# Awalnya cuma tertarik ikutan ngajar frontend..

Hi, aku Mareta, software engineer yang sekarang lagi ngerjain project Ruangguru Engineering Academy.

## Sebelumnya kenalan dulu.. Apa itu Ruangguru Engineering Academy?

Ruangguru Engineering Academy itu tempat belajar intensif buat teman-teman yang pengen upgrade skill di dunia tech. Ada dua program utamanya: **AI & Python Bootcamp**  dan **AI Engineering Bootcamp**. selengkapnya check di sini ya haha ruangguru.com/rea



## Frontend Engineer biasa yang memberanikan diri mendaftar sebagai instruktur

Jujur, awalnya aku cuma frontend engineer biasa di tim produk. Sehari-hari ngoding React, implementasi UI/UX design, dan sesekali integrate API. Tapi entah kenapa, ada rasa pengen berbagi ilmu yang udah didapat selama bertahun-tahun di dunia tech.

Waktu itu Mas Ricky (dari tim REA), lagi nyari instruktur bootcamp untuk fullstack engineering bootcamp. Aku mikir "hmm kayaknya seru kalo bisa ngajar ya. tapi aku bukan fullstack engineer, emang bisa ikutan?" aku nekat daftar sih haha. Worst case scenario, ditolak. Best case, bisa sharing knowledge sambil dapet pengalaman baru. Aku belum pernah mengajar formal di bootcamp bahkan aku juga belum pernah mengikuti bootcamp apapun selama ini jadi sebenernya aku juga masih belum tahu banget bakal seperti apa suasana kelasnya.

## Visi Misi dalam Mengajar

Dari awal, aku punya visi sederhana: bikin coding jadi ga scary buat pemula. Banyak orang yang merasa programming itu susah dan cuma buat orang "pintar" doang.Padahal sebenernya, programming itu skill yang bisa dipelajari siapa aja, asal  ada kemauan dan metode yang tepat.

Misi aku dalam mengajar:
- Breakdown konsep kompleks jadi simple dan relatable + analogi.
- Kasih contoh-contoh real-world yang applicable
- Bikin suasana belajar yang fun dan ga intimidating
- Support students tidak hanya secara teknis, tapi juga secara mental

## Mulai Mengajar

Kelas pertama aku adalah "Basic Programming with P5JS". Deg-degan banget! Tapi ternyata, pengalaman sebagai developer bikin aku punya banyak cerita dan case study menarik untuk dibagikan. Selama mengajar, aku tetap pada pembawaan & metode ngajarku sendiri. Tiap instruktur pasti punya metode mengajar yang beda-beda bukan?

Yang bikin surprised, ternyata ngajar itu challenging banget. Kamu harus:
- Adapt dengan pace belajar masing-masing student
- Explain konsep teknis dengan bahasa yang mudah dipahami
- Handle berbagai macam pertanyaan spontan
- Keep everyone engaged sepanjang session

## Tantangan Dalam Mengajar

Tantangan terbesar?
**Imposter syndrome**. Ada momen-momen di mana aku mikir, "Apakah aku qualified enough untuk ngajarin orang lain?" Especially ketika ada students yang background-nya udah advanced atau punya pengalaman di tech company lain.

Tantangan lainnya:
- **Time management**: Gimana caranya cover semua materi dalam waktu yang terbatas
- **Different learning styles**: Ada yang visual learner, ada yang hands-on learner
- **Technical issues**: Live coding  session yang tiba-tiba error di depan banyak students😅
- **Keeping up with tech updates**: Frontend landscape berubah super cepet

## Hal yang paling berkesan

Hal yang paling berkesan buat aku adalah ketika melihat pemula yang sama sekali tidak punya background IT bisa ikut belajar, enjoy prosesnya, dan pelan-pelan mulai paham konsep yang awalnya terasa rumit.  

Ada momen di mana mereka yang tadinya minder banget bisa tiba-tiba excited karena berhasil bikin project kecil pertamanya. Proses melihat mereka bertumbuh dari nol hingga percaya diri itu bikin aku seneng banget.  

Aku juga sering menerapkan konsep breakout room selama sesi. Di situ aku bisa lebih dekat mengamati tiap kelompok. Kadang ada siswa yang cenderung diam saja, gak berani speak up. Aku berusaha dorong mereka buat ikut presentasi tanpa takut salah, sambil selalu bilang kalau kita semua di sini sama-sama belajar. Kalau mereka bingung atau salah, aku siap bantuin.  

Dari situ aku sadar, impact dari mengajar bukan cuma soal transfer knowledge, tapi juga soal memberi keberanian, rasa aman, dan pengalaman seru yang bisa jadi titik awal perjalanan mereka di dunia tech. Dan honestly, itu juga bikin aku grow sebagai engineer dan manusia yang lebih baik.  


## Atasanku memberi challenge ke diriku untuk belajar python 

aku pikir aku hanya akan mempelajari python saja untuk diriku sendiri, aku belajar deh dari 0 banget hahaa. belajarnya mandiri dari modul bootcamp, kadang sesekali aku juga nanya ke ChatGPT, nonton youtube juga dan yess seru juga ya belajar python meskipun aku juga masih "kagok" dengan syntaxnya tapi masih bisa aku pelajari.

## Belajar python selama 3 hari

Aku menghabiskan waktu untuk belajar python dasar sampai data structure kurang lebih 3 hari. Gak susah sih karena aku udah punya pengalaman belajar programming language lain, hanya perlu adapt dengan sintaks dan rulenya aja. 

## TIBA-TIBA KOK JADI INSTRUKTUR PYTHON

Gilss aku gak expect Mas Levi memberi challenge ke diriku untuk ngajar di sesi python.. WADAWW. aku udah bilang sih "kayaknya jangan aku deh, aku belum siap"

Mas Levi "pasti bisa.. yuk"
Challenge accepted! aku mulai ngisi kelas python selama beberapa pertemuan.

Nice try, feedbacknya bagus hehe 


## Memberikan best experience ke students selama belajar

Dari pengalaman ngajar berbagai  topics dan audiences, aku develop beberapa principles untuk ensure best learning experience:

**1. Create psychological safety**
- No stupid questions policy
- Encourage trial and error
- Share my own learning struggles dan mistakes

**2. Make it practical dan applicable**
- Always connect concepts to real-world scenarios
- Hands-on exercises yang meaningful
- Project-based learning approach

**3. Cater to different learning styles**
- Visual aids untuk visual learners
- Hands-on exercises untuk kinesthetic learners
- Explanations dan discussions untuk auditory learners

**4. Provide continuous support**
Aku selalu support students bootcamp baik di jam kerja maupun di luar jam kerja. bahkan jangan ragu untuk konsultasi apapun. kadang tiap students punya probelm yang berbeda-beda, biasanya aku ajak untuk 1on1. Aku seneng banget kalo bisa bantu students dan melihat mereka antusias belajar.


## Mulai bikin program baru, bikin silabus, sampai mengajar e2e

One of the most exciting projects adalah ketika aku dikasih full ownership untuk develop program baru dari scratch. The program: "AI & Python Bootcamp".

Aku mulai dari design kurikulum bersama Mas Levi, bikin materinya, simulasinya, rubriknya hingga assignment & scoring projectnya.



---

Reflecting on this journey, yang paling aku appreciate adalah how much I've grown - not just technically, tapi juga personally. Teaching has made me a better communicator, a more empathetic person, dan surprisingly, a better engineer.

Dan yang paling penting, aku belajar kalau sometimes the best way to grow adalah dengan step outside comfort zone dan embrace challenges yang initially seem impossible.

To anyone yang consider teaching atau sharing knowledge: just start. You don't need to be perfect atau expert. You just need to care about helping others learn dan willing to grow alongside them.

Perjalananku di Ruangguru Engineering Academy

# Design is Empathy Made Visible: My UI/UX Journey

Design is not just about making things look pretty. It is about understanding people, their needs, their frustrations, and their dreams. My journey into UI/UX design taught me that every pixel has a purpose.

## The Beginning: From Marketing to Design

When I transitioned from marketing to design, I brought something unique - the ability to understand business goals while caring deeply about user experience. This combination became my superpower.

### What Marketing Taught Me About Design:
- **Data-driven decisions:** Every design choice should be backed by insights
- **User personas are real people:** Not just demographic data
- **Conversion matters:** Beautiful designs that do not convert are just art

## Key Projects That Shaped My Perspective

### 1. Brain Academy Homepage Redesign
**Challenge:** Improve user experience for Ruangguru Brain Academy website
**Impact:** Increased user engagement and streamlined learning path

**What I learned:** Sometimes the best design is invisible - users should focus on their goals, not your interface.

### 2. Design System Creation
**Challenge:** Create consistent design language across multiple products
**Impact:** Reduced design debt and improved development efficiency

**What I learned:** Design systems are not just about components - they are about creating a shared language between designers and developers.

## Core Design Principles I Live By

### 1. Empathy First
Before opening Figma, I spend time understanding:
- Who are the users?
- What are their pain points?
- What success looks like for them?

### 2. Simplicity Wins
> "Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication" - Leonardo da Vinci

The best interfaces disappear. Users should not have to think about how to use your product.

### 3. Accessibility is Non-Negotiable
Design should be inclusive. Every color choice, typography decision, and interaction pattern should consider users with different abilities.

### 4. Iterate, Iterate, Iterate
First versions are never perfect. Great design emerges through continuous testing and refinement.

## Tools I Swear By

- **Figma:** For design and prototyping
- **FigJam:** For collaborative brainstorming
- **Principle/ProtoPie:** For advanced interactions
- **Hotjar/FullStory:** For user behavior analysis
- **Notion:** For design documentation

## The Designer-Developer Bridge

One advantage of my technical background is understanding development constraints. I design with implementation in mind:

- **Component thinking:** Designs that translate well to React components
- **Responsive first:** Mobile, tablet, desktop - all considered from start
- **Performance awareness:** Heavy images and complex animations have costs

## What is Next?

Design is evolving rapidly with AI and new technologies. I am excited about:

- **AI-assisted design:** Tools that help, not replace designers
- **Voice interfaces:** Designing for conversations, not just screens
- **AR/VR experiences:** Spatial design thinking
- **Inclusive design:** Making technology accessible to everyone

## My Advice for Aspiring Designers

- **Start with problems, not solutions:** Understand the why before the what
- **Learn to code:** Even basic HTML/CSS makes you a better designer
- **Study psychology:** Design is about human behavior
- **Build a community:** Design is collaborative, not solitary
- **Stay curious:** The best designers are lifelong learners

## Final Thoughts

Design taught me that empathy is a skill you can develop. Every user interview, every usability test, every feedback session makes you better at understanding people.

And that is what design really is - **empathy made visible**.

---

*Want to see my design work? Check out my portfolio or connect with me on social media. Let us build something beautiful together!*

Design is Empathy Made Visible: My UI/UX Journey

# From Marketing Engineer to Software Engineer: My Plot Twist Journey

Every career switch was terrifying. Each transition felt impossible. But here is what I learned: your seemingly unrelated experiences become your greatest strengths.

## Chapter 1: Senior Marketing Engineer
### Business meets tech

Built all Ruangguru marketing landing pages, optimized technical SEO, and managed the company blog. Discovered that marketing and code make magic together.

**Key Insight:** Every campaign needs a solid technical foundation.

**Skills I developed:**
- Landing page optimization
- Technical SEO
- Content strategy
- Performance marketing

## Chapter 2: Senior UI Designer
### Visual storytelling

Discovered that pixels could tell stories that words could not. Design became my way of solving problems through empathy.

**Key Insight:** Design is empathy made visible.

**Skills I developed:**
- User Research
- Prototyping
- Visual Design
- Design Systems

## Chapter 3: Software Engineer
### Building with code

Built AiRIS (ai.ruangguru.com) - an AI learning platform used by students across Indonesia. From concept to production, creating tools that make education accessible.

**Key Insight:** Code that impacts millions starts with one student need.

**Skills I developed:**
- React Native
- TypeScript
- Tamagui
- Collaboration

## Current: Community Builder
### Sharing the journey

Turned my career pivots into content that helps others navigate theirs. Growth happens when we learn together.

**Key Insight:** Growth happens when we learn together.

**Skills I developed:**
- Content Creation
- Mentorship
- Speaking
- Community building

## The Ripple Effect

Today, I have built a community of:
- **20K+** TikTok followers sharing tech journeys
- **15K+** Instagram community for daily inspiration
- **100+** lives changed through mentorship

## What I Learned

Each chapter of my career felt like starting over, but in reality, I was building a unique combination of skills that no one else has. Your plot twists are not detours - they are your differentiator.

**Remember:** Transforming through change is not just about adapting - it is about building bridges between worlds that others cannot see.

Stories

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Perjalananku di Ruangguru Engineering Academy

Design is Empathy Made Visible: My UI/UX Journey

From Marketing Engineer to Software Engineer: My Plot Twist Journey

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