Abstract:

Youngsters in high schools develop different study methods. These might be influenced by the youngster’s background, family situation and previous obtained study results.

Applying these high school study methods on a graduate level might not be as effective as in a high school due to for instance the increased amount of covered material and the higher speed at which the material is taught. As such, students need some time to fine tune their former study methods.

In order to minimize this time to adjust, a client centred typology is elaborated. This typology describes four types of students. For each type of student characteristics and properties are defined. These serve as a starting point for suggesting adequate adjustments to the formerly acquired study methods.

Tutoring –and student coaching in general- as an aid to help students to obtain knowledge is also taken into account as tutoring is an emerging trend in graduate schools. Since each type of student is different, an adjusted approach with respect to tutoring is described.

In conclusion the typology is applied on first year students of the Engineering Faculty of the University of Leuven, Belgium. These students have a wide range of backgrounds and a heterogeneous foreknowledge of mathematics.