Study Abroad at Lincoln University, New Zealand

I was lucky enough to do a semester abroad at Lincoln’s School of Landscape architecture. The professors were inspiring, the people were kind/fascinating, and the south island’s landscape was truly one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen. Even though I had the unfortunate timing of attending during the start of COVID, I really could not think of a better place to get “trapped”. The education and experiences I received there were some of my fondest and most important I received during my college career.

Also Kiwi’s really know how to party.

I had a great time at Lincoln University!
I learned a lot, met amazing people, and had the best time. Everyone at LU, professors, staff etc. were super friendly and welcoming. The accommodation (flat in farm road) was nice. And the location of the Uni is good , as it’s pretty quiet and rural, but close to the city. Also close to the mountains (for skiing, snowboarding & hiking) and the sea. They Uni also offers a lot of clubs (e.g. pottery) and has a nice gym with cool classes. Would totally recommend!

I had the incredible opportunity to spend a semester at Lincoln University, and it proved to be a gratifying experience. Coming from larger lecture settings at CBS in Denmark, the transition to Lincoln's small class sizes was refreshing and the engaging environment made coursework enjoyable. Residing on campus was a recommended experience. Beyond the academic aspects, the breathtaking landscapes and unique cultural atmosphere made the exchange so enjoyable.

My time at Lincoln has left a lasting impression, and I am grateful for the enriching experience that will undoubtedly influence my academic and personal growth.

Even though my study abroad was cut short due to COVID-19, I still loved my time with Lincoln University. Lincoln is a great little town with a good pub, grocery store, and quick access to the larger city of Christchurch. Quick drive to ocean or mountains. Faculty and staff were very nice and the campus beautiful. I originally lived in one of the dorms on campus, but do not recommend them for study abroad students. Moved within first week to the flats on the outer reaches of campus and loved living with other international students. Course work fit well into my undergraduate degree (agricultural education) and was challenging but enjoyable. I took classes in viticulture, sheep production, and Maori studies; enjoyed them all!

I loved the experience at Lincoln University, it was very enjoyable to walk around the campus. I studied viticulture and wine science and I found the classes to be challenging but informative. The small class sizes really helped me to be engaged compared to my large university in the US. It was a bit difficult to to find a social scene but I got along well with my flat mates and went on some fun adventures with them. It is pretty cool that I had such a good experience despite it being the beginning of Covid. LU handled the pandemic in a responsible and proactive way.

My experience was very unique coming from a school with around 30,000 students in the US to Lincoln University which only had around 3,000. However, I believe that helped me to really dive into the culture and lifestyle on Kiwis and have the full experience. I became close with all my classmates and got to have really cool experiences with field trips and club meetings. I would recommend New Zealand to anyone. The landscape, food, and people are all wonderful and I made memories and friends I will never forget.

In my opinion there is no most urgent topic than the actual climate crisis and all its effects on our very existance. Thats why I study Natural Ressource Management and Ecological Engeneering (NARMEE) in Austia + NZ. But somehow it´s contradictionary to have that passion and then get into a plane, which is the biggest legal crime you can make regarding the CO2 emissions from aviation. So what now?
I decided to make a slow travelling journey to come to NZ: I took trains all the way from Vienna to Bejing (transsibirian train), flew to Auckland and took trains, ferries and hitchhiked down to Lincoln. NO WORDS!

The quality of the lectures and the familiar atmosphere at Lincoln is amazing! So worth it. Everybody cares about you and the doors of the lecurers are always open. The variety of cources allow to specify in many different fields.
I had a great time at LU!

First off, make sure to give yourself an ample amount of time to travel to New Zealand prior to the beginning of classes. I gave myself three weeks and could have used more time honestly. If you're looking for a great touring company that will provide you with great sightseeing opportunities, adrenaline activities and tramping (hiking) stops check out Wild Kiwi.

If you want to travel solo, New Zealand is a great place to do so. Public transportation is a breeze and in my personal opinion hitchhiking is safe, preferably with a buddy. Dispersed throughout New Zealand are affordable hostels and backpackers where you meet the best of people, don't be afraid to get out of your comfort zone and engage in conversation with fellow travelers, you won't regret it.

Now for the school part, compared to my personal experience back home I would say the class sizes, academics and grading scale vary drastically. Classes at Lincoln are very small which can be good and bad, the teachers get to know you and will go out of their way to help but once they know you're international, they will pick on you (not in a bad way). I've also noticed that academically the classes are a wee bit more intense in the sense they go into greater detail. A personal struggle is that I do not come from a farming background whereas the majority of students at Lincoln do and I felt as if I was way behind in both my nutrition and dairy class going into the class. In saying this, with plenty of readings provided by the professors and speaking to the lecturers following class, I was able to catch up. The classes are extremely educational and are taught by intelligent professors (Jim-Nutrition & Pablo-Dairy). Lecturers teach so you understand the content and can use it practically following university, not just to pass the class. For my university back home (Colorado State University) my grades from Lincoln come back as either pass or fail. The grading scale at Lincoln is unlike that of CSU's. The grading scale is such as; 100-90=A+ 89-85=A 84-80=A- 79-75=B+ 74-70=B 69-65=B- 64-60=C+ 59-55=C 54-50 C- all considered passing with anything lower being a failing grade. Although this sounds extremely easy, there are on average only a total of four grades in the grade book, each assignment heavily weighted.

Tips/things you should know
- If you're flatting on campus, Farm Road flats are the way to go. They are four bedroom flats with a common living room, kitchen, bathroom and washer/dryer. They are only a 7-9 minute walk from the center of campus.
- DO NOT wait until the last week to finish large assignments
- Travel on the weekends when possible, busses are fairly priced. Cars are reasonably cheap but depending on how long you stay it may not be worth it (petrol, maintenance, WOF, Reg.)
- Get involved (Tramping and Climbing Club, weightlifting, LUSA)
- Don't be afraid to ask for help, there are plenty of resources provided by the school
- Fashion is not a big deal in New Zealand, comfort is. I only wore make-up and got dressed up a handful of times when we went into town. With saying this, the university does put on dance so make sure to bring at least one semi-formal outfit.
- Lincoln is farther from the city center than I expected (1:15 by bus and 25-30 by car). In the lincoln township, there are the necessities such as a grocery store, a few pubs, a small pharmacy, a small police station, a post office, a hardware store, 2 hairdressers and a handful of restaurants.
- Everyone goes out of Wednesday since that's when students get their money from the government. The Famous Grouse and The Yaldy are the closest pubs to Lincoln. The drinking age in New Zealand is 18 but they are very strict with this so be sure to bring your passport or get a Kiwi Access card, you can NOT use your driver's license from outside of New Zealand. When you're purchasing alcohol they check everyone's ID so make sure everyone has appropriate identification on them.

Last thing to be said, although it is a ton of fun and I would highly recommend studying abroad you do have to study in order to pass.