I largely agree with ya. I bet someone can cook up some edge cases where the newer kernel might matter. I like that this article lays out how to setup the GPU. But I know Ubuntu has a nice gui for installing proprietary drivers.
I found school wasn't that helpful. They seemed more geared to just test. I used services like cbt-nuggets to supplement the lesson plans and found it invaluable. Perhaps there's something like that available to you.
The trick is to study throughout your life. Never stop learning, integrate that information into your life. Just like someone who learns how to play a new game, they use use that information regularly.
I would suggest using a community version of the game. (There are many)
They typically come with many quality of life improvements intended for people who want to revisit the game.
Pokemon Modern Emerald sounds most suitable. They add many quality of life fixes including being able to bump the experience rate.
Edit: these games came from an era where you probably only had a few games. And imagine the disappointment if you could clear the game quickly and easily. Parents would feel ripped off.
Steam is optional for gaming now.