Katie Van Luven graduated with a M.Cog.Sc. degree in June 2018. She is currently working on her Ph.D. in Linguistics at MIT.
My name is Katie and I’m currently a Master’s student in ICS. Next year I’ll be going to MIT to do my PhD in Linguistics. I actually got my undergrad degree at Carleton as well, so I’ve been here for around six or seven years. During that time I’ve had the privilege of having many truly excellent instructors and some really great experiences.
In terms of life in the department, the faculty and admin are very friendly and helpful. If you have any questions, there’s always a door open somewhere on the floor for you to speak to somebody about it in person. Whenever I had an issue with anything from applying for travel bursaries to figuring out details of awards and scholarships, someone has always been there to help.
Another nice thing about ICS is that students have a lot of choice in the courses they take, in particular in terms of electives. Students are encouraged to broaden their interests and take classes from other departments. It’s even possible to take courses at the University of Ottawa if there’s something being offered there that you think sounds interesting. This is something I did during the first year of my Master’s, and it was a really positive experience. It’s great because as a student you get to take advantage of the resources of two universities instead of one.
Ultimately, the best part of ICS is the faculty. This of course applies to everybody in the department, but in particular my own experience has mostly been with people working in Linguistics. It is with these people that I have had the most interaction, and so the following comments are mostly in relation to them. The positive impact that these professors have had on me is immeasurable. I really cannot overstate how important their influence is, how much I respect them, how much my work and academic development has benefited from their help, encouragement, intelligence, mentorship and kindness. These professors have gone above and beyond what I could have expected to support me, and I can confidently say that if it weren’t for them I would not be going to MIT next year. It has been a pleasure and a delight learning from them.
I really can’t convey how much I appreciate everyone in ICS and at Carleton who has helped me get where I am. I feel very lucky to have been in an environment where I have had the opportunity to learn from and work with so many passionate and dedicated people.