2022 has been an eventful year filled with learning. For me, 2022 has been shaped around two main events: work and university. Balancing full-time work with full-time studies is a task which has only been made possible due to the flexibility my manager allows for, Sweden’s less-than-rigorous university culture and the unconditional support my partner, Asta, provides. In particular, I am incredibly thankful for Asta tolerating my late nights, complaining, irritability, sleep deprivation, and keeping my stomach with delicious food. Ultimately, for all of its challenges, the opportunity, will and ability to work and study simultaneously is a privilege based on several factors far beyond my control. This is on top of her studies towards a Bachelor’s degree, which will also be completed in 2024.

The obvious question is: why would I subject myself to this? The answer is simple; the alternative of only working or (more likely) only studying would bring me less happiness. Every decision has benefits and opportunity costs. Opportunity costs are the forgone benefits lost due to choosing another alternative. The benefits of studying are massive and include increased learning and skills, networking, access to academics and academic sources, and expanded career opportunities. The first and final points have the greatest return on investment. I am exceptionally fortunate that my only university investment is time, as moving to Sweden pre-Brexit gave me access to free higher education. The benefits of working also include learning to a lesser extent, networking and further career opportunities, and providing a stable income.

Having started university at 19 years old following a gap year working at Klarna, I did not have much savings despite Asta’s family allowing me to live rent-free with them. In any case, my savings weren’t enough to put me through 3 years of university in a comfortable manner. I had access to CSN, Sweden’s version of student finance, which would have granted ~€1,000 per month during study times but this would likely have to be supplemented with some form of soul-destroying part-time work. This is because it is far too easy to cross the salary threshold at which all CSN is cut off. There is no gradient; it is binary and one of my largest issues with the Swedish education system. CSN is part grant and part loan with essentially no interest, so I claimed and invested this sum in my first academic year when COVID meant that the salary cap was removed. The alternative was to ask for finance from my parents, but that would come with its own can of worms.

This quickly left me without much choice. I wanted to live a comfortable lifestyle which could only be achieved through full-time work, and I was unwilling to go without pursuing further education. Both desires were partially driven by my interest in finance and want to build capital early on to benefit from compounding interest in later life. Handling such a hectic schedule is also a differentiating factor in my CV. Completing university with an additional three years of work experience should also lead to greater financial rewards now and in the future.

But today or tomorrow’s money alone is not a sufficient reason to work and study at 200%. Perhaps the urgency is spurred on by an existential dread pushing me towards action, but I genuinely love my studies and work. I study Business, Ethics and Sustainability at Stockholm University and am interested in and beyond all three areas. Despite my inability to attend lectures due to work commitments, I am always engaged in the seminars, do all the mandatory and further readings and aim for nothing lower than a B. This pursuit is because if I get 165 out of 180 credits at grade A or B, I can convert my degree into a UK equivalent of a First Class Honours Degree and have further options at Master’s level. So far, I have only failed this goal in Accounting which was worth 7.5 credits. Even though my grades would slightly improve if I did not work, the great benefits that work provide far exceed the negatives of dropping from an A to a B.

Similarly, I love my work. Since leaving Klarna, I have worked at a Swedish micro-mobility within the Critical Incidents team. During my first year, I had three roles: Critical Incidents Associate, Critical Incidents Data Specialist, and Critical Incidents Team Lead. The fast pace environment keeps my brain busy, and I regularly do overtime despite being reminded to log off by colleagues. Whilst I would give maximum effort even for a company to which I did not feel particularly connected, there is something about my employer that makes me especially happy. The work is genuinely meaningful, aligned with my values and impactful. My studies in Business, Ethics and Sustainability overlap with the micro-mobility workspace, where we are playing our role in creating less car-dependent urban spaces.

Furthermore, the start-up environment has given me access to a wealth of information and senior contacts due to the various embedded groups and projects throughout the company. There are few other companies where a (just turned) 21-year-old would be entrusted to lead a team of 7 FTEs + 10 offshore FTEs and participate within the Safety Working Group, GDPR/InfoSec Working Group and the GDPR/InfoSec Steering Committee. These opportunities, the individuals that I have worked with, the impact on processes, automation and safe, sustainable cities that I have been fortunate to be a part of are equally a reflection of the company’s willingness to break from conventional corporate norms and facilitate rapid personal growth, but also of the aforementioned privileges in my life. Although I work at the office on days when I have mandatory, in-person seminars, I wouldn’t be able to work and study simultaneously if I didn’t have the option to work from home. Working from home gives me a crucial extra hour and a half of sleep on most workdays.

The most significant trade-off is definitely within my social life. Although Uppsala and Lund are the only Swedish universities known for any decent student societies, I can count the number of outings with university friends since beginning my programme on one hand. That being said, I have several university friends I regularly talk to, and I meet with work friends regularly. However, the stereotypical student life of parties, drinking and society is far from my reach. Although I have no desire for these experiences now, I rest easy knowing that should this ever change, I can take study leave from work. If social life or time with yourself doing leisurely activities is important to you, I do not recommend working and studying full-time simultaneously. Although this trade-off is worth it for me, each individual’s circumstances differ, so much work may not be desirable or possible.

In my case, I feel what I can only describe as a moral inclination towards maximising my work and studies. Perhaps it is naïve, but I genuinely believe that my work makes a difference and that my studies and work experience will enable me to take on positions where I can make even more impactful changes in the future. As my life has been full of the most amazing privileges I could have asked for, it is almost wasteful not to try to positively impact society, even if only in a small way. That is not to say that those with privilege should be expected to work themselves to death, but rather that each individual should try to make small contributions to society regardless of privilege. This should be at a level which is personally sustainable and should not be restricted to academic or work spheres.

I am incredibly thankful for all those who have helped me develop as an individual throughout 2022. I apologise; all work and no play have made me a dull boy. In 2023, I aim to continue learning and contributing at university and work, but I hope to spend more time showing those around me that I appreciate their support and friendship.