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The discussion of students' initial encounters in this paper is based upon data from a research project funded by the ESRC as part of the Teaching and Learning Research Programme (TLRP) extension to Wales programme. The research investigated the experiences of 'Learning and Working in Further Education Colleges in Wales' and followed the learning journeys of both students and teachers over two years (2005-2007). The analysis of students' journals, observational data and initial interviews suggests that crossing the threshold of a further education college is not a straightforward action. Those transferring directly from secondary school or who had briefly left formal education, for employment or perhaps for early parenthood, reported feelings of discontinuity. Older returners to study described anxieties and self-doubt about their capacity to learn. Using the voices and texts of its research participants, the paper is able to illustrate the ways in which students make sense of their initial experiences in further education.