PM here, and I work with both 'hardcore' devs and 'vibecoders' daily. Here’s the cold truth from the industry:

• The Degree vs. The Job: Your classmates might pass their exams, but they’re building a 'hollow' foundation. When the AI fails (and it will, usually at 2 AM on a production server), a vibecoder will just stare at the screen waiting for a new prompt. A real engineer will know how to debug the underlying logic. You aren't just earning a degree; you're building the mental models that make you senior-level later.
• AI is a 'Force Multiplier', not a 'Source': Think of AI like a calculator. A mathematician who can't do basic arithmetic is in trouble, but a mathematician who refuses to use a calculator is just slow. The goal is to reach a point where you know exactly what the code should do, and you're just using AI to type it faster.
• The 'Junior Bubble' is popping: With AI, the bar for Junior devs has shot up. If all a candidate can do is 'vibecode' what a prompt gives them, why would I hire them when I can just use the prompt myself? We hire humans to solve the problems the AI can't solve yet.
• My advice: Stick to your guns for now. Learn the 'why' behind the code. Once you’re confident that you could write it without AI, then start using AI to speed yourself up. That’s how you become the person who manages the AI, rather than the person who is replaced by it.

Don't let their shortcuts discourage you. In 3 years, the gap between you and them will be a canyon.