The transition from high school to higher education is a process that occurs in young people who are in a period of development characterized by large and rapid changes in terms of their identity and self-concept. Chickering's psychosocial theory (1969, cit. by Ferreira & Neto, 2000; Chickering & Reiss, 1993) has been one of the most frequently referred in literature to help to understand youngsters who attend higher education, because it supports the interconnection between youth development and academic environment, presenting a systemic view of the transition. Thus, according to Chickering (1969, cit. by Ferreira & Neto, 2000; Chickering & Reiss, 1993), young adults entering higher education face two challenges: on the one hand, the development of identity and intimacy and, on the other hand, the changing environment, challenges fully interconnected.

Higher education is assumed as a completely new context that requires, on the part of students, the adoption of coping strategies to deal with the challenges adaptively. In our country, this cycle of studies is characterized by circumstances that make it, in addition to stimulant, often adverse. In fact, in Portugal, as in other European countries, students have to face, first, very restrictive access conditions and, second, an institution that demands autonomy, especially in terms of learning process, which in most cases, is not properly stimulated. Beyond these aspects, there is that often students that enter higher education are not received in a personalized manner, experiencing feelings of abandonment and isolation.

Taking into account the previous aspects, it is generally accepted that the academic context is characterized by a set of experiences that are both challenging and potentially stressful (Santos & Almeida, 2000). Thus, it urges to invest in the creation of support measures for students, not only to promote the construction of vocational projects, but also to prepare them to deal with the personal and contextual changes associated with this transition, fostering its adjustment and psychological well being (Azevedo, 2005).

The increasing attention that many universities within the European higher education context have given to tutoring illustrates precisely the universities concerns to respond to the changing needs of the institutions and their students. In the national context, the Portuguese Catholic University provides tutoring to supplement its educational and formative response, being the model of action set by each faculty, course, and even teachers. However, given the importance of this service, tutoring is to be a formative and intentional activity, which focuses on the integral development of the student, with clear objectives (Mundina, 2009).

So, in order to develop a tutoring program which addresses the needs of students in the first cycle of psychology, we intend in this study:

1 - To know the psychosocial profile of students who enter and attend this course;

2 - To know the tutoring model implemented in the university (sketch a profile of the teachers - tutors and students tutored experiences);

3 - Understand how tutoring can contribute to the academic adaptation, to the development of cognitive, emotional and social skills.

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