Originally posted by: Leros
I never clean shave. I trim as close as possible. For some reason, that little tiny bit of stubble makes me look a lot older. I look 12 if I'm clean shaven.
That's just cause you're used to the stubble.
I alternate between clean shaven and bearded, and whenever I go from a beard / long term stubble to clean shaven I look like I'm 12 to myself, until I get used to it and I look normal again.
But yeah, even when I was 21 I never got carded when I had a beard.
If you're going to grow a beard, keep it trimmed and neat, don't let it go wild. Even if you are a computer science grad student, you don't want to look like one.
edit: OP, work on your posture, don't keep your eyes wide open all the time, and either flesh out that pencil neck of yours or wear shirts that make it less obvious.