17-Year-Old Tuks Graduate Bags Cum Laude Degree, Has Plans for Honours
- The University of Pretoria's youngest ever graduate has wowed Mzansi, bagging his BsC in Physics at only 17 years old
- Hjalmar Rall has shared that at first he struggled with the challenges of being surrounded by older people at university but eventually found a way to thrive
- The boy's father proudly took to social media and shared snaps of the brilliant boy upon graduating
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Meet Hjalmar Rall, the 17-year-old South African student who has already bagged his first degree.
Source: Facebook
Adjusting to varsity life
Enrolling at a university at only 14 years old posed a unique challenge for him as he struggled to fit into an institution where there were older people around him. However, he learnt to cope with the environment on campus and says:
“At the end of my second year I had settled in completely.”
Future academic plans
The young genius graduated with a BSc degree in physics at the University of Pretoria. However, he's far from done and now plans on studying towards his honours.
Taking to social media, Rall's proud dad boasted about his son's academic achievements.
Well wishes from the online community
Mzansi social media users also chipped in on the cute post, wishing the youngster well on all his future prospects and marvelling at the young brainiac.
Mpho Maake said:
"Our very own Einstein, we are proud of you boy."
Mmatlou Prudence said:
"I remember him, he joined university at the age of 14."
Rupert Lancashire said:
"He is surely blessed."
Danny Macario humorously wrote:
"He is of foreign descent possibly. Congrats and all the best for your future, may you return to SA to pass on the skills someday."
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Another young prodigy
Meanwhile, Briefly News previously reported that two-year-old Kashe Quest from Los Angeles has become the youngest member of Mensa, a society comprising the world's most intelligent people.
Quest earned the prestigious spot after garnering an impressive score of 146 during an IQ (intelligence quotient) test. The Mensa website indicates that an average adult of sound mind has an IQ of about 100 with a paltry 2% of the population scoring above 130 and regarded as gifted.
According to Quest's mom, Sukhjit Athwal, she took interest in sorting different shapes as an infant and by the time she was 16 months old, she could recognise words. At the moment, the kindergarten kid can read comfortably, knows 50 signs in sign language and speaks Punjabi and Spanish.
“If we read a word incorrectly, or we say a word incorrectly, she’s going to correct us,” said her mom.
Athwal was, however, quick to point out that despite being highly gifted, Quest behaves like any other two-year-old. She, for instance, loves watching the movie Frozen and has memorised all the songs.
“Kashe loves playing make-believe with her friends,” Athwal added.
It is against this backdrop that the parents decided to let her go through normal schooling like her peers so that she is not made to feel pressure to grow up too fast. The executive director of American Mensa, Trevor Mitchell, described Quest as remarkable, adding that it's good her abilities have been recognised early in life.
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Source: Briefly News
