Can the date you were born affect how successful your life is? According to recent research done in Australia, the answer is yes. The researchers found that the time when a person starts school has an enduring impact on their lives. Those who are relatively old, compared to their classmates, have certain advantages over them. Previous research has found older students achieve better results. They are also more likely to attend university and become professional athletes, chief executives and even important politicians. But the Australian researchers wanted to discover what was driving these differences. They suspected older, more mature students obtained more self-confidence than their peers because they achieved better grades.

To test this out, they conducted two studies. One was with high school students and the other with more than a thousand Australian adults, age between 24 and 60 years old. In the first study more than 600 high school students were surveyed about their tendency to take risks and feel confident. In the second study, those born on both sides of the cutoff date for starting school were asked to complete online math questions and rate their performance. They were also asked about the risks they took while riding bicycles and managing their finances. The researchers found that older students displayed greater risk-taking tendencies. While risk-taking can be considered a negative attribute, it’s also a characteristic of successful people, including athletes, political leaders and entrepreneurs.

Q22: According to recent research conducted in Australia, what has a lasting impact on one's life?
Q23: What was the purpose of the Australian research?
Q24: Who were the participants in the researchers’ first study?
Q25: According to the researchers, what is one characteristic of successful people?