Meet some of our grit:lab student
Why grit:lab? What's the best about grit:lab? Why apply? Here, you can read what our students think about grit:lab and discover what makes this tech school on the Åland Islands so special.
I came to grit:lab to take my first step into tech, and found an unexpected calm in Åland - a true hidden gem. To future gritters: the learning can be tough, but it’s absolutely worth it. Working together across cultures, we manage to have fun even through the hardest projects. This experience is shaping my future and opening doors I never imagined. So aim for the stars - in tech and beyond!
I joined grit:lab hoping to pick up some basic coding skills, and I was surprised by how fast I grew. Finishing the first Go piscine was huge - going from knowing nothing about terminals or git to actually writing real code. grit:lab helped me discover my interest in backend development. Learning together has been a big part of the experience, and besides coding, I’ve gained so many practical skills in communication, teamwork, and managing myself.
grit:lab came into my life right when I needed a change. Even though I already lived in Åland, studying here opened up a whole new world of people and possibilities. With no programming background, I learned to trust my strengths, manage my own progress, and found a community that feels like a second family. grit:lab has opened doors I never thought I’d reach this quickly and given me the confidence to go after things that once felt out of reach.
grit:lab stood out to me because it offered the same kind of hands-on learning that once helped me grow in my pharmacy career, and moving to Åland has felt like stepping into the life I had imagined but never dared to start. Learning to collaborate, ask for help, and embrace different perspectives has pushed me far outside my comfort zone. I can see concrete paths where I combine technology with my previous experience, build a meaningful career, and create a more independent and fulfilling future. I feel deeply grateful to grit:lab for the chance to start over and to discover what I am truly capable of.
Learn, connect, grow - at your own pace. At grit:lab, learning is built on curiosity, practice, and collaboration. You work independently while growing alongside others, creating an environment where challenges turn into progress and effort becomes confidence.
Best with grit:lab is the freedom to shape my own learning journey. I set the pace and explore coding on my terms, with the help of our community of coding enthusiasts. This approach has been far more engaging and fruitful than the traditional schooling I was used to.
grit:lab is not a normal coding school, grit:lab is different and prepares you for self-learning throughout your life. There are no teachers and no teaching materials. You get problems and some constraints and you are free to solve them in groups by whatever method you come up with. While this is hard in the beginning, it becomes empowering in the long run as you learn to take the driver’s seat in the learning process.
At grit:lab, I've discovered an environment that values teamwork and self-time management. With no traditional teachers, the collaborative effort among peers to find proper resources and solve constant programming issues becomes essential.
Hey future grit-mate! Remember the story of Socrates and the young man: true wisdom and learning demand a deep, unrelenting desire, much like our need for air when underwater. As you begin your journey, embrace challenges with the intensity and urgency of seeking vital breath. May your pursuit of knowledge be driven by such a relentless passion, guiding you to success and growth.
grit:lab has given me a great opportunity to step out of my comfort zone and awake my potentials. I also have a chance to enlarge my professional network during the time being here.
grit:lab provides a unique platform for self improvement, such as practical work life knowledge and working in cross-functional teams in the serene setting of Åland Islands. Studying here provides a nice blend of tech exploration and the tranquility of nature, creating an environment that fosters both professional development and personal well-being.
"Everything will work out in the end. You don't need to know how. You just have to trust that it will." grit:lab is fun but also hard, you need to have good discipline to make it. No one will tell you when and what, that is totally up to you. Many projects can be extremely challenging if you have no background in IT/Programming from before. The best part about grit:lab is the freedom. You have the freedom to do what you want, whenever you want.
grit:lab is a life-change opportunity, I had one of those opportunity 17 years ago and I let it pass, but I couldn't let this one slip by. This opportunities are rare. When I got the news that I was selected I got extremely happy. Getting here wasn't easy, but grit:lab provided me with all the tools and opportunities I needed, I'll be forever grateful to grit:lab and Åland for changing my and my family's life.
Discover, learn, grow - it's your journey. At grit:lab, it's about discovering, learning, and growing together. Here, you explore on your own while working with others, highlighting how communication among peers adds value to our shared progress.
"Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime." Why to apply to grit:lab? You want to learn some of the more useful set of skills in the current day, while simultaneously future-proofing yourself. All while surrounding yourself with driven individuals from all walks of life.
The best thing about grit:lab is that you are your own boss and you learn how to learn.