What makes all the difference?

I've been asked a few times now why this is a "girls" guide to grad school, and whether or not there really is a difference between guys and girls in their graduate careers. My answer, in short, is of course there is! But, there is a caveat. Grad school is different for everyone. Your experience in law/medical/grad school is going to have a million different factors influencing it, and no two experiences will be the same. I do think that females will have a few of these factors in common, which will affect the way approach and perform in school. I mean, hormones anyone? And some ladies are more likely to cry when under stress. It happens. (Especially if a certain person hasn't slept in like three days and is getting chewed out by their adviser--good grief, I am still embarrassed about this...)

Anyhow, I know there are a lot of different things that influence a female's journey in the annals of higher education, and I'd like to hear what YOU have to say about it. I know what I see as the differences, but that makes things kind of one-sided. I'd like to be a little more broad in how I approach future topics here, so I'd like to hear what you think are some of the major things that influence female participation in graduate work. I'd love to hear what you have to say!