Back to Basecamp: This Time on the Other Side

A few months ago, I wrote about my experience as a student in Basecamp 12. It was a time filled with challenges, breakthroughs, and growth.

You might be wondering what I’ve been up to since then. Well, I’ve been building both personal projects and open source. I was even fortunate to become an OnlyDust Fellow on Starknet, which opened me to a new world of building in the open and collaborating with people all around the world.

Just four months later, I found myself back in Basecamp. But this time, not as a student. I returned as a teaching assistant in Basecamp 13, supporting Sir David and helping a new group of students through the same experience I once had. It felt so exciting to be on the other side of the classroom, now helping onboard new developers into Starknet.

From Student to Assistant

The jump from student to teaching assistant wasn’t easy. I had taught high school students between 2016 and 2019 as a science teacher, but it had been years since I was in that role. Basecamp 13 brought that part of me back to life.

As a student, my main job was simple: show up to class, ask questions, do assignments, and aim for perfect quiz scores. As an assistant, my focus shifted to helping others learn. That responsibility felt heavier than I expected, and sometimes I wondered: Am I really ready to guide others?

Learning by Teaching

Funny enough, I think I learned even more than the students. People always say teaching deepens learning, and it’s true. Feynman once said, "If you want to master something, teach it."

Students often asked questions from angles I hadn’t considered, forcing me to rethink and explain concepts in simpler ways. And in breaking things down, I realized I was learning all over again myself.

One incident stood out. In session 3, a quiz question asked:

Why should you avoid using felt252 in your code?
One of the options was: Because it can overflow and underflow when doing mathematical operations.

At first, I doubted this. I didn’t think felt252 could overflow, and I even suggested we change the question. But Sir David explained that it actually does overflow and underflow silently, because it is a field element. (I am planning to write a blog post about felt252 soon, stay tuned.)

I mostly handled technical questions, but when it came to non-technical ones, Szutung (our master of ceremony) was always there. A moment that stood out was when students couldn’t see the Zoom quiz pop-up. Instead of letting it become a roadblock, she quickly found out they could use a QR code to access the quiz. Problem solved. Watching her in action reminded me how important teamwork is in creating a smooth learning experience.

When Students Struggle

Being an assistant gave me a front-row seat to the struggles of learning. I saw students give their all, wrestle with Starklings, and still feel stuck. Some ran into Docker issues where they couldn’t even edit files. Others faced the classic "it works on my machine" frustration when deploying to Vercel.

It reminded me of Basecamp 12 when I was the one feeling lost and frustrated. Remembering those moments helped me respond with empathy and patience. Struggling doesn’t mean failure. In fact, it is a natural part of learning.

Working Alongside Sir David

Working with Sir David was another eye-opening experience. This time, I wasn’t there just to absorb his lectures. I was there to learn how he teaches.

I watched how he structured lessons, kept energy in the room, and encouraged students. It reminded me of a moment back in July, when I was invited by Starknet Africa to teach Merkle airdrops at the Starknet Code Jam in Lagos. Most of the audience were completely new to Cairo or Web3 in general. Looking back, I realized I had been so focused on passing knowledge that I didn’t pay enough attention to presence and engagement.

That is what I learned from Sir David: teaching isn’t just about transferring knowledge. It is also about being present, encouraging, and giving students the confidence that they can figure it out.

Reflections on Growth

Looking back, I can see a clear arc in my journey:

• Basecamp 12 put me in survival mode, pushing me to learn fast and keep up.
• Becoming an OD Fellow gave me confidence, responsibility, and new opportunities in the Starknet ecosystem.
• Basecamp 13 gave me perspective, empathy, and a renewed love for teaching.

Together, these experiences made me not just a better learner, but also a better contributor to the community.

Looking Ahead

As I continue my path in the Starknet ecosystem, I want to keep building, teaching, mentoring, and writing. And maybe one day, I’ll return to Basecamp again not as a student or an assistant, but in an even bigger role.

Closing Thoughts

I am grateful to Sir David, Szutung, the students of Basecamp 13, and the entire Starknet ecosystem for making this experience so meaningful.

My Teaching Assistant NFT

One of the highlights of Basecamp 13 was receiving my Teaching Assistant NFT, a meaningful token that represents this milestone in my journey.

In just a few months, I’ve gone from a student in Basecamp 12, to an OD Fellow, to a teaching assistant in Basecamp 13. It has been a full circle journey, and one I’ll carry with me for a long time.

If you are thinking about joining a Basecamp, I can only say: do it. It might just change your life, just like it did mine.

Shoutouts

This experience wouldn’t have been the same without the people I worked alongside. Huge thanks to:

• Szutung – @szutung_chen
• David – @barretodavid