Celebrating One Month in the Cloud: Lessons from My 4th Week of Cloud Boot Camp
2/18/20254 min read
This week marked a special milestone for me —yes, it was Valentine’s Day, and it was my one-month anniversary at the Cloud Boot Camp.
Four weeks in, I’m proud to say I’ve completed the AWS Cloud Practitioner course and am now deep into studying for the certification. But as with any journey, this week came with its fair share of challenges, lessons, and a few humbling moments.
The Highs: Progress and Pride
Completing the AWS Cloud Practitioner course felt like a major win. The course was packed with valuable content, from understanding the basics of cloud computing to diving into AWS services like EC2, S3, and Elastic Load Balancing (ELB).
I even took my first practice exam a few weeks ago, and while it wasn’t perfect, it gave me a confidence boost. I thought, “Hey, I’ve got this!”
But as I soon discovered, confidence without consistency can be a slippery slope.
The Lows: A Costly Mistake
Here’s where I made a major error: I didn’t follow the course’s advice to start taking practice exams early and often. Instead, I fell into the trap of procrastination and avoidance.
After that first practice exam, I started taking others but found myself exiting whenever I got multiple questions wrong in a row.
I told myself, “I’ll come back to this after I finish the next section.” Spoiler alert: I didn’t.
By the time I circled back, I realized I had forgotten many of the nuances from the earlier sections. EC2, S3, ELB — all those foundational concepts felt fuzzy. It was a wake-up call.
I had underestimated the importance of consistent review and overestimated my ability to retain everything in one go.
Learning My Lesson: Changing My Study Methods
This mistake was a costly one, but I’m glad I learned it early in my journey. Moving forward, I’m committed to changing my study methods to avoid repeating this error. Here’s how I plan to approach my future courses and certifications:
Start Practice Exams Early: No more waiting until the end! I’ll begin taking practice exams as soon as I complete a section. This will help reinforce what I’ve learned and identify gaps early.
Embrace Mistakes: Instead of exiting exams when I get questions wrong, I’ll use those moments as opportunities to learn. Every incorrect answer is a chance to deepen my understanding.
Create a Study Schedule: I’ll break down my study plan into manageable chunks, allocating time for review, practice exams, and revisiting challenging topics. I also need to write my own set of notes and not just rely on the course notes provided. Consistency will be key.
Use Active Recall: I’ll focus on active recall techniques, like flashcards and self-quizzing, to strengthen my memory and retention.
Leverage Community and Resources: I’ll tap into online forums, study groups, and additional resources like AWS whitepapers and FAQs to supplement my learning.
The Comeback: Building a Study Plan
Over the weekend, I decided to course-correct. I focused on creating a comprehensive study guide. Thankfully, the course provided skill checks for each section, which turned out to be a lifesaver.
I’m in the process of completing all the skill check exams and compiling a list of questions I miss into a personalized study guide. It was a grind, but it felt good to take control of my learning process.
I discovered an excellent resource from AWS called the Overview of Amazon Web Services Whitepaper. It provides a comprehensive overview of the key knowledge needed for the AWS Cloud Practitioner exam.
I downloaded it to my iPad, allowing me to perform keyword searches when I get stuck on a question. It has also been incredibly helpful in strengthening my recall memory. It’s maintained by AWS, so you know the content is always up to date. Here’s the link to access: https://docs.aws.amazon.com/whitepapers/latest/aws-overview/introduction.html
This week, my focus is clear: study the questions I got wrong, revisit the foundational concepts, and start taking full-length practice exams. I’m giving myself grace by extending my original one-week study plan to the end of the month. My goal is to consistently pass practice exams before scheduling the real thing.
Study Tips I’ve Picked Up (and Would Love to Hear Yours!)
Through this experience, I’ve gathered a few study tips that I’ll be carrying forward:
Break It Down: Tackle one topic at a time instead of trying to absorb everything at once.
Teach What You Learn: Explaining concepts to someone else (or even to yourself) is a great way to solidify your understanding.
Use Visual Aids: Diagrams, flowcharts, and mind maps can help simplify complex topics.
Set Realistic Goals: Give yourself enough time to study without burning out. It’s a marathon, not a sprint.
Celebrate Small Wins: Passing a skill check or mastering a tough concept deserves recognition — it keeps you motivated.
Reflections and Questions for You
This journey has taught me the importance of discipline, consistency, and humility. It’s easy to get caught up in the excitement of progress, but without regular review and practice, that progress can slip away.
If you’ve taken the AWS Cloud Practitioner exam, I’d love to hear about your experience. How long did you study? What strategies worked best for you? Any tips for someone in the final stretch of preparation?
For those of you on a similar path, remember that mistakes are part of the process. What matters is how you respond to them. I’m choosing to see this as a learning opportunity, and I’m more determined than ever to ace this certification.
Here’s to the next month of growth, challenges, and (hopefully) a shiny new AWS Cloud Practitioner certification!
If you’re studying for the AWS Cloud Practitioner exam or have already taken it, drop a comment below. Let’s share tips, resources, and encouragement!