That's the way to do it! Core principles are irreplaceable. I would personally go with layout and composition before color theory. Actually, I plan to do a big refresher on core design principles in 2024; with that said, what typography course did you take?
Discussion
I took this one, don't be fooled by the 2 hour length, as every second is packed with crazy amounts of wisdom and techniques
https://youtu.be/agbh1wbfJt8?si=yyhDkHkUolY2z9Ac
Would love to get some recommendations regarding layout and composition