I know some of my friends are deals with Bitcoin since few times they're talking about Bitcoin price, but I choose to shut my mouth and act like I was never know about Bitcoin or doesn't interested anything with Bitcoin.
It was from my uncle that I learned not to store coins on the exchange, and later my uncle gave me a ledger, it was the coolest present for my birthday. It was thanks to him that I learned that you need hold coins correctly, safety is above all, and that Bitcoin should be the main investment.
I understand holding a coin in centralized exchange is bad and you need to use hardware wallet for better security. But according to your story there's no mentioned or explanation why hardware wallet is better than a centralized exchange.
Don't forget when you want to access your hardware wallet, if you use unsecured device your coins have a chance to be compromised.