The study investigates the development of soft skills in freshman engineering students enrolled in an Arduino-based course. The course, “Skills and Engineering Thinking,” integrates hands-on Arduino projects into the curriculum to enhance students’ communication, problem solving, teamwork, and adaptability. Students participated in various Arduino labs during the winter semester and executed a more complex robot car project in the spring semester. We assessed the course's effectiveness using a mixed-methods approach, which combined a quantitative survey with qualitative data from labs, project reports, and classroom observations. The results indicated no significant difference between students’ pre- and post-course self-reported soft skills development. Alongside consistent satisfaction levels, qualitative insights revealed high engagement and motivation, effective teamwork, and valuable problem-solving experiences. The study concludes that while the course effectively engaged students and provided meaningful hands-on experiences, additional interventions are necessary to achieve measurable improvements in soft skills. Recommendations include increasing support for adaptability, enhancing reflective practices, and fostering collaboration. These findings contribute to the ongoing discourse on integrating practical skills development into engineering curricula and highlight the potential of project-based learning to foster essential soft skills.