Are AWS certifications actually useful to a younger student?

Even though there may not appear to be any tangible benefit in getting certified at secondary schooling level, at times one things leads to another and having smaller incremental wins over time can lead to something big down the road. At the very least, it gives you confidence that your required knowledge is sufficient for you to be able to pass the SAA. I did my SAA about 4 or so years ago and back then I was a Software developer (relatively new to Cloud), fast forward to present time I started at AWS two weeks back. As a rule of thumb, I have always kept an open mind towards any form of learning opportunity and at times the learning opportunity leads to tangible benefits while on other occasions it helps me broaden my learning horizon

Where do you see yourself after graduating ? I believe the answer lies in the same. Why are you doing the certification ? Is it to get the benefits of the knowledge of services or to have a certificate tag on your resume.

If its the latter, I would say, do it once you graduate, however if you want to know the services and how they work to get a different perspective towards the cloud, it is quiet helpful as a level 1 certification.

Hope this helps !!

I think it's true to say that for the most part, it may not be immediately beneficial to you, at least directly. However, in the future, it will show potential employers that you were willing to go the extra mile over and above the academic qualifications that school prepares you for, and over your contemporaries.

It also shows that you have the initiative to learn more than "just" the school curriculum, and a mindset that is geared towards industry from an early age. You're also laying the first foundational blocks of what will be many qualifications you'll attain over your career, and incrementally, each of those will add to your capabilities and therefore net worth.

I'm not criticising academic qualifications, but they are often less well orientated towards the practicalities of a job, as by their nature they focus on the fundamentals and foundations needed to be successful, rather than being focussed on specific technology stacks, and the specialisation that inevitably ensues when you take your career down a path narrower and more specialised than that which school prepares you for. As an aside, 30+ years ago, I nearly gave up on my degree in Computer Science after working for a big global employer for a year in my third year, as I enjoyed it way more than the theory. But the theoretical work was important and has paid me back over the years, even though much of my curriculum is no longer useful in the workplace (COBOL, Fortran, 1970's AI), as has the qualification I attained, even though I couldn't see the practical use for much of it at the time. And all of my qualifications since then have opened doors for me too.

Personally, I also think it will hold you in good stead as your career grows. In 10,20, 30 years even, you will also be able to look back and know that you achieved an industry qualification that would usually be taken by someone 5 or 10 years+ older when you were still in your teens. Not many people do that, it's unusual, in a really good, positive way. That alone will not only give you a head start when you enter the workplace, as it demonstrates a capability and a willingness to learn. It will stand out on your CV, even though the qualification will have expired by then.

It will also give you the personal confidence to tackle things that others may find intimidating. It will help you to foster a mindset of life long learning. Few people actively like exams, but lowering the anxiety around them by taking an industry qualification at a young age may lower your reticence to take exams as you get older, something which many adults find daunting, even in their 20s. Desensitising yourself now to that future anxiety, by your own choice, is effectively removing what for some is a huge barrier to their career as you get older. It encourages an "I can achieve anything I set my mind to" mentality.

It's a phrase that sounds a bit of a cliche, but learning doesn't stop with school college or university - they are merely the spring boards to the rest of your career, where you can learn more, specialise and see the bigger picture as a result of continuous learning. I've worked in various areas over the years - development, databases (development and operations), business intelligence, machine learning - and I learn new things every single day, 30+ years on from the start of my career. Not everyone takes that path, as having to learn new things is sometimes viewed as uncomfortable, or taking oneself out of one's comfort zone. Fear of failure is another "adult" trait, which is perhaps reinforced by not trying new things, not having a go at qualifications which might be easily attained. I know numerous, perfectly capable adults of my own age, who don't try new things because they assume they'll fail. That's not something that suddenly happens, it's a mentality that incrementally grows over years of being afraid of taking an exam for fear of failure. The sooner you bop down that fear with a big rubber mallet, the better for yourself !

Trying something new, learning new skills, taking exams to test your skills, is the way you grow, learn, get to do new exciting things that might have otherwise have proved impossible. It keeps life and your career interesting and fresh, which in turn keeps your motivation levels high. That's important when you're working for 40+ years, every day needs to be interesting !

The only caveat I'd give is if taking the certification is either going to get in the way of your other studies, or cause you financial hardship or unwelcome stress.

But if neither of those are issues, I'd encourage anyone with the interest you have at your age to have a go at it, and get the certification as soon as you feel you're ready to take the exam, as my own experiences inform me that it's a positive thing to do and will give you a foundation for learning that you'll not regret in later life. Start now, and never stop learning.

From me, it's a definite "Go for it" - what do you have to lose? :-)