Last November, I scheduled my CKA exam, but guess what? I kept putting it off for months. Every time I thought about studying Kubernetes, it felt like I was facing an enormous mountain I wasn’t ready to climb. Life got busy, I lost motivation, and the exam remained on hold.

In July, I bought the KodeKloud CKA course, thinking it would push me to start studying. I studied a little, then stopped, and this cycle went on for weeks. Kubernetes seemed too big and complex to handle, and I didn’t know where to begin. And then, life happened—my father was hospitalized, and I had even less drive to study.

During this tough time, something changed for me. I started watching my 15-month-old daughter as she played, exploring the world around her. She was full of energy and curiosity. She’d fall down, get up, and try again without a second thought. That’s when it hit me: if she could keep trying with such determination, why couldn’t I?

Her playful persistence inspired me. No matter how many times she fell, she always got back up. And every time she saw something new, she was filled with curiosity. That made me think—shouldn’t I approach learning new skills the same way? No matter how hard things feel, we just need to keep getting back up, stay curious, and push through.

One of the biggest lessons I learned from her is that repetition is key. It doesn’t matter if something feels impossible at first. If you keep at it, over time, it becomes second nature. Even if it feels like you’re not making progress, each attempt brings you closer to mastering the skill. And that’s what I started doing with Kubernetes.

In September, I decided to get serious. I started waking up at 5 AM every day to study for two hours before work. Some days, it was tough. My baby would keep me up late, or I’d be too exhausted from my job. But I stuck with it. I reminded myself that discipline and consistency would get me through. I kept telling myself, “Just keep showing up.” And slowly, Kubernetes started to make more sense.

Exam Day

When the day of the exam arrived, I was nervous. I had heard horror stories on Reddit about technical issues with the proctors, but thankfully, everything went smoothly for me. I logged in 30 minutes early, got my ID checked, and was ready to go.

The exam itself was challenging. Some questions were tricky, and others were major time-killers. I tried to solve each question in under five minutes. If I got stuck, I flagged it and moved on. Once I reached the last question, I circled back to the flagged ones, took my time, and double-checked my answers.

I finished with 15 minutes to spare. Even though the guidelines said I’d get my result in 24 hours, I couldn’t help but refresh my email and the Linux training portal every hour, hoping for early results.

The Result

Exactly 24 hours later, I got the email. I passed with a score of 93%! The passing score was 66%, and I was beyond relieved. I couldn’t stop smiling.

result

Looking back, I first want to thank Jesus for everything—His guidance and strength carried me through this journey. I also owe so much of this to my daughter. Without even knowing it, she taught me the true power of persistence, curiosity, and repetition. One day, I hope she reads this and realizes just how much she inspired me to reach my goal. 😍

Reading Bible with Eliza Hope Daniel

I also want to extend a heartfelt thank you to all the creators whose resources I relied on throughout my preparation. The courses, mock exams, videos, and notes from platforms like KodeKloud, Killer.sh, and the amazing content creators on YouTube played an essential role in helping me understand and master Kubernetes. Your dedication to teaching made this achievement possible, and I’m deeply grateful for your contributions. 🎉

Resources I Used

If you’re lacking motivation, just remember this: It doesn’t matter how slow you’re going or how many times you feel stuck—what matters is that you keep going. Even small steps lead to big results. Stay curious, be persistent, and most importantly, don’t give up. If a 15-month-old can keep getting up after falling down, so can you. You’ve got this!