i want to stop being a beginner

Yeah so I've taken a few c++ classes at college, up to data structures. But just because I know how to write a bs-tree doesn't mean im an EXPERT PROGRAMMER just yet. The most complicated program I've written so far is one that solves the Towers of Hanoi by brute force. I still consider myself a beginner-level programmer.

Does anyone have any tips on how to improve my skill? Like a large one-man project that will teach me how to write & manage larger programs? Whenever I got the book store and look at the programming sections everything is either TEACH YOURSELF JAVA IN 24 HOURS or like START C++ FOR THE MENTALLY RETARDED. Everything is aimed at beginners but I want to move on.

protips?

Are you trying to become a programmer professionally or you do want to learn programming for something personal?  If its the latter you probably have an idea of what you'd like to use programing for (like making games, or making apps, or using it for math/science...).  Whatever it is you should try to gradually work towards that goal.  A very easy and important thing you could be doing right now is to keep amassing general knowledge about your language, e.g.:
-read everything in your programming textbook that you didn't cover
-search online for references, tutorials, FAQs and lists of 'gotchas'
-find more advanced books about your language