5 AWS Features I Wish I Knew Earlier as a Student
Five useful AWS features that beginners can easily overlook, from browser-based development and safer EC2 access to cost alerts, IAM security analysis and smarter storage choices.
When I first started learning AWS, I mostly focused on the services everyone talks about: EC2 for virtual servers, S3 for storage, Lambda for serverless computing, and RDS for databases.
Those are important services, of course. But as I started exploring AWS more, I realised there are other features that can make working with the cloud much easier, safer and sometimes less expensive.
The interesting part is that you don't always need to learn another huge service to improve your AWS skills. Sometimes, you just need to know that a useful feature already exists.
Here are five AWS features I think students and beginners should explore.
1. AWS CloudShell: A terminal inside your browser
One of the annoying parts of starting with cloud computing is setting up your development environment. You might need to install the AWS CLI, configure credentials, manage different tools and troubleshoot installation issues before you even begin learning.
AWS CloudShell makes this easier.
CloudShell is a browser-based shell that you can launch directly from the AWS Management Console. It comes with common development tools and AWS command-line tools, and it uses the credentials of your signed-in console session.
It also provides up to 1 GB of persistent storage in your home directory in each supported AWS Region at no additional charge.
When would I use it?
Imagine you're following an AWS tutorial and want to list your S3 buckets or inspect a resource. Instead of spending time setting up the CLI on your laptop, you can open CloudShell and start experimenting.
For example, you can run:
aws s3 lsThis lists the S3 buckets accessible to your current AWS identity, subject to its permissions.
One thing to remember: CloudShell itself has no additional charge, but resources you create or use through it may cost money. Also, commands run with your AWS permissions, so avoid copying commands you don't understand.
Official documentation: https://docs.aws.amazon.com/cloudshell/latest/userguide/welcome.html
2. Systems Manager Session Manager: Access EC2 without opening SSH ports
When students learn EC2, they often learn to connect to a Linux instance using SSH. That is a useful skill, but there is another option worth knowing about.
AWS Systems Manager Session Manager lets you connect to supported, configured managed instances through a browser-based shell or the AWS CLI.
One of its major benefits is that you can manage instances without opening inbound SSH ports, maintaining a bastion host, or managing SSH keys for ordinary Session Manager shell access.
Why is this useful?
Suppose you're running a small project on an EC2 instance. Traditionally, you might open port 22 and configure SSH access. With Session Manager, you can avoid exposing an inbound SSH port solely for that administrative access.
This is particularly interesting if you're learning cloud security because it shows how access can be managed through IAM permissions instead of relying entirely on network access rules and SSH keys.
However, Session Manager isn't automatic. Your instance must meet the necessary requirements, including Systems Manager connectivity, a suitable agent and IAM permissions. You should also configure logging and access controls appropriately.
Official documentation: https://docs.aws.amazon.com/systems-manager/latest/userguide/session-manager.html
3. AWS Cost Anomaly Detection: Find unusual spending
Cloud computing makes it easy to create resources, but it's also easy to forget about them.
A development instance might keep running after you've finished testing. A project could generate more requests than expected. Or a configuration change might increase usage without you noticing immediately.
AWS Cost Anomaly Detection uses machine learning to identify unusual spending patterns and can send alerts through email or Amazon SNS.
Why would a student need this?
Imagine that you're experimenting with an AWS project and your spending suddenly increases compared with your normal usage.
Cost Anomaly Detection can help flag unusual spending and provide information to investigate which service, account, Region or usage type contributed to the anomaly.
This is useful because looking at a bill after the month ends isn't the only way to notice a problem.
There is an important limitation, though: an anomaly alert is not a spending limit. Detection and notifications may take time, so you should also use appropriate budgets, review running resources and check your billing dashboard regularly.
Before experimenting with paid services, understand the pricing and set up suitable cost monitoring.
Official documentation: https://docs.aws.amazon.com/cost-management/latest/userguide/manage-ad.html
4. IAM Access Analyzer: Check who might have access to your resources
Security is not just about having a password or enabling encryption. It's also about making sure that the right people and services have the right permissions.
AWS IAM Access Analyzer can identify supported resources whose resource-based policies allow access from outside a defined account or organization. Depending on the analyzer and supported features, it can also help identify unused access and validate IAM policies.
Here's a practical example
Suppose you have an S3 bucket for a college project. You intended it to be accessible only to your application, but a policy change accidentally allows another account or the public to access it.
An external access analyzer can generate a finding when a supported resource policy grants access outside your configured zone of trust.
That gives you something concrete to investigate rather than relying only on a manual review of every policy.
I think this is a useful feature for students interested in cybersecurity, cloud security or DevSecOps.
One important detail: a finding indicates that a policy allows certain access; it does not necessarily prove that someone has used that access. You still need to investigate the finding and decide whether the access is intended.
Official documentation: https://docs.aws.amazon.com/IAM/latest/UserGuide/what-is-access-analyzer.html
5. Amazon S3 Intelligent-Tiering: Let storage adapt to changing access patterns
When you upload files to Amazon S3, you need to consider more than just where to store them. The storage class can also affect cost and retrieval behaviour.
S3 Intelligent-Tiering is designed for data whose access patterns are unknown or change over time. It monitors object access and automatically moves eligible objects between supported access tiers according to its rules.
For example, imagine you're storing project files, datasets or uploaded content that might be accessed frequently at first but only occasionally later.
Instead of trying to predict the perfect storage class for every object yourself, Intelligent-Tiering can adjust eligible objects as their access patterns change.
Is it always the cheapest option?
Not necessarily.
Intelligent-Tiering has a monitoring and automation charge for eligible objects. Objects smaller than 128 KB aren't monitored for automatic tiering. The right storage class depends on your data, access patterns, retention needs and the costs involved.
This is why I think it's worth understanding how the feature works instead of choosing a storage class simply because the name sounds efficient.
Official documentation: https://docs.aws.amazon.com/AmazonS3/latest/userguide/intelligent-tiering.html
How I'd explore these features as a beginner
I wouldn't try to enable everything in my AWS account on the same day.
I'd start with CloudShell because it's a simple way to explore AWS commands. Then I'd learn about Session Manager and IAM Access Analyzer to understand access and security. After that, I'd explore cost monitoring and S3 storage classes.
For every feature, I'd try to answer three questions:
- What problem does it solve?
- What requirements or costs should I know about before using it?
- Can I explain a real situation in which I would choose it over another approach?
That last question is particularly important. Learning AWS is not just about memorising service names for an exam. It's about understanding why a feature exists and when it makes sense to use it.
Final thoughts
These features aren't secret, and experienced AWS users may already know them well. But when you're beginning, it's easy to concentrate on the main services and miss useful capabilities around security, cost management and day-to-day development.
I found that exploring these smaller details made AWS feel more connected. CloudShell helps with the development workflow, Session Manager changes how you think about administrative access, Cost Anomaly Detection helps you investigate unusual bills, IAM Access Analyzer supports security reviews, and Intelligent-Tiering gives you another way to approach storage costs.
I'd like to explore more of these features through small projects and practical experiments rather than just reading about them.
I'm curious: what's one AWS feature you discovered later than you wish you had? Share it in the comments, especially if it's useful for students who are just getting started.
References
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