What type of student avails of mathematics support and why?

Students who avail of mathematics support vary both in terms of their mathematical ability and their reasons for seeking extra support. We will consider the conjecture that there is a difference in the pattern of attendance between first year groups and more senior students. We will consider attendance data from the first two years of operation of the National University of Ireland Maynooth Mathematics Support Centre. This data shows that at-risk first year students are more likely to attend the Mathematics Support Centre than students who are not deemed to be at-risk. For the senior students however, the majority attend not because they are in danger of failing, but because they want to maximise their grades