In 1929 Alex passed the Leaving Certificate with honours in Mathematics and Chemistry. An exhibition took him to the University of Sydney, where he enrolled in science. He was drawn to this area due to chemical experiments he undertook while at school.
The last sentence revealing the hallmark of his life – self-reliance.
During his university years, Alex underwent extracurricular activity and set a possible record in ecumenism through his simultaneous membership of: the Student Christian Movement (he had been a Sunday school teacher at Willoughby Presbyterian church), of Professor John Andersons notoriously subversive Freethought Society, and the Sydney University Regiment (Corporal 1931). He became a highly qualified Boy Scout leader. He spoke at the Sydney University Unions parliamentary-style Union Night debates and engaged in hockey and wrestling.
Alex recorded in his notebooks with carefully marshalled tables of the books he had read and his opinions of them. In his first university year, he records reading, wholly or in part, about a hundred books. Representative entries from that year include Better Ballroom Dancing by Scott (75% read) with a note Correction of mistakes etc.; Goodbye to All That by Robert Graves (all read) Good realistic. No censoring of language; Handbook of Photography by Sinclair (most read) Pretty good but a bit old-fashioned; Religion and Science by Draper (all read) V. readable; English Regal Copper Coins, by Bamah (most read); Coins 16721860. No pics. may be good for reference; La Vie des Abeilles by Maeterlinck (2/3 read) V.g. Hard French. Interesting and novel; Communist Manifesto by Marx and Engels (all read) Quite fair. Rather old but still interesting. Alex continued, with unabated assiduity and eclecticism, right through to the end of his fourth year – 400 titles, all similarly noted.
He graduated with honours in the year 1933. While this account must shortly take up his business career, it will be convenient here to carry on with one of his subsequent extra-professional interests – the theatre. He joined The Playmakers and in 1934 made his debut in Crime Made Legal. Advance publicity noted that Alex Boden is a newcomer to the Society and is making his first appearance in the important part of Inspector Burke. His fine speaking voice and confident bearing are sure to find favour. It must be assumed that they did, for he made at least a dozen subsequent appearances, mostly with Sydneys oldest repertory company, The Sydney Players. His notices were generally flattering, as in A Midsummer Nights Dream: As Theseus, Alex Boden was easily the most competent of last nights performers. He alone gave real dignity to his lines.'
After 1936, however, the store of programmes and press clippings stops. Life had acquired other dimensions. He wrote in his notebook:
Aged twenty-four and watching now the last grains of 1937 run through our fingers. A book [his Handbook of Chemistry] was born in January. Perhaps it will be worthy of rebirth. Almost a beginning on another. Finances are dull but they have been smoothed sufficiently to give a little takeoff for 1938. Sentiments not entirely controlled and showing no practical advance.