Impression Research Days

How did you experience the Research Days?

 

Sander Thomaes – Workshop leader

My name is Sander Thomaes, I am a professor of developmental psychology at Utrecht University.

When you were invited to give this workshop during the VNOP-CAS research days 2022, what made you decide to say yes?

That was not even a conscious decision, of course I wanted to take part! I very much like to think about and discuss professional development – questions such as ‘how can you develop an own style of work?’, ‘how do you harness your professional talents?’, ‘how do you decide on important topics to work on?’, or ‘how do you plan your career (and should you)?’ There are no straightforward answers to these questions, of course, but it can be very useful to share experiences and learn from each other’s perspectives.

What was your general experience with regard to giving this workshop the research days?

I had a wonderful time, and I hope the workshop participants did too! I was impressed by their openness, wisdom, and willingness to share diverse perspectives. I have taught this workshop for quite some time, and it struck me that the questions and concerns that PhD candidates grapple with have changed a bit over the past decade or so. For example, questions on how to find a satisfying work-life balance have always existed but have become much more salient over time (and that’s a good thing!)

You provided an interesting workshop for PhD candidates about a topic that is relevant for their professional development. To what extent do you feel you have also gained anything from doing so?

I realize this sounds obligatory, but I always learn a lot from teaching this workshop, and this time was no exception. I found it inspiring, for example, to hear about the various ways in which PhD candidates build their work around their personal values. I also learned a lot from the very different ways in which PhD candidates think about their post PhD careers, and their expectations for them.

 

Jessica den Elzen – Visitor

My name is Jessica den Elzen. I am a PhD student at Utrecht University at the Clinical Child and Family Studies department. I am studying youth radicalization in the context of conspiracy thinking and (online) misinformation

Have you ever attended the VNOP-CAS research days before? What was your general experience of the 2022 edition of the research days?

This was my first time attending the research days! Overall, I thought the event was very well organized. Specifically, how there was room for learning new skills through a workshop as well as learning about other research projects in the field through the symposia and poster presentations. The drinks afterwards were also a great way to informally meet researchers from other universities.

What was/were your favorite part(s) of the research days and why? Could you indicate what you liked about this part specifically?

My favorite part was the workshop. I followed one on Bayesian statistics which was taught by Prof. Dr. Rens van de Schoot. He gave the workshop in a very engaging and interactive way and I felt like I actually learned a lot over the course of the afternoon.

To what extent do you feel attending the research days has contributed to your PhD project?

The research days were a valuable contribution to my project. Since the activities are so diverse (i.e., workshops, symposia, poster presentation, discussion sessions, drinks), I felt like I learned a lot of different things as well. Especially as a beginning PhD student, it is super helpful to get an idea of what these types of activities are like and how to possibly present something like this in the future yourself.

 

Judith van de Wetering – Presenter

I am Judith van de Wetering. I work as a PhD candidate at the Developmental Psychology group at Utrecht University. Within the GREENTEENS project, I study how pro-environmental engagement is connected to how adolescents view themselves and to what adolescents care for in their daily lives.

Why did you decide to sign up for a presentation during the VNOP-CAS research days 2022? What did you hope it would bring you?

Since the start of my PhD, my supervisors have encouraged me to present at the VNOP-CAS research days. I have experienced it as a great way to get feedback on your work at any stage: you can present novel findings, but also your study design. This time, I hoped to receive feedback that helps me make sense of our findings and that inspires the design of a follow-up experiment.

What was your general experience with regard to presenting your work during the research days? To what extent did your actual experience match your expectation?

I always enjoy presenting during the research days. The friendly atmosphere allows for in-depth, constructive discussions – I received a lot of helpful input from colleagues after my presentation! For me, these research days are also a great way to stay informed of novel research in developmental psychology, and to connect and stay in touch with fellow (junior) researchers in the field of developmental psychology.

To what extent do you feel giving a presentation has contributed to your PhD project?

Presenting my own work helps me to sharpen my thinking, and the comments I received inspire me to develop follow-up experiments for my project. Joining the research days makes me feel part of a research community that I think will not only benefit me during, but also after, my PhD project.

 

Annabelle Christiaens – Poster presenter

I am Annabelle Christiaens. I’m fourth year PhD student at Utrecht University. My PhD is about identity development around the school transition to secondary and tertiary education.

Why did you decide to sign up for a poster presentation during the VNOP-CAS research days 2022? What did you hope it would bring you?

I signed up because since the start of my PhD I always enjoy being part of the VNOP-CAS days as it is a great way to connect with colleagues, get constructive feedback, and get a feel of how your research is received outside of my own department. I specifically signed up for a poster because I wanted to get more one on one feedback on my research. As my current paper has many complex details I thought a poster was a nice way for myself to take a step back and create a nice overview of the general message of the paper. I was also excited to try out some new poster designs that I observed during some conferences this past year.

What was your general experience with regard to presenting your work during the research days? To what extent did your actual experience match your expectation?

I had some nice conversations with a few colleagues and it was also valuable for me to summarize my research in a poster format. I did expect that the poster would be set-up during the day, so people would have had the opportunity to look at the poster before the poster session would start. But overall, it was a positive experience and a nice way to receive feedback.

To what extent do you feel giving a poster presentation has contributed to your PhD project?

I think it did contribute to my PhD project as it gave me a better perspective for the paper I’m currently writing and I was able to connect with some new people which is always valuable as well.

 

Anke Visscher – Presenter

I am Anke Visscher, a PhD student at the Department of Developmental Psychology at Tilburg University. I study adolescents’ well-being during the transition from pre-vocational to vocational education.

Why did you decide to sign up for a presentation during the VNOP-CAS research days 2022? What did you hope it would bring you?

I am enthusiastic to go to the VNOP-CAS research days to share my latest results and to learn more about the latest (and innovative) research projects in the Netherlands and Belgium. Presenting at the VNOP-CAS research days was a great opportunity to share my knowledge and thoughts for improving (future) research. I was hoping that my presentation would lead to an informative discussion about my findings. Additionally, I was hoping that presenting my research would help me in expanding my network with researchers who are conducting comparable research.

What was your general experience with regard to presenting your work during the research days? To what extent did your actual experience match your expectation?

I really liked presenting at the VNOP-CAS Research Days. My experience exceeded my expectations, as both junior and senior researchers were involved in an inspirational discussion of my research findings both during and after my presentation. There was a pleasant atmosphere where all visitors were encouraged to ask questions, share ideas, and provide feedback.

To what extent do you feel giving a presentation has contributed to your PhD project?

Giving the presentation helped me to critically reflect upon my own project, results, and ideas. Presenting also further increased my enthusiasm about my upcoming (follow-up) projects, and about sharing my research findings and ideas with other researchers. By discussing my presentation with other researchers, I also gained inspiration and some tips and tricks. At last, it contributed to expanding my network.

Organising committee

VNOP
Child and Adolescent Studies
Utrecht University

Questions?

vnopcas@gmail.com

 

Visit VNOP

 

Visit CAS