Module 00: How to Use This Bootcamp

Prerequisites

• A computer with internet access
• No prior IT or programming experience required

Estimated self-study time:

Why Cloud Computing?

You're here because you're considering a career in cloud computing. Here's what that looks like.

Real Job Titles You Can Work Toward

• Cloud Support Associate: Help customers solve technical problems on AWS
• Cloud Engineer: Build and maintain cloud infrastructure for organizations
• Solutions Architect: Design cloud systems that meet business requirements
• DevOps Engineer: Automate deployments and keep production systems running smoothly
• Site Reliability Engineer (SRE): Ensure applications are available, fast, and resilient

What These Jobs Pay

These ranges vary by location and company, but cloud roles consistently pay above the IT industry average.

Why Now?

Cloud computing jobs are growing 2x faster than overall IT positions. Every company — from startups to Fortune 500 — is moving workloads to the cloud, and there aren't enough qualified people to fill the roles. This shortage is your opportunity.

You Don't Need a CS Degree

People from teaching, healthcare, retail, military, and other non-tech backgrounds successfully make this transition every day. What matters is your willingness to learn, not where you started.

What to Expect

It's Normal to Feel Lost

Every expert was once a confused beginner. The first time you see a YAML template or an IAM policy, it will look like a foreign language. That's fine. By the end of the bootcamp, you'll read them fluently.

Imposter Syndrome Is Real; Ignore It

At some point, you'll think: "Everyone else gets this and I don't. Maybe I'm not smart enough for this." That feeling has a name: imposter syndrome. It happens to everyone, including senior engineers with decades of experience. It's not a signal that you're in the wrong place. It's a signal that you're learning something new.

The Difficulty Will Be Uneven

Some modules will feel easy. Others will feel impossible. That's the learning process, not a sign you're in the wrong place. Module 03 (Networking) is notoriously challenging for everyone. Module 05 (S3) tends to click quickly. Your experience may differ, and that's fine.

The 15-Minute Rule

If you've been stuck on something for more than 15 minutes, stop trying to solve it alone. Ask for help. The best engineers in the world do this constantly; the skill is knowing when to ask, not avoiding asking.

Purpose

This module helps you get the most out of the AWS Bootcamp. It covers how the curriculum is structured, how to study technical material effectively, what to do when you get stuck, and how to manage your time across 8 weeks.

Read this before starting Module 01. It takes about 15 minutes and will save you hours of frustration later.

How the Curriculum Is Structured

The Learning Path

IT Fundamentals (optional, 10 modules)
    |
Phase 1: Cloud Foundations (Modules 01-03)
    |
Phase 2: Core Services (Modules 04-08)
    |
Phase 3: Building Applications (Modules 09-12)
    |
Phase 4: Production Readiness (Modules 13-16)
    |
Phase 5: Architecting (Modules 17-20, including Capstone)

Each phase builds on the previous one. Don't skip ahead; concepts compound. Module 09 (Lambda) assumes you understand Module 06 (Databases) and Module 05 (S3). Module 17 (Well-Architected) synthesizes everything from Modules 01-16.

What Each Module Contains

Every bootcamp module has the same structure:

Assessment Checkpoints

How to Study Technical Material

The 3-Pass Method

Don't try to memorize everything on the first read. Use three passes:

Pass 1: Skim (5 min). Read headings, look at diagrams, read the Key Takeaways at the bottom. Get the big picture.

Pass 2: Read actively (30-45 min). Read the full lesson. When you hit a concept you don't understand, don't stop; mark it and keep going. Context from later sections often clarifies earlier ones.

Pass 3: Practice (45-90 min). Do the lab. This is where learning actually happens. Reading about VPCs is not the same as building one.

Active Learning Techniques

What NOT to Do

• Don't just read without doing labs; you'll forget 80% within a week
• Don't copy-paste CLI commands without reading them; understand what each flag does
• Don't skip modules because they seem easy; later modules assume you completed earlier ones
• Don't spend 3 hours stuck on one thing; use the "stuck protocol" below

What to Do When You're Stuck

Getting stuck is normal. Cloud infrastructure is complex. Here's a protocol:

The 15-Minute Rule

1. Try for 15 minutes on your own. Read the error message carefully. Check for typos. Re-read the relevant section.
2. Search for 10 minutes. Google the exact error message. Check AWS documentation. Look at Stack Overflow.
3. Ask for help. Post in the study group with: what you're trying to do, what you expected, what actually happened, and what you've already tried.

Common Reasons You're Stuck

Reading Error Messages

Error messages are your friend, not your enemy. They tell you exactly what went wrong:

An error occurred (AccessDeniedException) when calling the PutObject operation:
Access Denied

This tells you:

• What failed: PutObject (trying to upload to S3)
• Why: Access Denied (IAM policy doesn't allow this action)
• Fix: Add s3:PutObject permission to the IAM role

Train yourself to read error messages before searching for solutions.

Time Management

Weekly Schedule (8 hours/week)

A suggested breakdown for each week:

This covers ~2 modules per week, which aligns with the 8-week timeline (20 modules + capstone).

Pacing Guide

✅Tip: Week 6 is the hardest: 4 modules in one week. If you're ahead of schedule, use the buffer here. If you're behind, prioritize Modules 13 and 14 (Security and Monitoring) as they're heavily tested on the certification exam.

If You Fall Behind

• Skip the Resources page (it's supplementary)
• Do the lab even if you didn't finish reading; hands-on learning fills gaps
• Take the quiz to identify what you missed, then re-read only those sections
• Don't restart from the beginning; keep moving forward

Setting Up Your Environment

Before starting Module 01, make sure you have the required tools installed. Complete the Setup Lab for step-by-step installation instructions with verification steps.

Required

• AWS Account: Create a free-tier account. Use a personal email, not a work email.
• Budget Alert: Set a $10 monthly budget in AWS Billing to avoid surprise charges. You'll do this in Lab 01.
• Modern Browser: Chrome, Firefox, Safari, or Edge (for the AWS Console).
• Terminal: Terminal.app (macOS), Git Bash or WSL (Windows), or any Linux terminal.

Recommended

• VS Code: For editing configuration files and code. Download here.
• Git: For version control. Install instructions.
• Python 3: For Lambda functions and scripting. Download here.
• AWS CLI: For command-line AWS operations. Install instructions.

Cost Expectations

The bootcamp uses AWS Free Tier wherever possible. Expected costs:

⚠️Warning: NAT Gateways and Elastic IPs charge per hour even when idle. Always complete the "Cleanup" section at the end of each lab. Set a calendar reminder to check your AWS bill weekly.

How to Use the Capstone Project

The capstone (Module 20) is your portfolio piece. Start thinking about it from Week 1:

• Weeks 1-5: As you learn each service, note which ones you'd want to use in your project
• Week 6: Choose your project idea (or propose your own)
• Week 7: Design the architecture and write IaC templates
• Week 8: Deploy, test, monitor, and prepare your presentation

The capstone rubric is in Module 20. Read it early so you know what's expected.

Key Mindset Shifts

These shifts happen gradually across the 8 weeks. By Module 17 (Well-Architected), you'll think about all five dimensions simultaneously.

AWS Bootcamp: From Novice to Architect Author: Samuel Ogunti License: CC BY-NC 4.0