Get to know Evi van den Elzen!

When did you do the IDA master?

2017-2019

How was the IDA Master helpful for what you are doing right now?

I am doing my PhD now, so it prepared me for that really.

What was your favorite course? And why?

The Ethics course by Prof. Jelte Wicherts. I thought that really was a valuable part of my development as a scientists, and really a great addition to the program.

What was your favorite moment of the time as an IDA Student?

Of course, the time I spent in Berlin to write my master’s thesis at the Max Planck Institute. This was an incredible opportunity.

What was your motivation to finish your studies ?

Easy, I loved what I was doing and never doubted whether I wanted to continue/finish the studies.

Did you experience stress or pressure in your studies, and if yes how did you deal with it?

Only when I had a concussion due to a bike accident that lasted for most of my first year of the program, when I really couldn’t perform like I used to and wanted to. What helped me there was the support of my fellow students AND the academic director/professors.

What can you advise current or future IDA students?

Explore your different interests and take the chances you get. Keep orienting yourself, also when you think you already know where you’re going.

How was your overall experience in the master?

Great preparation for the start of a career in academia or in another data-related job.

What did you do in your international traineeship and how did you like it?

I went to the Humboldt University in Berlin, to attend a seminar on Continuous Time Structural Equation Modeling (CT-SEM) and work with the method. This was great, I went there with one of my best friends and fellow student Sari van Rooij, we combined having a great time and learning a lot, and to be fair I also fell a little in love with Berlin that time.

Are you still in touch with other Alumni Students?

Yes, but only with Sari.

How did you experience the relationship to your teachers?

Great, they were very supportive, I can tell from when I had the accident. Also they really listened to what we had to say. This was something I really noticed in contrast with when I was a bachelor’s student.

Did you know from the beginning what you want to do after your master? How did you find out what you would like to do?

I did not. I followed my heart all the time and did what I wanted to do. But after the master’s program, I was really not so sure if I wanted to do my PhD and I explored other possible jobs that I had in mind. I soon found out the other jobs were not giving me enough challenge and were not motivating, but I tried and now I know that this (a PhD and hopefully a career in science) is really where I want to go.