My sense is that your program at school had a light work load - so a difference in experience. My peak workload so far in my life was at college - I had over 40 hours of class time a week which you then have to add on homework, projects and exams. It was a grind.
Since then workload has been intense of course but never comparable. I've had much more time to be able to explore personal interests since college.
Yeah, I wish I'd had "free time" in college. 60-70 hour work weeks were normal - 20 hours a week in class and then a full-time load of courseworks / readings / labs etc. I couldn't afford to take time off on weekends for the first 3.5 years. It was horrendous.
Once I started full-time work it was like a revelation - finally I don't have to work on evenings and weekends! I actually get free time to myself! I can have hobbies!
Where did you study? I was working full time while doing the university... It was HARD... but I was nowhere nearly 40Hs of class a week... unless you do the whole university in 2 years?!
Since then workload has been intense of course but never comparable. I've had much more time to be able to explore personal interests since college.