wooohoooo... I started at 22.5 and have near enough brown hair... only I'm aquarius. Hmmm.

I also agree with PhDBug about 20 somethings definitely having the maturity to conduct good interviews, etc. I never had any problems when doing mine, and have been called on to do several consultation projects, including ones for government depratments, and I'm a 20 something. I think it's an individual thing. You can't generalise on this one.

I knew this was what I wanted since the first year of my undergraduate degree so I went straight through, starting the PhD when I was 21. Fortunately I don't look young as I've heard of it being a problem when teaching undergraduates, especially having authority. I started teaching at 22 but fortunately have never had any problems from it. The only thing that bugs me is the feeling that my life is somehow on hold - I'm still not clear what I want to do at the end of this and I'm not that sort of person! There was a really clear plan up to doing the PhD but now I feel a bit like I'm putting off real life when lots of people I know are settling into careers. (With the state of the jobs market though this is mainly an illusion that strikes me at the dark points in it all!) :-)

Well I'm 40, have brown hair with little flecks of sparkly grey, am a Taurean and plan to hit the top in my field in the next decade or so. Seeing as it looks as if we're all going to be working until we're 70 by the time the middle distant future is upon us, I reckon I have plenty of time, and am very glad I did some other stuff in a completely different 'industry' (sorry for the naff quite marks, I just couldn't think of a better way to express that) before I finally came to this.

Age, in itself, has little reckoning on your ability to carry out research, so I can't understand why all of you young 'uns are feeling the need to defend your youth; as far as I can see no-one has said any different, just that they, personally, weren't ready when they were in their 20s, just as I wasn't.

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:-) I do not think Jinkim or I were defending our youth. There's nothing to defend/attack here.

Perhaps if a young 'un had written something like 'I started my PhD at 21, and personally I dont think I'd have had the energy/spark (or any other word here) to go and do fieldwork in my 50s (but maybe that's just me), someone in their 50s might have wished to remind the young 'un that that's just their personal opinion, it's nothing to do with age.

Again, they might just have let the young 'un say this above and let them be as they'd expressed their own view of themselves.

Who knows? I responded the way I wished to, but that was not a defence of anything, I assure.

Yep, it's just that the original post to which these responses were made was very clear that they were stating a personal preference based oon their own life history, and not making a general comment at all, so they wouldn't need reminding, their post gave us that piece of information and sentiment. I just think worrying about how old/young you are is bit if a waste of energy, that's all. BTW, one's brain power does not diminish to an extent which would interfere with research by the age of 50-60, unless, of course, there is the early/premature onset of some disease such as altzeimers. Take it from a middle aged 'un with friends who are even older middle aged 'uns.

See Eska, that was my point. I specifically made that potential comment to see if someone nearer that age might wish to clarify me.

My point too was the same, that 'maturity' often has more to do with other things like the range and nature of one's experiences rather than just one's life stage.

Of course, it was a personal point, that's clear.

Yes, I agree, it's a waste of time, for I think on this thread, we are all agreed that nobody can lay down rules about how young/old one should be to do good research. So we agree. :-)

Best, bug.

You all just came across as a being defensive, standing up for youth so vehermently, when no-one had said any different, that's all.

Ok Eska. Thanks for pointing it out.

Best, Bug.