When did you do the IDA master?
2022-2024
How was the IDA Master helpful for what you are doing right now?
As of writing this I started my first year as a PhD candidate, I would say that the IDA Research Master was key for this development, especially considering that my PhD project closely matches with my IDA thesis topic 🙂
What was your favorite course? And why?
I don’t know if this answers the question, but I would say the IDA thesis and the traineeships were my favourite “courses”! These stimulated my interest in becoming a researcher the most. I was able to further develop my personal research interests, and I got to learn a lot from different experts. Next to that, this taught me a lot as well about general collaboration/supervision in academia.
What was your favorite moment of the time as an IDA student?
That is very tough to say, because I feel like so much has happened in these two years so choosing a favourite moment is difficult (also remembering what has all happened is difficult …). I did enjoy all the informal picnics and ‘borrels’ we had, those were nice moments to wind down and just catch up with everyone, also the people I wouldn’t normally see too often outside the courses.
What was your motivation to finish your studies ?
I think we all somewhat develop an intrinsic motivation to finish our studies, because we’re all actually interested in the research that we want to do. So despite all the experienced stress, I was determined and excited to complete the studies!
Did you experience stress or pressure in your studies, and if yes how did you deal with it?
Ah yes as I mentioned in the previous question, I definitely experienced stress, though I feel like outwardly I kept my cool (or at least, I hope it seemed that way). The IDA program requires a lot of dedication, and sometimes it feels difficult to manage the time that you have. The way I dealt with stress was to plan things ahead quite far, which would allow some extra time for ~procrastination~ when getting near a deadline. It did mean that mentally, my thoughts were almost always preoccupied with my studies. It’s not ideal for everyone, but for me it felt better to space all of the work out over time, rather than leaving things to the last minute and reaching a stress peak.
What can you advise current or future IDA students?
There is nothing wrong with exploring where your interests may lie, and you don’t have to stick to one specific niche throughout the IDA trajectory. Similarly, it’s okay to not know what you want to do yet. Try to work with a diverse set of people to get an idea of what topics and what disciplines are out there. Even if you work on a new topic and you don’t like it, it’s still a new learning experience!
How was your overall experience in the master?
Not to be too cheesy, but I guess the overall interest and support I received as an IDA student made for an amazing experience. I developed so much as a researcher, but also in general as a person.
What did you do in your international traineeship and how did you like it?
For my international traineeship I followed a summer course at the university of St. Gallen, Switzerland! The course was organised by GSERM, and it was about online behavioural research, and how research is done using data collected online. I liked the entire experience, because I feel like I learned a lot in a very short timespan (which not going to lie, was also very exhausting ;-;) and because it taught me a lot about research methods I was completely unfamiliar with.
Are you still in touch with other alumni students?
It seems that the majority of my cohort stayed at Tilburg University to pursue their PhD, so it’s quite easy to keep in touch, even if we’re spread across different departments. I am also good friends with other alumni students so we still meet up 🙂
How did you experience the relationship with your teachers?
The working relationship with teachers was something I never expected within academia, because it feels as if there barely is a distance between the student and a teacher. To me it seemed that the teachers really liked to engage with the students, and it created a sense of mutual respect. Additionally, I learned that professors are also just nice people, instead of being a “untouchable” person in the front of a full lecture room of a bachelor course.
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?
No definitely not, somewhere mid-way the second year I realised I wanted to pursue a PhD and have a career in research. This was mainly due to the IDA thesis. I learned that I enjoyed the process of doing research, as it is something that does not stop. There is always something new to learn, or a new (or old) problem to tackle. There is no “end date” and I really like that!
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