# Teaching My Own Classmates: A Deep Dive into React

**The "Imposter Syndrome" Moment**

Speaking to juniors is one thing. But teaching your *own classmates*? That is a different kind of pressure.

On **September 28, 2025**, I stood in front of my own batch, **70+ Third Year Computer Science students**. These are my friends, my lab partners, the people I sit with every day.

The week before this session, I was going down a rabbit hole. I was learning React, but not the usual way. I wasn't just building a To-Do list. I was trying to understand: *What exactly is happening inside the* `node_modules` folder?

I realized most of us just memorize commands like `npx create-react-app` without knowing what goes on behind the scenes. I wanted to change that.

**The Experiment: No Bundlers allowed**

My goal for the workshop was simple: **Do NOT use** `create-react-app`.

We started from scratch. Literally.

* **Step 1:** We opened a blank HTML file.
    
* **Step 2:** We pasted a React CDN link (just a script tag).
    
* **Step 3:** We tried to write React code *inside* the HTML file.
    

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**The "Aha!" Moment**

The room was quiet at first. Why were we doing it the hard way?

But then, we hit the problem. Writing complex UI with just `React.createElement` is painful. It’s messy. That’s when I introduced **JSX**.

Suddenly, everyone understood *why* we need tools like Babel and Webpack. We weren't just using tools because a tutorial told us to; we were using them because we *felt the pain* of not having them.

**Peer-to-Peer Magic**

The best part wasn't the code. It was the vibe. Since we were all classmates, the questions were raw and honest. No one was afraid to ask "dumb" questions. We debugged together. We laughed when things broke.

By the end, 70+ students didn't just know *how* to use React, they knew *what* React was.

Teaching your peers is the ultimate test of knowledge. If you can explain it to your friend, you truly understand it.

Can't wait for the next hands-on lab! 🚀