Sheldon Cooper’s educational journey is anything but ordinary. By the time he’s 9 years old, the former child genius has far surpassed his peers and is ready for his first day of high school. As fans of “The Big Bang Theory” know, the theoretical scientist ends up in California, but before he arrives there, he completes a large part of his education in Texas. Finishing high school in just two years, Sheldon begins his college education at East Texas Tech at the age of 11. His passion for physics is clear, and under the tutelage of Dr. John Sturgis (Wallace Shawn) and Dr. Grant Linkletter (Ed Begley Jr.) he excels, graduating Summa Cum Laude at 14 years old.
These years of Sheldon’s life are chronicled on “Young Sheldon,” with Iain Armitage playing the character. The sitcom’s finale ends with Sheldon moving on to his next chapter in California as he pursues his postgraduate degree at Caltech. This is, of course, where adult Sheldon (Jim Parsons) ends up working for the duration of “The Big Bang Theory.”
Prior to graduating from East Texas Tech, Sheldon also spends a summer studying abroad in Heidelberg, Germany. Although “Young Sheldon” changes up Sheldon’s age from “The Big Bang Theory” for this trip, it remains an important part of his educational journey, as he realizes that he still has a lot to learn in his preferred field of study.
Sheldon leaves for college after his dad dies
One of the biggest storylines on “Young Sheldon” is the death of Sheldon’s father George Cooper Sr. (Lance Barber). Since this was established on “The Big Bang Theory,” viewers who watched the prequel knew this tragic event was going to happen, but being armed with this knowledge didn’t make it any less heartbreaking when it did. The show manages to stretch it out to the end of Season 7, though. And prior to his death, George plays a very active role in helping his son choose where to do his postgraduate studies.
Although there are times where Sheldon and his dad have a fraught relationship, George is always his son’s biggest champion. And he is actually the one who, on Season 7, Episode 9, tells him that he has outgrown Texas and needs to never give up on his dreams. These inspirational words push Sheldon to make a choice about going away to college, but it’s not the one that fans are expecting. Instead of picking California, the CBS show pulls a big fake-out and has Sheldon opt to attend MIT. George even accompanies Sheldon on a visit to his future college, but once they arrive and experience Boston’s freezing cold weather, they immediately agree he should change his choice to California, leading him to Caltech. Though, sadly, his dad never gets to see him go.
As “The Big Bang Theory” fans know, Sheldon loves his time there, but the third series in the franchise, “Georgie and Mandy’s First Marriage,” reveals new information; that Sheldon doesn’t come home from college for Thanksgiving. This may, of course, be because it’s simply too painful to return, knowing his dad won’t be there.
