I think the best, most reliable way to get a software engineering job is to get a software engineering degree.
If you want a shortcut, I would look for ways to complete your degree faster. Do more courses at a time, and make sure to finish them in the shortest time possible. It should be possible to complete a bachelors degree in 3 years.
I don't think there is anything you can do in a few weekends that will make your Github profile appealing. I also don't think you need an impressive Github profile to get a job as a developer. Most devs I know have boring Github repos.
If you want a shortcut, I would look for ways to complete your degree faster. Do more courses at a time, and make sure to finish them in the shortest time possible. It should be possible to complete a bachelors degree in 3 years.
I don't think there is anything you can do in a few weekends that will make your Github profile appealing. I also don't think you need an impressive Github profile to get a job as a developer. Most devs I know have boring Github repos.