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?

#include <iostream>
#include <string>
int main() {
  char bleh[] = "I'm a string!";
  std::string blah(bleh);            // char* to std::string
  std::cout << bleh << std::endl
      << blah << std::endl
      << blah.c_str() << std::endl;  // std::string to char*
  return 0;
}