Meet Jerusha Bambino

Jerusha is 24 years old and from India

She did her BSc in Psychology at Tilburg University, with a major in Clinical Psychology, and her MS in Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology at Utrecht University

Her main interests are: addiction tendencies in adolescents and research in developing valid diagnostic instruments to be used in clinical settings

You can reach out to her on LinkedIn

What inspired you to pursue the IDA Master program?

I liked writing my thesis in my clinical master and got into publication work, so naturally this seemed like a good step.

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

I have worked with adolescents that are neglected in a lot of psychological research and many of them feel isolated because of this. I hope to broaden the inclusivity of psychological research to make it more representative.

Which field do you see yourself pursuing after completing the program?

Honestly, I’m not sure what I want to do next. With IDA my schedule is very packed and I’m trying to stay present with it and take the opportunities that come my way.

Looking at the program schedule, which courses are you most excited about and why?

I am looking forward to the traineeships. I have just begun my first traineeship in developing skills and knowledge in fNIRS and it’s been a very fun experience because of the immersive nature of the traineeships along with the independence I have while doing it. I hope to learn more with the coming traineeships I have.

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

I do feel stressed with the course load at times, however I view it as a challenge to improve my planning and have learnt to schedule in time to relax. I started to prioritise my hobbies by setting time for them.

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

I think it’s a very practical course that, regardless of where life takes you, teaches you how you learn and absorb new information. So in a sense it’s very meta, because the knowledge and skills you learn is a more deeper understanding of how you function and you learn to apply this in challenges that you face when you are trying to learn something new —regardless of the discipline you choose to pursue.

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

At the end of the day, you aren’t alone in IDA. If you take the time to be honest with the stress or the confusion of a course or the imposter syndrome you feel, everyone will comfort you with the fact that they feel it too. It is a deeply supportive community but only if you are honest with yourself.