The ‘comfy slippers’ of university as places of safety

Þorsteinsson, Jakob Frímann and Leather, Mark (2025) The ‘comfy slippers’ of university as places of safety. BERA Blog.

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Abstract

For students who are the first in their family to attend university, the transition involves navigating uncharted territory. Students often transform university spaces, initially impersonal and daunting, into ‘places’ of comfort and belonging. Unlike ‘spaces,’ which are neutral, ‘places’ are infused with meaning and attachment, providing both safety and identity (Tuan, 1977). Although university might seem an unwelcoming place for some from working-class or otherwise disadvantaged backgrounds (see Woolsey & Major-Smith, 2025), for others, it can provide a vital refuge from challenging home environments. In this blog post, we draw on the testimonies of four first-in-family students[1] – participants from the Far away from the ivory tower research project to illustrate how universities might provide more than academic opportunities.

Item Type:	Article
Depositing User:	Ms Raisa Burton
Date Deposited:	27 Nov 2025 10:45
Last Modified:	27 Nov 2025 10:45
URI:	https://marjon.repository.guildhe.ac.uk/id/eprint/18049

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