To help new students settle into university life and set off on a journey of growth through reading, the Library and the Language Center jointly launched the " One-Book Project for Freshmen " at the start of the new semester. Centered on three themes—building good habits, planning for university, and self-exploration—the project guides new students to find answers between the pages and grow through dialogue. Julia Ng of the Language Center served as the project's reading mentor.
Setting Sail with Books: Three Sessions Map the Path to Growth
Under the theme " Reading to Kick-off Your College Journey" The project selected three classic books on growth, leading new students from behavioral change to self-awareness, and from adapting to university to shaping their own lives. The three reading sessions were both an intellectual journey for Chinese and international students to explore the path of growth together, and a vivid practice of teachers and students inspiring and empowering one another across cultures.
Session I:
Tiny Changes Transform You: The Power of Atomic Habits
On September 17, the first session focused on James Clear's Atomic Habits. Julia Ng explained how small behaviors bring about lasting change and, drawing on the challenges new students face in adjusting to university, encouraged everyone to weave the book's habit-forming strategies into daily life—starting with tiny actions and gradually building a disciplined, efficient rhythm of study and living. The interaction was lively: Chinese and international students shared their own cultural perspectives on "habits," and many remarked that the session made them realize, "Change doesn't have to be dramatic; starting with one small action each day can gradually shape a brand-new you."
Fig. 1: Group photo of Session 1
Session II
Practical Strategies: Make the Most of Your College Life
On September 23, the second session read Skip Downing's On Course: Strategies for Creating Success in College and in Life. Julia Ng and the students unpacked the book's strategies for academic excellence and discussed how to turn four years on campus into nourishment for ongoing growth, helping new students re-anchor their direction and rebuild their rhythm during the transition from high school. How to find belonging on a foreign campus, and how to turn the experience of "studying in China" into a lifetime of growth, became shared topics for Chinese and international students. The session was a timely downpour, helping new students find their footing amid a transition woven of confusion and expectation.
Fig. 2: Group photo of Session 2
Fig. 3: Students following the lecture attentively
Session III
Explore Within: Decide Who You Want to Be
On September 30, the third session centered on Alfred Adler's What Life Should Mean to You. Julia Ng and the students explored Adler's core idea: that the value of life lies in connecting with others, taking responsibility, and contributing to a larger community. Adler's notion of "social feeling" resonated deeply with international students as they navigated cross-cultural integration and self-positioning, bringing the three-session series to a close.
Fig. 4: Group photo of Session 3
Fig. 5: Students following the lecture attentively
Echoes of Books: Chinese and International Students Talk About Growth
Students came from many countries and regions. After the program, their heartfelt feedback added a vivid footnote to this reading journey:
Kanaya Harijanto wrote:
"I like the way the presenter speaks and explains, it's so simple and clear."
Muhammadmohtashim Asif reflected:
"It was pretty good, very impactful. Gained a lot from it, learned how to build systems rather than just following goals. Being consistent and manifesting by changing shaping our identity."
Mohameddennis Conteh said:
"One of the most important favorite session in this book is the building up of the mindset, life should grow up with positive mindset such a way that you must challenge to do what you it hard to do."
Students were generally positive about the program. The most frequent suggestion was to "add more discussion and interaction"; some also asked for longer sessions, lunchtime-friendly scheduling, and sharing the books in advance. This feedback points the way for future editions of the program.
Reading Becoming an Enduring Campus Tradition
The One-Book Project for Freshmen is an annual flagship event jointly run by the Library and the Language Center. Through books and reading, it helps new students settle into university life more quickly and quietly fosters mutual growth among Chinese and international teachers and students, as well as exchange and mutual learning between cultures. "The sound of different languages all around, teachers and students of all backgrounds walking side by side"—the project is a vivid snapshot of this international educational scene. Three reading sessions, three stages of growth. May the Class of 2026 carry the strength drawn from these books and make reading part of their daily lives; the library will continue to accompany every new student, walking together in the fragrance of books.