I think it's due to how linear studying is. Actual work on the other hand can be quite unpredictable, it's a bit like a monster of the week show where monsters are incidents, bugs, and unreliable leaders. And there's also linear work on top of it.

The number of side projects I have had to leave aside in the last few years is close to a dozen. I was able to implement some of my smaller ideas and I open sourced them, which boosted my career. But I don't want them to be a means to an end, I want to actually have the time to build them properly and make a living off one of them some day.

Unfortunately my country has infamously low salaries while having a relatively high cost of living. I have some savings, but I would burn them at a pretty fast rate if I quit my job. My best chance at having another "miracle year" is getting fired, which would immediately provide me with some more liquid cash plus monthly unemployment benefits for a while. At that point I could move to one of the cheaper areas and be financially independent for years.