9YO Boy Has An Electrical Engineering Degree And Plans To Start His PhD Soon

2019-11-18 , 7:00 am

We read about child prodigies all the time.

But yet, I can’t help but still feel amazed by them each time I read their story.

I would say it’s equivalent to seeing a celebrity the same age as you (Billie Eilish I’m talking to you) and having an existential crisis after.

After which, it’s only a downward spiral of wondering “OMG what am I doing with my life?” before going to the fridge to grab a tub of ice cream to make yourself feel better.

But here we go!

9-Year-Old Child Genius

Laurent Simons, a 9-year-old boy from Belgium will be graduating in December with a degree in Electrical Engineering before starting his PhD in engineering WHILE studying for his medical degree.

Woah. Stacks on stacks on stacks. Not everyone can say that they are an engineer AND a doctor.

The Discovery Of His Talents

It was Laurent’s grandparents who first realised that he was exceptionally talented. His parents, Lydia and Alexander Simons thought that they were just exaggerating before Laurent’s teacher said the same thing.

He was given test after test as teachers tried to work out the extent of his talents. If he had a superpower, it would be the ability to absorb information like a sponge.

Mom Ate Fish During Pregnancy

Even though Laurent comes from a family of doctors, his parents are not sure of the exact explanation as to why their child is capable of learning so quickly.

Lydia, however as her own theory and joked that it was because she “ate a lot of fish during the pregnancy”.

Finished High School In A Year

When he was 8-years-old, he finished the entire high school syllabus.

Imagine learning everything for your A-levels in an entire year.

“Special students that have good reasons for doing so can arrange an adjusted schedule. In much the same way we help students who participate in top sport.”

Smart and Sympathetic

Sjoerd Hulshof, education director of the TUE bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering said Laurent is “simply extraordinary”.

You know how some guys are good looking but their personalities say otherwise? Well, Laurent isn’t that kind of guy- not only does he have the brains but he also has a soft heart.

“Not only is he hyper-intelligent but also a very sympathetic boy.”

He’s basically going to be a hit with the girls when he grows up.

Finding A Balance

While Laurent has been rocking it at school, his parents also want to make sure that he is getting enough playtime and making sure that he is not too serious.

After all, he’s still a child.

For a 9-year-old that has seemingly normal hobbies like playing with his dog and his phone, he sure does have a big dream.

His dream? To develop and create artificial organs.

Wow. Say that to any 9-year-old and you are almost guaranteed a “huh?” from them.

Well-Deserved Holiday

Laurent is now living the dream of being sought after by prestigious universities around the world to continue his PhD.

However, before he continues his studies at a university of his choice, Laurent plans on taking a vacation to Japan for a holiday.

What were you doing when you were 9? I was definitely not thinking about developing and creating artificial organs for sure. In fact I was actually failing primary school science with flying colours!

But you know what, you can either let this story be a motivation for you to work harder or as an excuse for you to not do your best because you’re not a “genius”.