Åland is the best thing that has ever happened to me!

Around the same time Adrian Lui finished his studies and received his master's degree in Game Studies, advertisements for grit:lab, a new and innovative tech education in Åland, conveniently appeared in his digital channels.
- grit:lab offered both a chance to improve my programming and one month of free accommodation if I got in – so I applied and was accepted.

At first, Adrian was hesitant about starting a completely new and unknown education in such a small place as Åland.
- I chose to take the chance anyway – and I'm glad I did. grit:lab and Åland are the best things that have happened to me!

Innovative education

Behind grit:lab is the Ålandic gaming company Paf, which runs the education in collaboration with Åland's Vocational School and the Government of Åland. In addition to challenges in creative programming, grit:lab also opens up future job opportunities by allowing selected partners in the tech industry to interact with students during their studies.

grit:lab has its campus at Paf's premises just outside Mariehamn. Adrian is happy there and gladly recommends the education to anyone interested, but emphasizes that it is not a traditional school. The education has no teachers; instead, you are responsible for solving tasks and progressing through the courses yourself. Often through collaboration and learning from each other. 

- You need to be organized and prepared to take great personal responsibility, it's essential to have a lot of self-discipline.

Into working life

When we meet Adrian, he has one semester left at grit:lab. Alongside his studies, he also works full-time at the Ålandic IT company Crosskey Banking Solutions, which is one of grit:lab's partners.
- I got in contact with Crosskey through grit:lab. I started as a trainee for six months and now I have been offered a permanent position as a Front-End Developer.

Adrian is pleased to have found a job in Åland, despite being a newcomer and not yet speaking the language.
- Crosskey is a great workplace with many career opportunities. My colleagues are very inclusive and provide a lot of support while I'm learning Swedish.

Balancing calm with pace

Compared to life in big cities like Hong Kong and Tampere, everyday life in Åland looks completely different.
- It's like living in two worlds, it was almost a shock when I came here. It's so calm and safe, there's a sense of trust in society. You don't even need to lock your car, says Adrian, and adds:

- Åland and Hong Kong actually have many similarities. Both are self-governing regions and roughly the same size in area – the big difference is that Hong Kong has 7 million inhabitants and Åland only 30,000.

In his spare time, he spends a lot of time with his friends from grit:lab. He also plays floorball on a team connected to Paf. Climbing has long been a great interest of his and he enjoys climbing at the indoor wall in Vikingahallen. Otherwise, it's mostly work and studies that occupy his time.

- Studying is a passion – it's always interesting to learn something new and I like to keep up with technology, there are new developments every day.

Are you up for the challenge?

In closing, Adrian has two pieces of advice for future grit:lab students.
- First of all, motivation and hard work are key factors for success. It's a tough education and easy to fall behind if you're not sufficiently motivated, especially given how challenging the school is. 

- My second piece of advice is that even though grit:lab requires zero prior knowledge, you will benefit from self-studying programming in advance. It helps you keep up with the grit:lab studies and makes it easier to succeed in your future tech career!