[justathrowaway2]

Not OP but philosophy student as well, paying my bills with programming. I spend 20 hours a week in a junior position, having four to five days a week for everything else that interests me. I am not particularly keen on having a „career“ in the classical sense. I don’t want a family with kids, don’t travel and have below average material needs.

There is truth in the saying that making your hobby a profession will suck the joy out of it. I think I would go crazy with doing either philosophy or programming full time. Splitting it 50/50 regularly gives me time off of both which is great for creativity and motivation, especially if things are not going so well with one of the two. On the downside I will probably never excel at either.

[something98]

I'm slowly, after a few "painful" experiences on either end of the pendulum, coming to see the wisdom in that position.

Would you mind sharing how you, currently, find programming work at around 20hrs/wk?

[justathrowaway2]

I didn't have to actively find such an opportunity yet so I can’t tell you. In my case, I was unhappy at my first employer while I was still studying CS when my friend’s employer urgently searched for programmers. So I went there and told them that I am interested in a position in which I could work part-time even after graduation. I still work there. It was a combination of luck and connections.