In education, there is a risk that joy in learning is counteracted by allowing a performance culture to dominate. Research shows that emotions are of great importance for results, motivation and well-being. This study aims to add knowledge about the essential meanings of joy in learning based on students' lived experiences and thereby implications for the learning environment. The essence of the phenomenon of joy in learning has been formulated through descriptive phenomenological analysis. Qualitative data consists of 25 narratives from students engaged in voluntary forms of education. The study shows that joy in learning emerges throughout the learning process, when students discover that they gain knowledge, understand and can control their learning process and achieve something with their knowledge. The implications for teaching involve awareness of the learning process providing a balance between structure, support, challenge and personal choice which was valued along with relationships that contribute to autonomy.