I think burning cop cars isn't bad, and it can actually be helpful if it's timed to impede an encampment raid or something. You're right that student protests can't win alone. The power of the proletariat ultimately comes from our low-level control over the means of production, and students don't have that yet. So short-term I think our task is to link the student protests with organized labor. Campus unions (faculty/staff/student workers) have already been waking up: CUNY did a wildcat sick-out on May Day, University of California employees have a strike vote next week. Some of the more militant general unions are stirring; some UAW members are pushing Fain to rescind his Biden endorsement and SBWU (maybe just the IL ones?) released a statement in support of the encampments.

Note that, for instance, UAW actually has a bunch of grad workers. Imagine if UAW 4811, the one at UC, authorizes a strike, and UAW members in other industries are so fired up that they call (illegal) solidarity strikes.