The transition to university level mathematics is often problematic for students. Clark & Lovric (2008) have written about some of the differences between mathematics at school and at university, including the type of mathematics taught and the way mathematics is taught. Students at this stage also have to contend with social and cultural changes. As part of a project on task design, ten first year students at two different universities in Ireland were interviewed. In this paper, we will discuss their experiences of mathematics at school and university. In particular, we will consider the differences in the types of mathematical tasks encountered at both levels and the students’ views of the influences of such tasks.