What's the first data structure you learn? The linked-list, of course. So to many interviewers, focusing on linked lists is the equivalent of fizzbuzz. No one could be a computer programmer without it!
There's 4 years in a standard CS degree program, there's time unless your curriculum or choice of focus is more strictly on the theoretical side, which is not typical outside of a few universities (as the only or primary option). Every second tier university graduate I've mentored has understood these topics. Except for the past 5 years where they are, more consistently, only capable of programming in Python or similar high level language and their program of study has divorced itself of talking about the real-world behavior on real hardware (from the same schools that, previously, seemed to understand or at least be aware of these topics).
Depends on the nation, in Europe 3 years is the standard.
Freshman:
Semester 1: English 101, Math 101 (maybe calc), Physics 101, CS 101, History 101
Semester 2: English 102, Math 102 (calc by now), Physics 102, CS 102, History 102
Sophomore:
Semester 1: Math 201 (calc), Chem 101, CS 201, Language 101
Semester 2: Math 202 (last calc, maybe stats), CS 202 & 203, Language 102
Junior - Senior: Mostly CS, with math or engineering support courses
for i from 1 to n
for j from 1 to m
a[i][j] = ...
// versus
for j from 1 to m
for i from 1 to n
a[i][j] = ...After Bologna, Portuguese universities made the 5 year into a degre + masters, and push for everyone to keep doing the 5 years just as before Bologna.
Which most do, otherwise they would be undervalued versus everyone that took the degree before Bologna.