The Right Mindset

It Will Happen	The Right Response
terraform apply will fail in a way you do not understand.	Read the error message. Run terraform plan again. Check the AWS Console. The answer is usually in the output.
You will leave a resource running and it will cost money.	It happens. Learn from it. Implement the end-of-day destroy habit from Week 1.
A resource will refuse to delete because of a dependency.	Check what depends on it. Destroy in reverse order or let terraform handle it — it tracks dependencies.
Your state file will get out of sync with reality.	Tell your instructor before trying to fix it. State corruption is recoverable — but not by editing the file manually.
The capstone architecture will not work on the first attempt.	That is expected. Cloud infrastructure always has configuration issues. Systematic debugging is the skill.
You will not understand what Docker or Kubernetes is doing in Weeks 9–11.	That is fine. This is an introduction. Your goal is to recognise the patterns, not to master them.

Professional Habits That Will Define Your Cloud Career

Always terraform plan before terraform apply. Always.
Always destroy when done. Cost discipline is a professional skill.
Keep secrets out of code. Always. No exceptions.
Commit small and often with clear messages. Your commit history is part of your deliverable.
Read error messages fully. The root cause is almost always in the last few lines.
Document as you build — not after. Your README should explain decisions, not just commands.
Raise blockers early. A blocker raised on Monday gets solved Monday. Raised on Friday gets solved next week.

You were selected because someone believed you could do this.

Build things. Break things. Fix things. Learn every day.

Good luck — and welcome to the team.