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Meet Evy van Roij!

Why did you decide to do the IDA Master?

The reason why I decided to do the IDA master, is because I developed an interest in research. I very much wanted to further develop and explore this interest of mine, and the IDA research master seemed to be a perfect fit. It’s a broad research master that enables you to develop your interests and create your own path.

What has been your favourite course and why?

My favourite course so far has been Biological and Physiological correlates, given that I am most interested in the biophysiological aspect of psychology and individuals.

Do you experience stress in your studies/pressure? How do you deal with it?

Yes, I do sometimes experience stress in my studies, especially now during the covid pandemic these emotions sometimes seem to be heightened. What I try to do is to realise that most things are only of temporary nature, and so is stressing about a certain course or about a certain matter. I try to be rational about the stress and realise that mostly within a matter of days or weeks, things will be different again.

How can your knowledge from the IDA master be useful for the real world?

I like it that through the IDA master I really started looking at the individual more. An individuals personality, development and even the physiological nature of an individual. It makes you more aware about life and people around you, and also about the personal changes that I sometimes go through myself. I recognise certain emotions or processes of myself, and others around me, and this helps me to react to them better.

Why do you think it is important to study what you study?

I think it is important because we live in a quick and fast changing world, where the pressure is constantly high. As trained researchers, we develop skills to analyse and reflect on this world around us on the individual level. Which I think, given this quick changing world around is, today the day is more important than ever. It helps to understand individuals better, and helps to find solutions or explanations to problems or questions that occur around is.

What is the most fascinating you have learned?

It is difficult to name the most fascinating thing that I have learned. Throughout courses I have learned many things that I found interesting, mainly because I had never really thought about these issues that much. For example the matter of successful ageing and what this really means and how this definition is different across cultures and people. Also the matter of role changes and personality stabilisation throughout the years. Which made me think of the topic of covid-19, and how this might affect the personalities of the youth and other generations.

What motivates you to keep studying?

What motivates me to keep studying is the fact that I know that if I proceed, I will be able to contribute to society. By doing research and trying to find answers to certain questions, which can be beneficial to other people around us.

How are you experiencing the relationship to your teachers?

I experience the relationship to my teachers as very pleasant. Every one of my teachers has been excellent and very helpful and friendly. Compared to my bachelors program, it is very nice to now have a more one to one relationship with your teachers. I really notice that the role of the teachers are no longer primarily focussed on just being a teacher, but more a mentor that helps to guide you and help you develop your interests. I have found that the hierarchical teacher-student relationship which I used to experience during my bachelors, has become more of a fellow researcher relation, which I find very pleasant.

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