FIVE YEARS RIGHT ON THE NOSE!

19 year-old former Kiama High School Student Paul-James White has just completed his second degree and is currently studying at Cambridge.

AT an age when most students are deciding what to study at university 19?year-old Gerringong student Paul-James White has just completed his second degree.

At just 14 years of age, Mr White became the youngest ever full-time student to enrol at the University of Wollongong and has since gone on to complete degrees in advanced mathematics and computer engineering.

Returning home last week to both graduate and receive the University Medal for his work in Informatics, Mr White has been undertaking a Masters degree in mathematics at Cambridge, England with the former Kiama High School student hoping to begin his PhD at the prestigious university next year.

I will be doing my PhD on the number theory, he said. Basically it just messing around with prime numbers. It is a very abstract study with not that much relevance but I certainly find it interesting.

I guess my degree would lead me towards something like computer cryptography but I think I would either like to work within academia or for a company like Pixar animations.

Describing his time at Cambridge as an amazing experience, Mr White said the fabled university was very different to Wollongong University acknowledging the UOW teaching staff as a lot more personal than those abroad.

I have only been there two months but I absolutely love it, he said. The best way to describe it is by saying it is like I have suddenly been put into Harry Potter. It really is just like that.

Everyone walks around campus in their robes and the grounds are immaculate.

There are all the old traditions you come to expect as well, for example only the fellows can walk on the grass while they are also the only ones allowed to eat the ice cream.

And if I have to go see a Dean or something I have to wear my full robes. It really is pretty funny.

Despite attending lectures six days a week, Mr White has had the time to develop a new passion outside the classroom as he trains up to nine times a week with his college rowing crew.

It is great to be able to physically take part in the rivalry between all the colleges, he said.

Before we race everyone comes out and yells stuff at each other as you walk across the lawns and the rowing itself is fantastic I am really enjoying the thrill of being in a team.

When we do race we have all the people from the colleges out there on the lawn or riding bikes cheering for you. It is a really fantastic experience to be part of.