Hjalmar Rall, who is referred to as South Africa’s own ‘Sheldon Cooper’, is an 18-year-old graduate with a BSc Honours in Physics from the University of Pretoria (UP). This is his second degree.
#UPGraduation2021: 18-year-old whizz-kid Hjalmar Rall, who registered as a UP student when he was 14, recently graduated cum laude with a BSc Honours Degree in Physics during the University’s autumn graduation season. Well done, Hjalmar!: https://t.co/FlGUp80gYr #MondayMotivation pic.twitter.com/ft3QKfFx1t
— Univ. of Pretoria (@UPTuks) May 31, 2021
The whizz-kid, who hails from Riebeek Kasteel in the Western Cape, already made history in 2017 when he enrolled at UP at the age of 14. He has completed his BSc in Physics (cum laude) and has recently graduated cum laude with a BSc (Hons) in Physics during this year’s autumn graduation season.
Hjalmar Rall completed Cambridge A-levels at the age of 13, and was home-schooled after his Grade 5 lessons no longer interested him.
The Cambridge International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE) curriculum is a two-year programme whereby examinations are marked and certificated by Cambridge University in the United Kingdom.
“I consider myself a diligent and mature student, and my home-schooling gave me the necessary academic background to be able to complete my studies at the University with relative ease,” Rall said via UP’s communication platform.
According to IOL, the 18-year-old is planning a career in academia as there are no research groups that focus on his specific field, which is Quantum Information theory research.
Rall described his love for mathematics as the greatest motivation in his academic journey. “It is the love of maths. It is about chasing answers that will make great contributions to the broad knowledge of physics,” he said.
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Picture: Twitter/ @UlrichJvV