Why Top Chinese Universities Still Teach C Language to Freshmen

Why C is taught in Chinese top universities

Surveys show that more than 90% of 985/211 universities use C as the first programming language. The rationale is that C serves as a minimal‑level tool for learning core computer‑science concepts rather than a language to be used in production.

Core concepts that C exposes

Memory layout : direct access to addresses, stack vs heap, manual allocation.

Pointer arithmetic : foundation for references in higher‑level languages.

Function call stack and return values : how calls are translated into jumps and how results are passed.

System calls and file descriptors : unified view of files, sockets, devices.

Low‑level data structures : structs, unions, bit‑fields for protocol headers.

Typical laboratory projects that require C

Operating‑system labs such as MIT xv6, Tsinghua ucore, and Harbin Institute’s linux‑0.11 are written entirely in C. Without a C background students cannot complete these labs.

Recommended learning pathway

1. Master the basics (pointers, memory)

Read The C Programming Language (K&R) and C and Pointers .

Watch Zhejiang University’s MOOC C course (available on Bilibili).

Implement classic data structures (linked list, binary tree, heap, sorting) in C.

2. Transition to system programming

Use the following textbooks as references:

Computer Systems: A Programmer’s Perspective (CSAPP)

Unix Network Programming

Advanced Unix Programming

Key topics to study:

Linux programming interfaces (POSIX APIs, open, read, write, mmap).

Kernel‑provided capabilities and standard C library functions.

System calls: fork, exec, wait, socket, bind, listen, accept.

Concurrency primitives: mutexes, condition variables, signals.

I/O multiplexing: select, poll, epoll.

Inter‑process communication: pipes, message queues, shared memory.

Thread creation ( pthread_create) and process management.

3. Optional graphics or higher‑level extensions

Use simple graphics libraries such as easyx for windowed programs.

After C fundamentals, move to Python/Java for web development or GUI work.

Why the foundation matters for later languages

Understanding C clarifies how the JVM, Python interpreter, or other runtimes interact with the OS (e.g., epoll, select). It also makes learning JVM internals, NIO, or native extensions easier.

Conclusion

Teaching C in the first year provides a concrete, low‑level view of memory, pointers, and system interfaces that underpins operating‑system labs and later advanced topics. Even if a student later specializes in higher‑level languages, the C foundation accelerates learning and prevents a “know‑how‑but‑not‑why” gap.