Mastering C++ to prepare for my second year: How?

I'm going to my second year of Computer Science at a local University, in which C++ is a large part of the education, but as they only give an introductory course in the first year (basics, pointers, creating a linked list and an implementation of a game like Mastermind), I'd like to program a bit in my free time to crank up my knowledge abo开发者_开发技巧ut the language.

Is there a site that shows little problems or projects to make, to crank up my knowledge? As reading in "The C++ programming language", or saying "I'm going to crank up my knowledge about x" isn't quite as handy to learn from, compared to saying "I'm going to create a mastermind game", which can be extended quite far, and those are the kind of projects that they give in School classes that are excellent to master the language from.

So in short: Are there any sites which offer little problems and projects like this?

Thanks!

A really good resource is http://projecteuler.net/index.php?section=problems, it builds both programming language familiarity and your list of programming algorithms (not to mention keeping your math skills sharp).

However I wouldn't worry too much about it, universities have this weird Java and Matlab fetish, I don't think I had a single C++ class in 4 years. My suggestion to you is to focus on algorithms more than the actual language. All you need for university is recursion and loops, and all languages have those.

in my uni we started with C, then moved to C++ (first year). Then did Java and C++ OO programming (second year). Then did recursive programming (OCaml) and Formal Languages and Compilers course were we extended a mini Pascal language adding pointers, structs and references by writing and interpreter. Was good fun!

Then I did an 2 years MSc in Bioinformatics and lost my skills and failed a few interviews. Now I am back on fit and I am working daily with C++.. hate my collegues when they think that they are clever when speaking about pointers and references.. so stupid! At the very end are just very very basics concepts.

Java programming sometimes is difficult as involves complex design patters and web services interaction. C++ on the other hand is "difficult" for memory allocation etc..

learn Objective-C and use C++ in your Mac/iPhone application instead.. make some money and experience writine iPhone apps during ur free time.. the standford uni videos on iTunes are very easy to follow!