Yesterday afternoon I was in my weekly research class, there are 14 students. I'd say half of us are in their 20s, a few in their 30s, a couple in their 50s and a couple in their 60s. There's a bit of a divide between the younger and older students in terms of socialising, but everyone gets on okay, and I've always thought it was nice having such a mixed bunch.

However, one of the older women said she'd encountered problems and a bit of ageism being an older PhD student--supervisors not so keen to work with her because of her age, isolation, etc. Being one of the younger ones, I actually think it might be quite nice to do a PhD bit later because at times I feel a teacher-student power binary, which I need to grow out of. Also, I think mature students are (often) more confident, self-assured etc. I was just wondering if any one else had any thoughts on the pros and cons of being a young and/or a mature PhD student?

Hi there, I am 24, and in my 2nd yr. My sup is a little more than double my age (!) and she and I will be a half century and a quarter century, respectivley over 2010

There are no power differentials for age. Sometimes I guess she gets to boss me but that's when I really need it because I am doing things worng, and that's good that she can.

I have a few mature colleagues in my dept and they seem to find it fine, althouh I dont quite know how it feels to have the sup very near to your age... I guess I am still in school-college mode.

But it can be very positive too, I have heard, and facilitates a collegial rapport.

If I start my PhD next academic year, which I hope to do, I'll be 22. I do think about the age thing, from my point of view I don't think being a bit younger will be a negative in terms of 'being ready' to do one - I've been working in a wide variety of jobs (all quite low paid but got a different experience from each of them) since I was 15, at the moment I am doing my MSc full time and working part time in a fairly responsible and managerial position - after all of this I am looking forward to doing something that will lead to a proper career (hopefully), ie. I want to start my PhD and secure funding so that I can concentrate fully on my research. I sometimes worry whether potential supervisors will think I'm too young and without much work experience behind me, but as I've been working for so long, I feel more than ready to move on to the next stage of my life. I also want to carrying on studying as I love my subject and am starting to specialise a bit now - I don't really see the point of taking any time off only to go back to it.

I'm interested to hear what others have to say on this subject.

I'm 26 and just started my PhD this year and my supervisor is around the same age as me. Although i've only just started and haven't had hundreds of meetings with her I do feel that we have a great relationship and understanding of each others requirements as student/supervisor. When I started my undergraduate degree I was 21 and classed as a mature student by the university but again this had no bearings on my progress as a student.
I guess it depends on your supervisor and also your own personality. I'm quite an outgoing person anyway and get on with everyone, so I feel that I could progress in my PhD regardless of the age of my supervisor.

Hi Maria

I'm an older PhD student - not as old as your older classmates, but not young either. I find that the good thing about doing a PhD as a mature age student is that I have a wide range of skills that I bring to studying. I had a career before I went into my PhD full-time, and those networks still help me as a student, and I have other skills too which younger students may not have eg a really well developed work ethic, a sense of professionalism, highly organised, an ability to plan, and judgement when dealing with senior academics. Of course younger students can have these too, but I think that a long work history has refined these, and my supervisor comments favourably on my skills in these areas compared to some other students.

The downside is that is can be harder to relate to people, as most students are younger. The most difficult thing tho, is that I'm doing a PhD later in life because I want a career change, and so this means starting again at the bottom. This is hard, as  I have financial responsibilities, and while I was happy in my 20s to live on a low income, having to do this again - and take a pay cut to get a foot into academia entails really big sacrifices, which younger students may not have to make.

So, swings and roundabouts really. I do wish I had started this earlier, but I was off doing other degrees and working, and took quite a circuitous path to get here.

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I'm also an older PhD student, again, not as old as your older fellow students, I've just hit 40 a couple of weeks back.



I too think its swings and roundabouts. I couldn't have done this when I was younger - I didn't have the sticking power or the work ethic, but then that was just me, I was a lazy little sod and gave up on everything to easily - that isn't to say for a second that any of the younger people here are like that - far from it - but just that for me personally it would have been a non-starter. I've also worked a lot in different things, have a lot of different experiences - and no, I'm not phased by the age of supervisors, but I do respect them totally. Some of my tutors have been younger than me, my current supervisor is older - but I don't think age matters anywhere near as much when you're in your late 30s onwards - its not an issue anymore.



I do wish though that I could have done this when I was younger. To have had the luxury of studying without 3 kids, a husband, pets, a house to run and all the worry of not only making ends meet and making sacrifices for yourself, but your kids having to also because you're doing this is hard. To not have those additional worries would be brilliant. If my children are sick I can't work - I have to care for them. I have to stop at 3pm for the school run, I can't start until I've dropped the kids at school in the morning etc etc - it all adds up to a lot of midnight oil - ie working when they are in bed. The social side is hard - I can't go out and party, I'm older than a lot of my uni friends, I can't relate as easily as I could if I was their age. Having said that mixing continually with much younger people keeps me much younger in my outlook - people don't believe that I'm 40.



I don't think there is an ideal age though - for me personally this is my ideal age - but for others it is doing it much younger and getting on the career ladder sooner - horses for courses - I know what I want enough to go for it and work through the tough time and I couldn't have done it when in my 20s - but in my 30s and 40s I have massive responsibilities and am torn in all directions but have a far more developed work ethic and sense of purpose than I ever had - I'm finally finding out what I want to do when I grow up lol lol (still waiting to grow up though ;-))

Hi,

I'm 24 and submitting in the next few months. My supervisor is about 15 years older than me. There are no power differentials and he's extremely impartial. He encourages me to speak up about my work and other aspects of my career (teaching etc), and never asserts his own opinion over mine.

I feel extremely lucky and proud to be doing my PhD so young. I've learned a lot over the last 3 years and am glad I've had this opportunity to grow before my career has properly begun.

Well, I don't think there is an "ideal" age.
I am 31 and in my second year of a part-time PhD. The reason for starting so "late" is that I realised I wanted to research my subject after I finished an MBA, which I did because I had a lot of free time and I didn't know what to do eith it (Oh yes, I am cvrazy and stupid and all of these nice things)....
Also, my mum started a PhD at the 40's...
I don't think that there is a certain age, it's just when YOU are ready to do it, when YOU have the experience and amturity to do it, and of course, when YOU find the right project for YOU. This may be at 20's or later in your life...

I'm 45, and very similar to stressed's post.  I'm happy that I am doing my phd later, as I feel that I have managed to do a bit of everything, I have lived in a few different counties, had a few career changes; if I didnt like something I would just move on and do something else or go somewhere else - probably a bit flippant, but then I didnt have any responsibilities or anyone to answer to. But had I had any guidance or input from my parents maybe I would of been a bit more constructive, but I look back and I'm glad I have experienced so many things - I did manage to do a degree and a masters in this time.  Conversely my husband started his business at 24 and has worked hard ever since, hardly any holidays, always lived in the same place, had big responsibilities, a duty of care to the staff he employs etc. What would I advise my eldest child to do? do well in A levels, get into a good uni, in a subject that will lead into a good career (looks like it will be chemistry, science etc), has designs on doing a phd, so again I would advice to do this soon after the degree/masters, but perhaps a short break to go abroad, hmm would not advice to do what I did, but then I was a bit of a rebel without a clue!!

I dont have any trouble relating to the younger research students where I study, I dont feel any them and us, but then I am always fascinated by people, by youth and the differences in people; then I dont go out and socialize with them unless its xmas drinks etc, time is limited so I tend to socialize with my little group of friends that have nothing to do with phd's. 

My supervisors are in their 50's & 60's, we are all very respectful of each other, I dont always do as they advise, which I probably would if I was younger, I tend to take on board what they say, research it and do what I think best (within reason) but always thank them for their comments as sometimes it opens up something else that is really useful.

Which is best, depends on what you want out of life, want the hot shot career, then start early - personally doing a phd now with 3 children, a job, is very tough, but I wouldnt change anything. Hope this makes sense had a child come off their bike in the middle of writing this, bloody nose and mouth :$

I'm about to start my PhD in January at the age of 48, and I'm quite happy about this, knowing that the range of jobs/experiences that I've leaped between over the years have all been useful in some way. For a start, I can't imagine I'd have had the maturity to interview people with any depth as a 20s graduate (but maybe that's just me). I haven't thought too much about the age issue, apart from assuming that many co-students will be younger, but I work with young people and feel relatively comfortable with them.
I have a lot of responsibilities, financial and family, and have to work virtually full time alongside the PhD, but I did my Masters in the same way. I think the age difference would make me sensitive if I was full-time at the uni, but I've chosen a PhD that's specifically designed for part-timers who work, with intensive residentials that take place during non-term time (these cover the research training element).
Overall, I can't quite imagine 'going back' as a full time student, but my point is that there may be alternative set-ups that cater for a less traditional path through the PhD.

I'm 27 and in the second year of my PhD. After a bad choice of BSc (followed by a change of course and uni!) and a few years off with health issues I have gone straight through BSc, MSc and now my PhD at the same university. I feel at quite a good age to be doing this...I suppose had I not changed subject and then been ill I would have been here around 5 years earlier, but because of this I have had the time to do quite a lot of paid and voluntary work with older adults, people with dementia, and children with disabilities, which has been invaluable given that my research is in clinical psychology. So no regrets really. There are about 70-80 PhD students in my department and most are in their mid-late 20s and 30s, with quite a few starting a PhD after a previous career. There don't seem to be many people older than this doing PhDs here...not sure really why that is. I think in my field practical experience can be extremely valuable when moving into research, so I think people who aren't straight out of uni would probably be at an advantage. My supervisors are both in their 50s and I quite like it that they are older and well-established, they seem very 'wise' and are a wealth of information- both research-wise and more generally life-wise! KB

The ideal age to start a PhD is 22.5. Leos and people with brown hair are especially well suited.

;-)

Damn! I started just a yr late, at 23.5, and am a Capricorn and have jet black hair :(

I'm so sorry to hear that Bug :-(


8-)