From Zero to AWS Certificate
Tags: aws
Published: 2021-02-10 02:44:06

Late last year, I decided to challenge myself - I wanted to learn about AWS and get the AWS Cloud Certificate.

I have yet to work with AWS before. However, even if I may not deal directly with AWS, knowing the basics would still be helpful, much like how my Linux knowledge and basic network helped me - it made diagnosing whether a problem is truly code-related or a network issue easier, and it improved my ability to communicate and work with the IT staff.

The combination of quarantine, [Minnesota AWS Certification Challenge](https://pages.awscloud.com/TrainCert_AWS_Certification_Challenge_Minnesota_2020.html), and the AWS re:Invent 2020 gave me the push I need and a set timeline - end of year. The stars seemed aligned for me!

Here is my list of learning resources:
- From the founder of FreeCodeCamp, Quincy Larson: [Introducing The #AWSCertified Challenge: A Path to Your First AWS Certifications](https://www.freecodecamp.org/news/awscertified-challenge-free-path-aws-cloud-certifications/). Announce your commitment to join the AWSCertified Challenge! In addition to details about the challenge, the article also come with intro information and some links. My favorite is:
- [FreeCodeCamp Video: AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner Training 2020 - Full Course](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3hLmDS179YE) was a great intro, with some step-by-step lessons that you can practice while watching.
- [TechTalks Video: AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner Course](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dUXZUAj_fCE) from Pearson IT  is also a good one. It is 7 hours instead of 4 hours, and it is not as interactive, but it is more detail and talks about more topics.
- [AWS Article: Prepare for Your AWS Certification Exam](https://aws.amazon.com/certification/certification-prep/): Expand "Foundational-level AWS Certification" item and look for "Read AWS whitepapers and FAQs". The whitepapers recommended are very useful, very informative.
- [AWS Videos: AWS Cloud Practitioner Essentials](https://www.aws.training/Details/eLearning?id=60697): Sadly, this was quite annoying to use for me. I can't natively speed up their videos or switch tabs. There was a script I used to speed it up, but it's annoying that I had to keep doing it. I also got logged out if I step away and come back later. I went through all the videos, but I do feel like most of them are repetitive of the last 2 videos. If you are in rush, I think you can probably skip this.
- [AWS Getting Started Resource Center](https://aws.amazon.com/getting-started/): This is a really important resource for those who don't actually work in AWS like me. Going through the tutorials to gain more hands-on experience helped solidify what I learned from text and videos. After all, the ultimate reason to get the AWS certificate is to actually **learn and utilize** new skills.
- [AWS re:Invent 2020](https://reinvent.awsevents.com/?pg=WINr) and [AWS Events page](https://aws.amazon.com/events/): Due to the Covid pandemic, the 2020 AWS re:Invent went **100% virtual, free, and lasted 3 whole week**. Unfortunately, I had a major project that week, and I missed most of the live events. I was able to re-watch some of them, and it definitely gave me a boost from learning alongside so many people online. AWS do several events each year, so definitely look up the events page to see if there is one coming up!
- [Tutorial Dojo](https://tutorialsdojo.com/): Bon Jonso's Tutorial Dojo comes highly recommended as a practice exam resource on many online discussions. Now, many people will post his Udemy link, but I found that Bon Jonso actually have his **own learning portal site**! The platform is designed specifically for doing practice exam, with features not available in the Udemy version. Be smart, buy the Tutorial Dojo version! It's not expensive at all - sometimes even cheaper than the Udemy version. A tip: if you are viewing this around Thanksgiving, wait for the Black Friday sale!

As for the certificate, I did ended up getting the Cloud Practitioner certificate in time. Here is me with my AWS t-shirt I got from completing the Minnesota AWS Certification Challenge!
![Amy wearing her AWS t-shirt](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/i/0rrbmz52qna0s8gss1c2.jpg)