@birv2 I have a software development firm which is expanding into hardware. The vast majority of my hires never attended university because the skills that are required these days aren't commonly taught. Strangely enough I worked for IBM for 2 years and when they recruited me they actually requested me to drop out of University. Ironically IBM is one of my customers now. Project-based learning is fantastic, it's the right way to go but avoid these caveats sir.

1) step by step tutorial projects are bad, anyone can complete them without learning the "why"
2) step by step challenge projects are excellent. Treating each step as an individual project that seeks the most efficient path to target, also prevents research on solutions from 2002, for problems from 2022
3) aim to be comprehensive, mathematics are more relevant than ever.
4) avoid libraries and frameworks at all cost.
5) the CS field changes faster than the tides, reading and understanding documentation is a skill that should be honed at every step.
6) don't fear exercising complex project targets, while ui is becoming minimal, ux is allowing that through automation. Automation is complex, yet necessary for growth.

Google open-sourced there internal project management structure.
https://rework.withgoogle.com/
There's a wealth of tools available for modern project management, completely free.

Welcome to Qoto :)