This isn't something you have to have an uninformed opinion about. The issue has been noticed before, people have thought it was important to understand, and a

This isn't something you have to have an uninformed opinion about. The issue has been noticed before, people have thought it was important to understand, and actual studies have been done. Here's the authoritative one: http://www.amazon.com/Unlocking-Clubhouse-Computing-Jane-Margolis/dp/0262133989 http://www.amazon.com/Unlocking-Clubhouse-Computing-Jane-Mar... It's not an alpha male thing, though that's some of it. It's a socialization thing. Guys had more exposure before college, are more likely to learn the material on their own rather than in a group (how women usually prefer to learn), and so appear to be far more competent earlier. Girls who make it over that initial hump do as well or better, but not many do, because there's not a lot of interest in helping them through it.