That's a nice perspective, thank you. And you are right, I expect to graduate within 1.5 years with a Masters degree, which is a vastly superior outlook than just working an average job with no Masters.

But still, it's just a bit depressing having to study for random exams that are for the most part just academic acrobatics as I call them, rather than having a free mind to be able to work on and learn whatever I want.

I do have time for that stuff in-between exam phases but usually that time flies waay too fast because I enjoy it so much, and before I know it it's time to grind for the exams again...