He’s 13 and ready to enter university
By Amelia Tan
Sun, Feb 07, 2010
The Straits Times
A SINGAPOREAN boy sat for the British equivalent of the GCE A-level examinations last year and aced all his papers – and he was not even 13 yet.
Muhammad Haikal Abdullah Zain, a former student of Rosyth School, scored straight As in Biology, Physics and Chemistry, which he took last November.
He turned 13 a month later and plans to apply to study medicine at the National University of Singapore (NUS).
The A-level exams Haikal sat last year carry the same weight as the GCE A levels taken by junior college students here, said the British Council, which administers the exam.
NUS confirmed it would accept students with those qualifications.
…During Haikal’s study leave, he also took time off to pursue his other interests such as chess and computer programming. He has won medals at international and national competitions for chess, holds a Grade 8 certificate in violin, and practises taekwondo.
He studied for the exams without any coaching from anyone, said his mother.
Haikal said he has dreamt of studying medicine since he was six and hopes to become a neurologist because ‘the brain controls almost all the functions of the body and I think it will be interesting to study how it works’.
Here is the full article.
I hope he delays going to University until he’s older.
University life is not all about being clever at something.
There have been several tragic cases of students going to University when too immature.
John Nunn is an honourable exception. But in general, it is not to be recommended.
It’s because of chess he is so smart.
Anon 1,
I’ve had experience with a couple of programs like this, and I can’t agree with your blanket assessment.
There are kids who enter college early and do fine. There are others who don’t. However, you have to consider that a bright student who already is at the college level academically at 13 is going to be miserable in almost any high school.
I took independent study courses in graduate mathematics while I was in high school. When a good university is close by, taking some courses at it is an option.