You can put the prop gaurds away. You may never use them I use them when I know for sure I will be around people I cant avoid, such as when doing fence line security,, there is a small chance I may fly over someone on the ground. I put them on...
A much better idea is to fly well away from obstacles.
Keep away from trees, buildings, powerlines etc.
When there's nothing to hit, it's very hard to get into trouble.
You'll be fine
Not quite the same. There's no tangible benefit to having a CDL to drive your own car. But with drones, a Part 107 license allows you to do things you can't do as a recreational pilot.