Noise

Most of Witney campus is quiet.

There are no bells, and most people go to town at lunch time. This means there are not too many people around.

It is okay to wear headphones around the campus. Lots of people do this.

Places that can get noisy:

• The social area
• The bench outside of Queen Emma

There are lots of paths and green space at college.

Light and visual information

Most of the lights are shielded. This means the light spreads out more, and they are not really bright to look at. Most of them fade on when you press the light switch - they don't flick on at once. I have not seen any that flicker. Some of the old interactive whiteboards did flicker, but all or almost all of them have been replaced now.

The college computers run Windows 11. You can change any of the settings, and turn on screen filters if you want to.

There are bright displays and posters in some parts of the college. You can choose where to sit in most classes, which can help to avoid distractions.

Crowds and space

Where there are hallways, they are not too busy.

Because there aren't big long hallways, there aren't many crowds. Different classes have breaks at different times, so it is not like everyone is moving at once.

Where there are hallways, they are wide enough to move around without bumping into anyone.

If it is a sunny day, there might be more people outside. You can walk through the car park if you want to avoid this.

Lanyards

At college, you have to keep your lanyard with you. This can be a bad sensory experience for some people. Lots of people clip it to their top or put it in their pocket with the end sticking out. That is okay, as long as people can see that you have a lanyard.

Smoking and vaping

Some people smoke or vape at college. You are only allowed to do this in fenced off area on the grass. People almost always follow this rule.

Predictability

You can choose where you sit in most classes. People usually sit in the same seat every time.

Sometimes there are room changes. Ocassionally, a class might get cancelled. You may also be sent home early if there is nothing to do. If you are sent home early, you can normally stay in the classroom if you want to. Some people do this if their bus will not come for a while.

The green room is always open in college hours.

Finding your way around

The campus is not too big, and it is organised in a way that makes sense to me. You probably will only be in a few classrooms and one or two buildings, so you don't have to know where everything is.

All the buildings have signs on them, and there are signs around the campus. Most of the buildings have toilets in them, including accessible ones. Finding step-free access or lifts is also not too hard, in my experience.

If you get given a room number, there's a way to work out where to go. For example, this is how you would know where room CH107 was:

Try not to worry too much about this, someone will show you where to go on your first day.

If you are worried about finding your way around, going to an open day can help. You could also ask about doing a tour to help with the transition.

You can always ask at reception if you need help or don't know where something is. Anyone wearing a black lanyard is a member of staff, and you can ask them too.