I started off 20 years ago with a secured credit card (a debit card). After a year, I got a small cc limit which increased over time to the point where I can now borrow 50k. I borrowed 13K for a car and paid it off over 5 years. Also, I took a home loan of 7k and paid it off. In total, I paid off about 35k in cc debt. When all my debt was paid off, my score went down. The reasons my score dropped almost 100 points were twofold. First, I paid everything off and secondly, I applied for three store credit cards in a year. So don't get taken in by that discount offered on your first purchase in a store.
My advice is to borrow as much as you can and make the highest monthly payments possible to reduce interest, but take a year or more to bring the debt to zero. Don't pay off your cc every month as the banks want your interest. You will trade your interest payments for a higher cc score in the long run. Lastly, don't be late ever! Send in your payment ahead of time as some banks might conveniently lose your payment so they can get the penalty fee. Only borrow what you know you can pay back. Good luck with your project.