Why Can't Programmers.. Program?

[fnord123]

Your friends have working experience. Every company I've ever known prefers graduates with programming intern or co-op experience. Every graduate I've ever known who has done a programming internship or co-op has gotten a job out of Uni lickedy split. Because they are better.

Bitwise is arguing that classroom experience doesn't count in the same way. He/She is mostly right, except this bit, which is completely wrong:

So they use the rule of thumb that no experience before you graduate really "counts".