for engaging with university. The research was based on questionnaires with 117 commuter and 98 noncommuter students, depth-interviews with ten commuter students, and completed journey photo diaries.

Our stories of journeying are mediated by the particular local geography of Brunel's campusbased university and demonstrate the reproduction of social class advantage for non-commuting students.