Meet Vanesa Dimitrova!

Vanesa is 24 and from Bulgaria

BSc Psychology (Cum Laude), Tilburg University

Major: Cognitive Neuropsychology   

Minor: Developmental Psychology

Her main interests are: 

Development, cognition, early life adversity, emotion regulation, protective factors

You can reach her out on Linkedin

What inspired you to pursue the IDA Master program?

I felt like IDA would provide a good foundation for pursuing a career in research. I was drawn by the unique mixture of different psychological disciplines and wanted to see what I can learn from each of them.

What motivates you to pursue this field of study, and what personal significance or purpose do you find in it?

During my bachelor thesis I realized that there is no simple and universal answer to a research question and that what may be true for one population may be completely different for another. This is why I wanted to dive deeper into individual differences and how to research them.

Which field do you see yourself pursuing after completing the program? (For example, academia, research, the private sector, or corporate work)

I see myself doing research in the future.

Looking at the program schedule, which course(s) are you most excited about and why?

I am most excited about the second traineeship which is about coming up with a research design. This would be a new and very valuable experience for me as I’ve never had the opportunity to think of a design and the seemingly small but vital decisions such as how the participants will be recruited, or which form of a questionnaire is most suitable.

Do you ever feel stressed or under pressure in your studies? How do you manage those challenges? Would you like to share some tips?

I do feel stressed especially around exam week. However, most of the time it is a healthy amount of stress that keeps me on track and focused on the tasks I need to do. I would suggest trying to leave some time to do enjoyable activities and to go out for a short coffee with friends when the stress gets too much.

What motivates you to keep going when things get tough?

I enjoy learning new things and so if I give up that may mean I give up the opportunity to gain a lot of knowledge, which is something I do not want to do.

How do you see the skills and knowledge from the IDA Master being applied in the real world?

I think that the emphasis on proper statistical methods and considering individual differences will result in papers of higher quality being published.

What do you enjoy most about collaborating with your peers, supervisors, or being part of the IDA community?

I like that even though we have different backgrounds and interests, there is a great amount of respect for each other, and everyone is willing to learn from each other. This allows for many thought-provoking discussions on different topics because of the different perspectives and the willingness to listen to others.

How would you describe your relationship with the faculty in the IDA program? How does this influence your overall learning experience?

I would describe it as professional and collaborative. The professors in IDA create an environment where questions, ideas and initiative from students are more than welcomed. This is especially evident in the traineeships, where it feels like working on a project together with someone who has more knowledge and experience and can guide you to learn new things, rather than simply tell you what needs to be done and expect you to follow blindly.

How would you describe an “IDA Student”? What common qualities do they share, and who do you think is best suited for this program?

I think that every (future) IDA student is open to new experiences, is curious, highly motivated, a critical thinker and overall, a good person as everyone wants to make the world a better place in their own way.