Personal tutoring is recognised as a crucial element in higher education (Grey & Osborne, 2020), yet growing student numbers have triggered a 'crisis' in existing tutoring systems (Evans, 2009). Literature identifies five dominant models of tutoring: Pastoral, Professional, and Curriculum-Integrated (Earwaker, 1992), alongside Coaching and Mentoring models (McClellan et al., 2013; Wooton, 2007). Each aims to foster tailored personal and professional student development. Nonetheless, prevailing models often rely heavily on stage theories of human development, originating from Freud (1911) to Levinson (1980, 1996). These theories typically propose linear, fixed stages, a conceptualisation process critiqued by Rycroft (1972) as reification—converting abstract constructs into concrete, context-independent realities.

Critiques by scholars like Briod (1989) highlight significant epistemological problems arising from the use of stage theories, arguing that this reification inadvertently ignores the nuanced, contextual, and dynamic realities of human existence. Aligning with Adams (2018), this paper argues that perceiving developmental stages as concrete realities rather than culturally and epistemologically shaped constructs limits the capacity of educators to nurture essential existential dimensions in students' lives—specifically, their capacities to hope, choose, and love.

Building on Adams' (2018) advocacy for existentialist principles in psychotherapy, we propose adopting an existentialist perspective in student development, guided by Fromm’s (2015) foundational insight: students seek not merely to 'have' a degree, but to authentically 'be' someone. Given the growing demographic diversity among contemporary student populations, traditional reliance on chronological age and passive progression through prescribed developmental stages appears increasingly inadequate, if not counterproductive, in personal tutoring and andragogical contexts.

Therefore, this paper proposes a shift towards alternative developmental theories, particularly lifespan (Baltes, 1987) and life narrative approaches (Cohler, 1982), which better reflect the complexity, multidimensionality, and multidirectionality inherent in student lives. These theories encourage recognition of development as an ongoing, contextually and historically embedded process. Such perspectives empower personal tutors to support students in constructing meaningful personal narratives, thus helping them to articulate their individual sense of purpose or their 'why'.

Embracing existentialist principles in personal tutoring practices enhances students' capacity to identify feasible pathways ('how') that align with their personal and professional aspirations. By fostering authentic self-awareness and purposeful reflection, tutors can effectively facilitate meaningful personal growth.
The paper concludes by offering concrete recommendations for integrating existentialist principles into personal tutoring practice, emphasising tutor-student interactions and relationships. Further, it extends these recommendations to inform course design and institutional leadership, promoting educational environments supportive of authentic student development, self-determination, and personal meaning-making.

Keywords: Personal tutoring, existentialism, student development, higher education, andragogy.