Despite the growing popularity of the Chinese language in New Zealand and worldwide, learners grapple with its intricacies, with Hanzi (Chinese characters) being a particularly formidable challenge. To illuminate the hurdles faced by Chinese as a Foreign Language (CFL) learners in their initial Hanzi learning stages within higher education, this study investigates individual differences that impact Hanzi acquisition, including underexplored dimensions such as beliefs, strategies, and motivation. Guided by Rubin's (2005) Learner Self-Management (LSM) model, this study attempts to understand the interplay of various factors contributing to Hanzi acquisition from a holistic approach. Employing a mixed-methods approach, this research surveyed 22 participants and observed their think-aloud process when completing tests. It is found that novice CFL learners in New Zealand display a keen awareness of Hanzi's unique nature and a strong motivation to become proficient in the Chinese language, despite recognising the challenges of a non-alphabetic writing system. Although cognitive strategies help to enhance learners' ability to deconstruct characters and establish connections between meaning, sound, and symbol, social strategies specifically support them in finding connections to the Chinese language and the Chinese community in this anglophone country. Besides, positive beliefs about Hanzi learning also bolster learning performance, shedding light on the role of individual differences beneath the surface of varying language proficiency and diverse strategy use. This research attempts to help beginner learners overcome the challenges brought by learning Hanzi at the early stage of their Chinese learning journey from a learner's perspective. Additionally, these findings provide valuable insights for Chinese teachers, enabling them to tailor their pedagogical decisions and develop more suitable curricula and teaching materials that acknowledge and address the individual differences in Chinese character learning.