At math, women in their 40s are top of the class

Women in their 40s are not known for their number-crunching skills, but according to a recent study, they should be. According to a study released this week titled the College Math Project, which looked at 31,000 freshman math students across the Ontario’s 24 community colleges, women in their 40s are better at math than their peers of either sex, at any age. The study, co-authored by Graham Orpwood, professor emeritus of education at York University, attributes the math prowess of women at this age to their well-developed multi-tasking skills. “Women in their 30s and 40s who go back to school have had to juggle so many roles that they can organize their time and study independently—life skills many young students haven’t mastered,” says Orpwood.

Toronto Star