🌩️ 1. Understand What Cloud Computing Is

Before jumping into AWS, get a basic understanding of what cloud computing actually means.

Cloud computing is the delivery of computing services like servers, storage, databases, networking, and more over the internet.
There are three main types of cloud services:
- IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service)
- PaaS (Platform as a Service)
- SaaS (Software as a Service)

💡 Tip: Watch a 10–15 minute YouTube video or read an intro blog to understand the basics.

☁️ 2. Create Your Free AWS Account

AWS offers a 12-month free tier to practice without spending a penny.

Go to AWS Free Tier
Sign up with your email and card (don’t worry, you won’t be charged if you stick to free-tier services).
Once your account is ready, you’ll have access to 100+ services to explore.

💡 Tip: Use a virtual debit card or keep track of usage to avoid charges.

🔧 3. Learn the Core AWS Services

AWS has over 200 services, but as a beginner, focus on the fundamentals:

EC2 (Elastic Compute Cloud): Virtual servers in the cloud.
S3 (Simple Storage Service): Object storage for files.
IAM (Identity and Access Management): Managing users and permissions.
VPC (Virtual Private Cloud): Your own private network in AWS.
RDS (Relational Database Service): Managed databases.

💡 Tip: Build small projects with these services to understand them better.

📚 4. Follow a Learning Path

AWS provides free resources through AWS Skill Builder and AWS Training.
You can also explore:

AWS Cloud Practitioner Essentials (Free) – Perfect for beginners.
YouTube channels like freeCodeCamp or TechWorld with Nana.

💡 Tip: Start with AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner – it’s beginner-friendly and gives you a strong foundation.

🛠️ 5. Build & Experiment

The best way to learn AWS is to get hands-on:
✅ Launch a virtual machine (EC2).
✅ Create an S3 bucket and upload files.
✅ Set up a simple website on AWS.
✅ Explore IAM roles & permissions.

💡 Tip: Break things, fix them, and learn by doing. The more you practice, the more confident you’ll get.

🌟 6. Join the Cloud Community

Learning with others keeps you motivated.

Join LinkedIn cloud groups.
Follow cloud engineers on Twitter/X.
Contribute to discussions on platforms like Hashnode or Reddit.

💡 Tip: Share your learning journey through blogs and posts. Teaching others helps you learn faster.

✅ Conclusion

Getting started with AWS as a beginner might seem overwhelming, but if you take it step-by-step – understand the basics, create a free account, learn core services, and practice – you’ll soon realize it’s not as hard as it looks.

🌩️ Remember: Cloud skills are in huge demand, and starting today can set you apart tomorrow!

How Beginners Can Get Started with Cloud & AWS