Laurent Simons (left) of Amsterdam will soon become the youngest person to ever complete college. In December, he will complete a degree in electrical engineering from Eindhoven University of Technology.
What were you doing when you were nine? Yeah, same here.
What will Laurent do now? He's keeping his options open. He's considering California because the weather is nice or Oxford or Cambridge because he could get a fairly good education there. Stuff quotes Laurent's father:
"There is definitely competition to get him on the course. If he goes to America then we will go out with him and split our time there with his grandparents," Alexander, 37, said,
"But Oxford and Cambridge are also in the major league" the Belgian dentist said, "and it would be very much more convenient for us."
John Wilkes, who went to Jesus College, Oxford, taught Laurent in summer courses. He said: "He really was a delight to tutor and very well balanced; able to be like a child and an adult at the same time.
"I taught him when he was six and we studied at the level of a 16-year-old. I really would recommend Oxford for him."
Laurent only began his university studies in March. His tutor said he was three times more intelligent than his next cleverest student.
Photo: Laurent Simons
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It's kind of a odd thing isn't it. I'm sure the kid is very intelligent. But if you expedite through that quickly, did he really learn anything? There's intelligence and then there's wisdom. You can be the most intelligent person on earth, but if you haven't had the 20 years to learn a skill/trade (one that's valuable), then what? I know he's still got plenty time for that. I'm just saying that, without 20 years of wisdom and mental maturity, what are you? You're just a kid.
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These are important questions.
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I always wonder about the kids who were all really young when they graduated college back in the 80s and 90s (The Dougie Houser Inpirations). Where are they now? What did they do after that? It's a novelty for sure to have someone graduate so early but how does that impact the rest of their lives?
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