If we're talking anecdotal experience, I'm one of the people who you're talking about, and if I could go back in time, I'd a) not have done any internships and

If we're talking anecdotal experience, I'm one of the people who you're talking about, and if I could go back in time, I'd a) not have done any internships and b) not have quit college. But let's not discuss anecdotes, because that's not how policy should be determined. Let's keep the focus on data. What you're describing happens, but it's enough of an outlier that it doesn't tip the median outcomes to the positive. People with some college but no degree still have above-median unemployment and below-median earnings. In fact an associates degree only gets you below-median unemployment: it still doesn't allow you to reach median earnings.