It all began in mid-November when I stepped into Argyle House as an Intern Digital Skills Trainer. I expected it to be like many internships, spending most of my time on support tasks rather than core projects. Little did I know I was embarking on a rewarding and challenging journey — one where I would design courses myself, supported and guided by my line manager.

One of the most rewarding aspects of this internship has been the chance to teach a programming language I once learned as a beginner. Revisiting R brought back memories of my undergraduate days, but this time I approached it from the perspective of an instructor. This shift challenged me to think critically about how to explain concepts that now feel second nature in a way that is clear and accessible to beginners. Drawing from my own learning journey, I redesigned the “Introduction to R” course to make it more engaging and beginner-friendly. Later, I developed a new course called “Data Visualisation in R with ggplot2,” which allowed me to deepen my understanding of the package and explore fresh techniques for creating complex plots.

The collaboration and support I received from my line manager and colleagues greatly enhanced my internship experience. I received regular feedback from my line manager on how to improve the courses and materials I designed, which was invaluable in ensuring the content was beginner-friendly and easy to follow. Discussions with colleagues opened my mind to different approaches for course delivery and introduced me to new tools that help improve the student experience.

A significant part of this role was engaging with students, both online and in-person, which made every session unique. Their feedback was incredibly valuable in understanding how well I was doing and identifying areas for further improvement. Sometimes, students suggested alternative approaches or tools they thought might work better. While I explored many of these ideas, practical limitations such as time constraints or platform restrictions meant I had to make compromises. This taught me the importance of balancing ideal solutions with what’s feasible in a real-world setting.

Other than managing feedback and course design compromises, I encountered several smaller challenges throughout the internship. For instance, balancing internship work with demanding academic project deadlines challenged me to manage my time more effectively and sharpen my time management skills. I also had to quickly learn new tools and platforms used for course delivery, which sometimes required troubleshooting and adapting on the fly. These experiences strengthened my ability to stay flexible and proactive in a dynamic work environment.

Beyond my main responsibilities, I had the opportunity to collaborate with two other interns to organise an activity during the DSDT section meeting. Working together on this event helped me develop my teamwork and event-planning skills. It was rewarding to contribute to a fun and engaging experience for our colleagues, especially when participants shared how much they enjoyed the activity. The positive feedback was encouraging, and the event was later featured in a blog post, Prompt-Off AI Challenge, which made the experience feel even more meaningful.

This internship has been a significant learning journey, helping me grow both technically and professionally. Through designing courses, collaborating with my team, and engaging with students, I developed stronger communication, problem-solving, and teaching skills. Seeing students gain confidence and apply their new skills was especially rewarding and reinforced my passion for education. Looking back, I realised this experience went far beyond my initial expectations of typical internship tasks, offering real responsibility and meaningful challenges.

I’m grateful for the guidance and opportunities I received during this internship, which have equipped me with skills and experiences that I will carry forward in my career. This role has not only deepened my knowledge but also confirmed my enthusiasm for sharing knowledge with others. I look forward to applying what I’ve learned in future challenges and continuing to grow both personally and professionally.

Written by Aretha Foo, Digital Skills Trainer Intern

Intern Reflection: Growth and Insights as a Digital Skills Trainer / Digital Skills, Design and Training by is licensed under a