When did you do the IDA master?
2022-2024
How was the IDA Master helpful for what you are doing right now?
Doing IDA has prepared me for the things that are expected of me during my PhD. I am expected to plan my own activities in a realistic manner, which was something that was also expected of me during IDA, for example, with the Master’s thesis and the traineeships. Furthermore, there are different courses that are still very helpful to this day. For example, the course about programming in R equipped me with the basic skills that I need for performing various statistical analyses.
What was your favorite course? And why?
My favorite courses during IDA were the traineeships. I really enjoyed the freedom you got in choosing with whom you want to work and what you wanted to work on. These traineeships allow you to individualize your curriculum and you also get the chance to work with researchers from different disciplines.
What was your favorite moment of the time as an IDA student?
I really enjoyed all the traditional IDA BBQ’s. This is a very fun way to open the new academic year with all students, alumni, and teachers involved in IDA. I always really liked the informal atmosphere of these get-togethers and, as a student, I also really liked to hear from students from earlier years how they experienced IDA. It really enhanced my sense of belonging.
What was your motivation to finish your studies ?
I really liked the content of the courses of the Master and I looked forward to writing my Master’s thesis. Since this was the last part of my curriculum, it was a fun way of finishing my studies, which was therefore motivating.
Did you experience stress or pressure in your studies, and if yes how did you deal with it?
Yes, I experienced a lot of stress during my studies, but I also learned how to cope with this better. At some point, I accepted that stress was, for me, inevitable and not always necessarily a bad thing, but that there is also a life outside IDA, so I also made time for other fun things. This really helped me relieve some of the stress.
What can you advise current or future IDA students?
For me, it really helped to know that I was not alone and that other students also sometimes experienced stress. Talking about it with fellow students really helped me with this; sometimes they gave me a fresh new perspective, other times we just shared experiences and this was also relieving. Therefore, my advice would be to talk to your fellow students.
How was your overall experience in the master?
I really enjoyed this master and I truly think it helped me get to where I am today. There is a lot of room for an individualized curriculum, so despite highly various research interests among students, there is something for everyone.
What did you do in your international traineeship and how did you like it?
For my international traineeship, I went to the University of St. Gallen in Switzerland to attend a 5-day course in Bayesian data analysis. Although this course was really intense and quite difficult in my opinion, my overall experience was really positive. I got to meet a lot of people from different countries and various disciplines whom I got to talk to during the breaks and after class. This resulted in interesting conversations and different perspectives on various topics.
Are you still in touch with other alumni students?
Yes, we kept the group chat that we had during our studies and some of my fellow students I still see on the campus, as many of them stayed at Tilburg University as PhD candidates.
How did you experience the relationship with your teachers?
The relationships with the teachers were very good. They are open to your input and research projects feel more like a collaboration than purely supervision. I think this is one of the best parts of the IDA master.
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?
In the beginning, I really wasn’t sure whether I would want to do a PhD, as I always thought I would want to work in clinical practice. However, when conducting research projects, such as the Master’s thesis, I became very certain that I wanted to pursue a PhD.
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