Here, I share my personal experience participating in the First Cloud Journey program. This feedback aims to help the FCJ team understand what worked well and what could be improved for future participants.
1. Program Structure & Content
The program structure was well-organized with clear weekly objectives. The progression from AWS fundamentals (Weeks 1-7) to project proposal (Week 8) and implementation (Weeks 9-12) made sense and allowed for gradual skill building. The hands-on labs were particularly valuable for understanding AWS services beyond just theory. However, the pace was quite fast, especially in the early weeks when learning multiple new services simultaneously.
2. Learning Resources & Documentation
The provided learning materials, including AWS documentation links, workshop guides, and reference architectures, were comprehensive and helpful. The AWS Study Group resources (awsstudygroup.com) were particularly useful for Vietnamese learners. However, I sometimes found it challenging to know which resources to prioritize when there were many links provided for each topic.
3. Community Events
Attending 5 AWS community events was one of the highlights of the program. The events provided valuable insights from industry professionals and alumni, which helped me understand real-world applications of AWS services. The networking opportunities were excellent, and hearing success stories from previous participants was very motivating. I especially appreciated the diverse topics covered: AI/ML, DevOps, Security, and Well-Architected Framework.
4. Project-Based Learning
The Blood Donation Support System project was a great way to apply learned concepts. Designing the AWS architecture, estimating costs, and implementing the full-stack application gave me practical experience that labs alone couldn’t provide. However, I felt I could have benefited from more guidance during the implementation phase, particularly around best practices for production deployment and security hardening.
5. Blog Translation Activity
Translating 3 AWS technical blogs was more valuable than I initially expected. It forced me to deeply understand the technical concepts to translate them accurately into Vietnamese. This activity improved both my technical knowledge and my ability to communicate complex ideas. However, the blogs were quite advanced (PrivateLink, Verified Access), which was challenging given my beginner level.
6. Support & Mentorship
The program provided good documentation and resources for self-learning. The weekly structure helped maintain momentum and accountability. However, I would have appreciated more opportunities for direct mentorship or Q&A sessions when encountering technical challenges during project implementation.
For the Program:
For Future Participants:
Yes, I would recommend it, especially for students who:
However, I would advise them to:
Suggestions to Improve the Program:
Add a mid-program checkpoint: A Week 6 review session to assess progress and address common challenges before starting the project phase
Create a mentorship pairing system: Connect new participants with alumni who can provide guidance and answer questions
Introduce peer code reviews: Have participants review each other’s work (architecture designs, code) to learn different approaches
Provide project templates: Starter templates for common architectures (3-tier web app, serverless API, etc.) to help participants focus on AWS services rather than basic setup
Add cost monitoring emphasis: More focus on AWS cost management throughout the program, not just in the proposal phase
Create a showcase event: An end-of-program demo day where participants present their projects to each other and industry guests
Would I Continue This Program?
Yes, I would be interested in an advanced track that covers:
Additional Comments:
The First Cloud Journey program provided a solid foundation in AWS cloud computing and gave me confidence to pursue cloud-related career opportunities. While challenging at times, the structured approach and practical project work made the learning experience valuable and applicable to real-world scenarios.
The program’s greatest strength is its comprehensive approach - combining technical learning, community engagement, and hands-on project work. This multi-faceted experience is more valuable than just completing online courses or certifications alone.
I’m grateful for the opportunity to participate and look forward to applying these skills in my future career. Thank you to the FCJ team and the AWS community for creating and supporting this program.