Am I on the right track? My self-taught journey with React & TanStack

Hi Dev Community! 👋

I’m currently pushing myself through a rigorous journey to become a Full-stack Developer. I wanted to share my current learning workflow and get some "reality checks" from the experienced devs here.

🏗️ My Current Stack
Bundler: Vite (Lightning fast! ⚡)

Core: React

Data Fetching: TanStack Query

Routing: TanStack Router

Styling: Tailwind CSS

🧠 My Learning Strategy
I’ve moved away from "Tutorial Hell" and adopted this workflow:

[Concepts > Copying] 💡
Instead of coding along with a video, I watch to understand the logic. Then, I close the video and try to implement it in my own project—a Document Management System (DMS).

[Real-world Application] 🛠️
I don't build the tutorial's project. I adapt the lessons to my DMS project requirements. If it’s not modern or up-to-date, I dig into the docs to find the latest way to do it.

[AI as a Peer Reviewer] 🤖
I use AI to:

Summarize complex topics that still feel "cloudy."

Review my snippets for potential bugs or better ways to refactor.

Explain "Why" a certain pattern is better than another.

❓ Questions for the Experts
"Is this approach effective, or am I missing something crucial?"

Retention: Is building a completely different project while learning a specific course a good way to keep knowledge, or does it slow down progress too much?

The AI Trap: What should I watch out for when using AI for code reviews so I don't become too dependent on it?

Roadmap Advice: After getting comfortable with TanStack Query/Router, what should be my next logical step for a DMS-style project? (Auth? Complex Forms? Drag & Drop?)

Current Progress:

[x] Modern JavaScript Fundamentals

[x] Tailwind CSS from scratch

[ ] React Deep Dive (In Progress...)

[ ] Next.js (Upcoming)

I’m working hard every single day to make this career transition. Any feedback, encouragement, or "tough love" advice is welcome!