#GroundUp: Your first Rodeo on AWS

5 min readJan 16, 2024

Hello there, and welcome to the first in my #GroundUp series, if you haven’t already you can check my introduction video.

As I start on this series, I want to take the time to give you an overview of a few ways you can get started on AWS, if you are looking for some courses you can take, and some sandboxes you can use, then this would be a great place for you to start. Let’s get started then.

Creating an AWS Account

To begin with, it would be ideal to create your AWS account by heading over to the AWS homepage and clicking on the “Sign Up” button.

Follow the on-screen instructions to provide the necessary information. Once your account is created, you’re ready to dive into the AWS ecosystem.
Take note that in this case, you will be required to provide a card on record.

Understanding AWS Free Tier

AWS has an offer called Free Tier which allows anyone looking to get started in AWS the option to explore a wide range of AWS Services at no extra cost. There are three types of offers (You can read more about that here)

a. Free Trials — Trial offers for services over a period of time. You pay for these after the trial period expires.

b. 12 Months Free — For new customers where you get access to service quotas for free for 12 months after your sign-up. Exceeding the quota means you would pay for the extras within that month.

c. Always Free — Services that have free service quotas and are available to both existing and new customers.

These options make it possible to explore and get started in AWS. It is ideal for you to take note of this, and I will be adding a post later to talk about how to keep track of your spending.

AWS Skill Builder for Learning

AWS Skill Builder provides you with access to 600 + on-demand courses and learning paths. In addition, you can get to take hands-on practice labs right in an AWS Sandbox with over 100+ Builder labs. Of course, there are also the Cloud Quests which you can find on AWS Skill Builder which simulate real-world experiences in the cloud. Take note that with some of the content on Skill Builder, you may have to get an Individual or Team Subscription.

You can head over to the link here to get started.

AWS Workshops

There is this interesting website I found where you can find hands-on events where you can apply practical skills to solve business problems. There are a number of these practical skills and techniques you can build on. Head on here to explore that.

Take note that a lot of these workshops will incur some costs on your console as you go through the workshops.

AWS Education Programs

AWS has several educational programs that you can check out.

a. AWS Academy

AWS Academy furnishes higher education institutions with a free, comprehensive cloud computing curriculum. This curriculum readies students for industry certifications and sought-after cloud positions. If you are in a higher institution, you can always check if your school offers the AWS Academy courses. You can read more on that here

b. AWS Educate

AWS Educate offers multiple hours of resources that are tailored for everyone. You can read more here

c. AWS re/Start

This is a free workforce development training program for people who are preparing to get careers in cloud. The program runs in multiple countries, and you can check the website here to see if there is a cohort running in your country.

d. AWS Skills Center

AWS Skills Centers serve as hubs for those interested in the cloud to explore diverse career opportunities. Offering interactive exhibits, live classes led by AWS instructors, and networking events, these centers provide free access to all, irrespective of their position in the cloud-learning journey. There are several Skills Centers open with more set to open, you can check that here

e. AWS Cloud Institute

Find out more about the AWS Cloud Institute program here. It is a virtual cloud-skills program to help people launch their careers in the cloud. The very first cohort kickstarted in January 2024.

AWS Training and Certification

AWS offers official training courses and certifications, which you can always check out. On offer are Digital Trainings, Classroom Training led by AWS Authorized Instructors, AWS Certification Exam Prep, and Free Training events as well you can join online or in person.
You can consider certification to gain comprehensive knowledge and boost your credentials. Certifications from AWS are in 4 categories: foundational, associate, professional, and specialty.

You can learn more about the certification team here.

AWS Certifications (These change over time)

Explore AWS Documentation

AWS provides extensive documentation for each and every service. You can take advantage of these resources to deepen your understanding of the AWS Ecosystem. There are some how-to’s, code samples, references, and more developed by the team which give you an overview of various things you can do within AWS. The AWS Documentation is just a click away here.

Join an AWS Community

Now one other thing I will speak of is the AWS Community. I can tell you that there are AWS Communities everywhere on planet Earth. If you are in space or you find yourself where there is no AWS Community, you can always take that initiative and start a User Group or a Cloud Club if you are in an educational institution. Get started with AWS Communities here and I should say on most of the major social media platforms you can follow along on your journey.

Conclusion

Getting started with AWS is an exciting journey into the cloud. Whether you’re leveraging the Free Tier, exploring Sandboxes, or diving into Labs, AWS provides a range of options to suit your learning style. Start your AWS adventure today and unlock the potential of cloud computing.

Thanks for taking a read and I hope you found something that suits you well as you start on your cloud journey.

I continue on this series in the coming weeks and keep an eye out for that.

Happy cloud exploring!

Resources

· AWS Console — https://aws.amazon.com/

· AWS Free Tier — https://aws.amazon.com/free/

· AWS Skill Builder — https://skillbuilder.aws

· AWS Workshops — https://workshops.aws/

· AWS Academy — https://aws.amazon.com/training/awsacademy/

· AWS re/Start — https://aws.amazon.com/training/restart/

· AWS Skills Center — https://aws.amazon.com/training/skills-centers/

· AWS Cloud Institute — https://aws.amazon.com/training/aws-cloud-institute/