Graduating at 17 Years Old: Ehtesham Bahoo’s Story

Everyone’s education journey looks a little different, but many young adults that choose to study a degree follow one fairly linear path: Pre-school, junior school, high school, university. 

According to the Journal of Vocational Behavior, the average age of most students at the time of their university graduation is around 24. But as we know, not everyone takes the same path.

This coming March, MDX student Ehtesham Bahoo will walk the stage to collect his scroll at only 17 years of age in the class of 2023. 

Ehtesham transferred his APTECH credits to Middlesex University Dubai and embarked on a journey to Dubai to complete his final year of BSc (Hons) Information Technology. 

“I started my journey with the APTECH programme when I was approximately 12 years old. It's quite an interesting tale, really. Following my 6th-grade exams, my dad made a rather unconventional decision. He withdrew me from regular school and set me on the path of self-studying for my O-levels, which is roughly equivalent to 10th or 11th grade. In addition to this academic endeavour, he also enrolled me in an institute called Berlitz during the summer break. Berlitz's focus was on improving public speaking skills and honing my English fluency. 

I was the youngest person there by a considerable margin; I believe the next youngest student was around 22 years old. Coincidentally, APTECH was located on the same floor as Berlitz, and that's where my fascination with computers came into play.”

After expressing his interest in technology to his parents, Ehtesham was allowed to enrol in the APTECH programme. His main motivation at the time was for his parents to allow him to have a personal computer at home, and luckily that is exactly what happened. 

Ehtesham began studying for all three endeavours simultaneously: his O-Level exams, Berlitz qualification and APTECH: “It was an unusual time looking back on it now. My daily routine would kick off with an early start; I'd wake up around 5 AM. The reason for the early start was the lengthy commute that ate up approximately two hours of my day. My first stop was Berlitz, with classes starting at around 8:30 AM. After completing my morning session there, I would hop on another bus to reach my coaching centre, where I had classes that would extend until around 8 PM. Following that, it was another two-hour bus ride back home, and my day wasn't complete without revising what I had studied before finally hitting the sack.”

Throughout his time of intensive studying, Ehtesham maintained his love for technology and computer engineering: “It was the profound allure of crafting creations that would endure long after we departed this world. It was the idea of shaping legacies through innovation, where the creator might fade into obscurity, yet the creation continues to thrive—a concept that resonated deeply with me… It was a transformative moment in my journey as our computer teacher introduced us to the enigmatic world of terminals. For me, that black screen felt like a gateway to the unknown—a digital void brimming with endless possibilities. This was also when I was introduced to GW-BASIC, a programming language developed by IBM. I was utterly captivated by how simple commands could orchestrate complex actions and, in essence, bring machines to life. It was a revelation that demystified the inner workings of computers.”

After his APTECH and O-Level studies were over, Ehtesham wanted to further his qualifications in IT and start heading towards a career in the tech industry. Middlesex University Dubai enables APTECH students to enter either Year 2 or Year 3 of BSc (Hons) Information Technology or BSc (Hons) Business Information Systems, and so Ehtesham began the journey over to Dubai to start his third-year classes: 

“The journey to Dubai was quite an emotional rollercoaster, to say the least. Initially, I was brimming with excitement about the prospect of studying in a whole new country. However, upon arriving, life threw me some unexpected curveballs. But, as they say, life is all about how you deal with the cards you've been dealt. It took me quite a while to adapt to my new circumstances. I learned to do everyday tasks like washing dishes and even tackled the seemingly Herculean task of ironing clothes, which, believe me, felt like scaling a mountain at times.”

So, as he prepares to don his graduation gown and collect his well-deserved scroll, will life be slowing down for this hard-working student? 

“I've come to embrace the rapid pace at which life has been unfolding for me. There are moments when I forget that I've not only graduated but also secured a job in Dubai. It's been nothing short of a whirlwind journey, filled with unexpected twists and turns that have enriched my life in countless ways.”