After an intense and rewarding journey, I have officially graduated from the AWS re/Start program! Receiving my graduation badge was a proud moment, marking the culmination of weeks of learning, hands-on experience, and professional growth. In this blog, I will share my experience from Weeks 7-12, covering key AWS topics, technical sessions, mock tests, personal projects, and the final graduation.

Weeks 7-12: Diving into Advanced AWS Concepts

These final weeks of the AWS re/Start program took us deeper into cloud computing, focusing on advanced AWS services and best practices.

Amazon Route 53 – We explored AWS’s scalable domain name system (DNS) service, understanding how to register domains, configure hosted zones, and set up routing policies.
Amazon CloudFront – We learned about AWS’s Content Delivery Network (CDN), which speeds up content delivery by caching data at edge locations globally.
Cost Optimization – AWS provides various tools to optimize cloud costs. We studied AWS Cost Explorer, Trusted Advisor, and pricing models such as On-Demand, Reserved, and Spot instances.
Advanced AWS Topics – These sessions covered best practices in security, Identity and Access Management (IAM) policies, AWS Lambda for serverless computing, and AWS Well-Architected Framework principles.

Technical Sessions & Video Profiling

One of the highlights was the technical session where we had to create a video profile. This involved recording a short video introducing ourselves, our background, and what we learned in the program. This exercise helped improve our confidence, communication skills, and personal branding. It also prepared us for job interviews by making us articulate our skills effectively.

Mock Tests & AWS Cloud Practitioner Preparation

To prepare for the AWS Cloud Practitioner certification exam, we practiced multiple mock tests. These tests simulated real exam scenarios, helping us assess our readiness and improve time management. Key takeaways included:

Understanding AWS billing and pricing models.
Learning about security best practices.
Gaining confidence in answering scenario-based questions.

Personal Projects & Presentation

In the final weeks, we worked on personal projects using AWS services and demonstrated them in front of the entire class. This was an exciting and challenging experience, as we had to:

Apply what we learned to a real-world use case.
Troubleshoot and debug issues.
Present our projects clearly to an audience.

It was incredible to see everyone’s creativity and different approaches to solving problems using AWS.

Graduation & Final Reflections

Finally, graduation day arrived! It was a moment of celebration and reflection. Completing the AWS re/Start program has been a transformative experience. It has not only equipped me with technical AWS skills but also enhanced my problem-solving abilities, teamwork, and confidence.

You can view my certificate here : https://www.credly.com/badges/a630a593-cbc4-4f41-8db9-fa3c55854e1b/public_url

Next Steps

With my AWS re/Start graduation badge, I am now looking forward to:

Preparing for and passing the AWS Cloud Practitioner certification exam.
Applying my AWS knowledge in real-world projects and DevOps roles.
Continuing to learn and grow in the cloud computing space.

This program has been a stepping stone in my cloud and DevOps journey, and I am excited for what lies ahead! 🚀

If you are considering joining AWS re/Start or are currently in the program, keep pushing forward. The journey may be challenging, but it is absolutely worth it!

My AWS re/Start Journey: Weeks 7-12 & Graduation