Register By 1 February For FREE ONLINE WORKSHOPS
Online Workshop Details
RANDOM ACCESS MEMORY MAPPING (50 mins, online, 25 participants max)
In this interactive workshop you will learn about a powerful study skill that you can use to: quickly identify gaps in your understanding, spot biases in your knowledge, greatly increase your problem solving ability, streamline your exam preparations, and much more.
Price: NZ$10, US$6, €5 FREE REGISTRATION Until 1 February 2026
Memorization (50 mins, online, 25 participants max)
Memorization - everybody has been there. Especially STEM courses can feel like an endless cycle of "memorize - regurgitate".
If so, it almost certainly is not your fault. However, no matter how well designed a STEM course is, memorization is still part of the picture, even in the age of AI.
In this workshop
we will explore why memorizing some things is necessary to make science courses enjoyable and insightful
we will put a perspective on why some strategies you use can/will doom you,
and we will look at alternate approaches that will greatly improve your memorization skills
Price: NZ$10, US$6, €5 FREE REGISTRATION Until 1 February 2026
Observation to Description (50 mins, online, 25 participants max)
Have your STEM instructors ever asked you this simple question: "what do you see?". If they did - great! If they did not, then you might not want to miss this workshop because it explores one of the most serious limitations you can experience as a STEM student - "data blindness" or, in other words: "the inability to accurately describe, without interpretations, what it is you actually see in front of you."
While "data-blindness" does not seem to be a big deal - most students graduate without addressing it - it becomes an insurmountable problem if you want to understand science, or pursue discovery research.
In this interactive workshop we will explore how you can recognize if you are "data-blind", and how to fix it if you are.
Price: NZ$10, US$6, €5 FREE REGISTRATION Until 1 February 2026
Study Group Strategies (50 mins, online, 25 participants max)
While many students have tried "group study" (mostly to prepare for exams), only few make it a habit. Reasons for that range from "scheduling difficulties" to "not finding it effective", or "not knowing how to get started if you do not already have friends in class to meet with". This does not change that group study - if done right - is the singly most powerful tool in your skills repertoire, ultimately saving you a lot of time & helping you with making your knowledge permanent and usable.
In this interactive workshop we will take a look at common mistakes made when studying in a group, and lay out a plan to make your group study more powerful.
If you are working in study groups already, this workshop may provide some perspective and perhaps new ideas. You also may consider booking a "study group support - intro" appointment for a more tailored experience
Price: NZ$10, US$6, €5 FREE REGISTRATION Until 1 February 2026
How To Define (50 mins, online, 25 participants max)
STEM is no different from a foreign language. In fact, you are expected to learn a lot of new, often subject specific vocabulary in your science classes. With everything else that is happening in other classes and your life, it is tempting to "cut corners", trying to get away with "sort of knowing".
The really bad news here is that "sort of knowing" is nothing your brain can actually use to solve problems or think critically. For your brain - "sort of knowing" is like getting trapped in a deadly swamp where you loose control and can not remember anything for more than a few hours. If on top, your exams are multiple choice based, then you will not even realize that you are not learning much. If that is OK with you - go ahead. However, if you want to maximize returns from classes you are (required) to take, then this interactive workshop is the first step to changing your game because it will give you a road map for replacing "the swamp" with clarity and control.
Price: NZ$10, US$6, €5 FREE REGISTRATION Until 1 February 2026
Problem Solving I (50 mins, online, 25 participants max)
You may have been there: an exam - clock ticking, as you find yourself staring at some information (with or without data figures), and - in your worst nightmare - blank space for you to write answers to one or multiple questions.
I know that problem solving - open response questions in particular - can be traumatic. The good news is: problem solving does not have to be stressful if you "have a plan".
In this first workshop, we take a general look at what exactly problem solving is, what (if anything) instructors are thinking when they make up these questions, whether there is any system in the "madness", and what the common obstacles are in problem solving.
You do not need to have advanced knowledge in any bio-related (or chemistry) subjects to follow along because this first part of the workshop is focused on analyzing the structure of reasoning challenges (which does not require extensive knowledge)
Price: NZ$10, US$6, €5 FREE REGISTRATION Until 1 February 2026
Problem Solving II (50 mins, online, 25 participants max)
Building on the first part of this workshop, this second part will focus on tangible approaches to problem solving.
Specifically: in the first part of the workshop we saw that problem solving challenges come in "different flavors" (e.g. ill-defined, conceptual traps, information rich with and without visual distractions). The good news is that each of these "flavors" has its own, relatively simple approach how to work towards an answer.
I am not promising a "silver bullet". However, many former students shared that the tools I introduced helped them become more proficient and confident in how they approached open ended problems and "trick questions".
Note: since we will need to look at explicit examples to show how the tools work, you will need some biology knowledge to receive the greatest benefit.
Price: NZ$10, US$6, €5 FREE REGISTRATION Until 1 February 2026
Is Your Intended Future Right For You? (50 mins, online, 25 participants max)
This seems to be an odd question. I understand. Yet, from working with students at every stage of their career development (undergraduate, graduate, postdoctoral) - here are four common situations I observed, students that:
genuinely do not know what comes next, or what to even major in
on day one of College know exactly what they will be 30 years later
are paralyzed because they are torn between very different options
are panicked because they feel trapped in the trajectory they set in motion
If any of these situations feel familiar, then this workshop may be helpful because each of these situations has a high likelihood of you finding yourself having regrets some 30 years from now. Good news is: you can easily avoid going down that path by stepping back now, asking yourself "am I on the right path?".
In this workshop, we will explore why regularly re-evaluating your future is the best thing you can possibly do for yourself. We also will put to use some tools that can help you with this process at any stage of your path.
If you feel that a more personalized experience would be more suited for you, consider booking a "mentoring - intro" appointment.
Price (workshop): NZ$10, US$6, €5 FREE REGISTRATION Until 1 February 2026
How To Secure (Summer) Research (50 mins, online, 25 participants max)
Doing (summer) research is a "must" in pursuit of any career in STEM or medicine. There is one ugly truth though that - in all likelihood - Colleges and career advisors will not tell you about and that is: doing research at the wrong stage during your College years, or in the wrong lab will do only one thing: damage - sometimes fatal.
Is there any way to avoid damaging/negative experiences? The answer is absolutely if you avoid the mistakes almost every student makes when starting to "hunt" for a research opportunity.
This workshop will explore common mistakes made in seeking out research positions, and provide you with explicit strategies to help you get the position you want.
If you prefer a more tailored, personalized experience, consider booking a "mentoring - intro" appointment for a more tailored experience
Price (workshop): NZ$10, US$6, €5 FREE REGISTRATION Until 1 February 2026
Interviewing For Graduate School (50 mins, online, 25 participants max)
It's the time of the year - you submitted your GradSchool applications and invites to interview have come in. What now?
Having been on "the other side" of the process - selecting and interviewing applicants - this workshop will take a look at things that typically happen at these interviews and how these things are really bad, quite possibly setting you up for an experience you may regret.
More specifically: in all my years in graduate admissions, I kept hoping applicants would ask questions that matter. I understand why none of them did. However, this does not change that finding answers to these questions is really important for you to avoid disappointment and disillusionment later on.
This workshop will explore questions you should - but probably are afraid of - asking, and will give you strategies how to get to the answers during your visit.
If you prefer a more tailored, personalized experience, consider booking a "mentoring - intro" appointment
Price (workshop): NZ$10, US$6, €5 FREE REGISTRATION Until 1 February 2026
Interviewing For Medical School (50 mins, online, 25 participants max)
It's the time of the year - you submitted your MedSchool applications and invites to interview have come in. What now?
Working with mostly premedical students for over 20 years, I have been writing letters for about 60-80 of them ever year for over 10 years.
Because I prefer writing detailed, holistic letters over using generic template letters, I put each of these students through a ~2hr mock interview. From this, I learned many things that I believe are worth sharing.
Why? The short answer: ~99% of the students failed this interview within 30 seconds. Why? Because they did not have a credible/viable "plan B" should medical school not work out.
Now you may think that me asking for plan B is "stupid" and totally "off point". If so, we will respectfully disagree. Regardless, this workshop is an invitation to everybody to take a look at why having "plan B" is everything. We also will take a look at some commonalities shared by most applicants, and what you can do to stand out.
If you prefer a more tailored, personalized experience, or would like to schedule a "mock interview", consider booking a "mentoring - intro" appointment
Price (workshop): NZ$10, US$6, €5 FREE REGISTRATION Until 1 February 2026
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