In fact, that's the way the rest of (dare I say, real) engineering works: you get the theory and practice in your studies, and the mechanics in your first job.

In fact, that's the way the rest of (dare I say, real) engineering works: you get the theory and practice in your studies, and the mechanics in your first job. The software industry has been spoiled because, for the purposes of large swaths of it, the mechanics can be self-learned by motivated people with or without a degree. The degree (computer science or software engineering) is not supposed to teach the mechanics.