This study investigated the amount of structure preferred by college students in a learning environment and evaluated responses using a notion of conceptual level. The theory of conceptual level suggests that students at higher conceptual levels prefer more independence and less structure in learning while students at lower conceptual levels prefer to learn with more structure and instructor control. Subjects of the study were first year and senior Honors Program students at Miami University (Ohio) who responded to the Course Learning Activities Questionnaire developed to measure preference for college level teaching methods such as lecture, discussion, independent study, case studies, and teaching. Comparisons between the two groups were made using t-tests and discriminate analysis. Findings indicated that first year students preferred learning by the lecture method, learning facts, and taking objective examinations while senior honors students preferred independent study where library resources were used, and critical written evaluations of material research were used to evaluate course outcomes. A discriminate function of 10 items that included items related to preference for lecture and instructor control and independent study and student control of learning was statistically significant in differentiating first year and senior honors students. (Includes 13 references.) (JB)