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My parents had very high expectations. They expected me to get straight A's from the time I was in kindergarten.

Both my parents instilled an interest in science and mathematics.

My parents encouraged us to commit to things, so if we wanted to learn an instrument, it was all the grades and all the theory.

I was sent to a school because my father was already aware that his days were numbered, and he was anxious for me to acquire a good education and follow in his footsteps.

My parents are wonderful, practical, sensible people, and the expectation was that I would study something academic.

I didn't mind studying. Obviously math and the physical science subjects interested me more than some of the more artistic subjects, but I think I was a pretty good student.

As mathematics had been my best subject at school, my parents proposed - and I accepted - studies at the University of Lund in mathematics, statistics, and economics. The choice of the latter subject is said to be due to the fact that at the age of five years, I was very fond of calculating the cost of the various cakes my mother used to bake.

I kept on telling my parents school wasn't for me. And they were like, 'No you need to go university.'

I wasn't going to be a college kid. The only subject I was interested in was English. I think I had a subconscious interest in analyzing story.

I was lucky enough to be fairly quick at understanding what was taught, but unlucky enough not to be really interested in it, so I always got my exams but never had the scholar's love of learning for its own sake.