During my bachelor's I assisted in a research project and a research practical, in which I validated a questionnaire. I discovered how much I liked doing research, and it felt like it was time for a new challenge. Still, it seemed like a hard programme as well and I was a bit scared because of the selection procedure. I decided to rise up to the challenge and I am very happy I did! It turned out that the selection procedure was very relaxed. Shortly after my interview I got an email that I was accepted.

My principal subject of study is child development and what can go wrong in the development of children. One of my research projects was with UvA minds, an academic clinic in mental health care for children. In this clinic, children and their parents get treatment, but at the same time the effectiveness of the treatment is researched academically. I studied children with various disorders and the influence of parental factors on treatment. I really liked the connection between research and practice. I am also doing the clinical track, which means I take some clinical courses and an extra internship in order to obtain an accreditation as child psychologist.

I really enjoyed the courses we got in methods and statistics. I learned new techniques, which I could then directly use in my own research or saw represented in research articles I read. Another thing I liked is that I developed different skills in every course. For some courses you have to write a paper, for others a research proposal. I also enjoy studying in such a small group. In my year, there are only 12 students and because of that there is a real possibility for discussion in class. It is easy to ask questions to the teachers and you get to know the other students easily. We even celebrated Sinterklaas, a Dutch holiday, together and went to the wedding when one of us got married.

The Research Master in Child Development and Education is a more intensive programme than most Bachelor's programmes. You have to hand in an assignment  every week and you write two theses. Writing two theses sounds like a lot of work, but I like having a big project I can work on individually. At the same time, I like that we have our own study room; that way you can keep in touch when everyone is working on their own research project. The small group and the engagement of all students motivates me to work hard as well.

I would recommend anyone who is in doubt about following a Research Master's programme to consult a teacher or someone they know about what it is like to do research. If you  are interested in child development, parenting, education and developing your research skills and you want to learn a lot, this might be a good programme for you!