Peer tutoring and choosing an academic course of studies: a case study at the university of Padua

The transition from high school to the university is one of the most crucial moments in the life of a young student in view of the important decisions that must be made including and most importantly the choice of the course of studies to follow (Álvarez, Bizquerra, & al., 2007; Santana Vega, 2009; Bertagna G., Puricelli E., 2008). Together with the University of Padova's Tutoring Service, the Counselling Center organizes a variety of activities every year including meetings open to high school students called "Open Day" aiming to reinforce the continuity between secondary school and the university system. Here we present the experience of Open Day proposed by the Tutoring Service of the Teacher Education Programme of the University of Padova. It is the Junior Tutors, students of the second-cycle degree course of studies who have already completed a large part of their academic journey, who actually carry out the initiative by holding information counselling workshops for small groups of students interested in the degree courses being offered. The added value of this experience can be found in the "au pair" relationship that develops between the expert student (the Tutor) and the novitiate one under the supervision of teaching professors. On the one hand, these encounters facilitate exchange and the active participation of all those involved, and, on the other, they reinforce the Tutors themselves encouraging them to become autonomous and efficient (Croce & Gnemmi, 2003). The research falls within the context of a larger Project (STPD08HANE_005) promoted by the University aiming to analyze current developments and trends in higher education and to serve as a guide to students as they face new challenges and to help them achieve success in their studies.