The seminar is designed for students to stay informed of events impacting their stay in New Zealand and is an opportunity to maintain contact with other CSU students and the CSU professor throughout the semester. The university is located in rural surroundings between the Southern Alps and the Pacific Ocean on the South Island. The mountains are only a 1-hour drive to the west of Lincoln and to the east lie the sandy beaches of the Pacific. The city offers the typical urban attractions such as cafes, restaurants, museums, art galleries, parks, and botanical gardens, as well as the natural attractions of spectacular beaches and trails. There are national parks, fjords, rivers, coastal nature reserves, glaciers, temperate rainforests, and high mountains to explore.
Outdoor activities are a major part of life in New Zealand, especially on the South Island.
The five campus residence halls at Lincoln cater to about 500 students. Each hall has a communal TV lounge, a laundry, and a kitchen with sufficient facilities to cook light snacks. Morning and evening meals are provided in the dining halls. Most rooms in the halls are carpeted, fully furnished, single rooms with shared bathrooms. The fall semester begins in early July and ends in late October.