My Journey into AWS: Why I Started Learning Cloud Computing
As a Computer Science undergraduate, I’ve always been fascinated by how modern applications handle millions of users, store massive amounts of data, and remain available around the clock. While learning web development and building projects with the MERN stack, I kept encountering one question:
Where do these applications actually run?
This curiosity led me into the world of cloud computing and eventually to Amazon Web Services (AWS).
What Sparked My Interest in Cloud Computing?
When I first started learning programming, I was excited just to make things work. Seeing a website run because of code I wrote felt amazing.
As I got into web development and started learning the MERN stack, I began wondering about things I had never really thought about before.
Questions like:
- Where does my application run after I deploy it?
- How can thousands of people use the same application at once?
- Where are the images and databases actually stored?
- How do companies keep their applications running all the time?
I realized that writing code is only one part of building software.
Behind every application, there are many other pieces working together:
- Servers that run the application
- Storage for files and databases
- Networking that connects users from different parts of the world
- Security to protect user data
- Systems that allow applications to grow as more people start using them
The more I learned about these things, the more curious I became. That’s when I discovered cloud computing and realized it was the missing piece I had been looking for.
Why Did
I Choose AWS?
When I started exploring cloud computing, I found out that there are several major cloud providers like Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud Platform.
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I chose AWS simply because it was the platform I kept seeing everywhere.
I noticed that many companies use AWS to run their applications, and almost every time I searched for cloud-related tutorials or deployment guides, AWS was being mentioned.
A few things made me want to start with AWS:
It has a huge global infrastructure.
I found it fascinating that applications can be deployed in different regions around the world and still provide a smooth experience for users.
It’s widely used in the industry.
Since my goal is to become a software engineer, learning technologies that are actually used by companies seemed like a good investment.
There are so many learning resources.
As a student, this was important to me. AWS provides documentation, tutorials, and courses that make it easier to learn step by step.
🔧 There is always something new to explore.
The more I read about AWS, the more I realized it offers services for almost everything — from computing and storage to networking and artificial intelligence.
How AWS Connects with My MERN Journey
Learning AWS also made me look at my MERN projects differently.
Before, I was mostly focused on building features.
Now I also think about questions like:
- Where will I host my React application?
- How will my Node.js backend run in production?
- Where should I store images and files?
- How can I make my application secure and available to users?
AWS is helping me understand that building software isn’t only about writing code. It’s also about learning how to deploy, manage, and scale applications in the real world.
My Current AWS Learning Roadmap
Right now, I’m learning one step at a time:
✅ Cloud Computing Fundamentals
✅ AWS Global Infrastructure
✅ Amazon EC2
✅ Storage Services (EBS, EFS, and S3)
✅ Networking Concepts (VPC, Subnets, and Security Groups)
🔄 Docker and Container Technologies
🔄 Deploying MERN Applications on AWS
I’m not trying to rush through everything. My goal is to understand the concepts properly and learn by building projects along the way.
I’m still at the beginning of my cloud journey, and I know there is a lot more to learn.
Through these articles, I want to document my progress, share what I’m learning, talk about mistakes and challenges, and hopefully make cloud concepts easier for other beginners who are starting their own journey.
Every expert was once a beginner.
I’m currently learning AWS one step at a time, and this article marks the beginning of that journey. If you’re also starting with cloud computing, I hope we can learn and grow together.
Thank you for reading!
