I'm about a year away from graduating and have secured a software engineering internship for the upcoming summer. The company I'm joining heavily utilizes cloud computing, and from conversations with their engineers, I've learned that having some knowledge of AWS would be beneficial. However, I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed by the variety of AWS services and the countless learning resources available.
I plan to dedicate around 30 minutes each day to study AWS alongside my university coursework to build a fundamental understanding before my internship starts. I'm open to investing in a quality course, ideally under $100. One challenge I face is that I don't currently have specific personal projects in mind.
I'd appreciate any recommendations on where to begin with AWS learning. Thanks!
6 Answers
I suggest beginning with networking concepts in AWS first. Understanding how different services connect will really help you as you dive deeper into the platform.
It's important to start with the basics, focusing on computation, networking, and storage in AWS. Those fundamentals will provide you with a solid foundation.
Consider aiming for the AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner certification. The training materials for that will help you gain practical experience with the AWS interface and command line. It's a structured way to get a solid understanding.
Given how extensive AWS is, it might be helpful to narrow your focus based on what your company uses. Ask if they prefer serverless solutions, then concentrate on services like Lambda and API Gateway. If they lean more traditional, look into VPC, EC2, and ECS. Knowing where they stand can help you focus your learning effectively.
Check out AWS Skill Builder! The free version offers some great starter courses. Once you have a handle on the basics, sign up for a free AWS account to experiment with the services. You can also explore example apps from AWS’s sample repo to practice building and deploying. It's a perfect way to get hands-on experience.
Thanks a lot! This is exactly the direction I was hoping to find. I appreciate the guidance!
I think the best way to learn AWS is by actually building something. Instead of just studying, why not create a small web app? You could use AWS Lambda for your backend, DynamoDB for the database, and maybe EC2 for the frontend. Learning through a project will really solidify your understanding. And don't forget about Terraform to manage your deployments!
Totally agree! Building projects is often the best way to learn. Just make sure you know how to secure your resources along the way. Don't stress about learning everything at once—it's all part of the fun!
I resonate with that! A lot of my own progress has been through creating my own projects. I plan to start with a basic course on AWS and tackle small projects to get my feet wet. Thanks for the tips!

Thank you! This recommendation is very helpful. I had been feeling overwhelmed by the Skill Builder but knowing there's structured training available is reassuring.