I'd wait a year till you graduate, if you still need to buy a computer, buy the 17in and add an SSD if you are going to be doing programming, otherwise either the 13in air or 15in MBP will work fine if you need one NOW.
The 13in MBP is pretty low end without upgrading many of the components.
MBPs have tremendous resale value (especially the higher size models), so don't feel so bad about spending a few extra bucks on them.
Good lord, no. Stay away from 17", you might as well be lugging a desktop around. 13" is the sweet spot for me, MBP or MBA depending primary on memory needs and workload.
The 13in MBP is pretty low end without upgrading many of the components.
MBPs have tremendous resale value (especially the higher size models), so don't feel so bad about spending a few extra bucks on them.