Quote Originally Posted by BleeckerSt_Girl View Post
If you'll be locking your bike outside on campus....then get a cheapish used bike that works well and fits you ok, the uglier the better, and get HEAVY DUTY locks (a heavy U-lock AND a heavy cable if possible). Campuses are major hotspots for bike thieves. Any new bike worth $300 or more is going to be an automatic target for thieves.
Once you are not on campus anymore you can start getting more beautiful/desirable bikes.
http://www.treehugger.com/files/2008...-bike-tips.php
http://www.cyclelicio.us/2005/09/lock-your-bike.html

Good luck and enjoy whatever bike you wind up getting!
+1
A friend of mine repainted his bike such that it looked like an Impressionist disaster. Also, remove all quick releases (on seatpost, wheels, wherever). You may want to get locking skewers for your wheels. Depending on your terrain, fixed gear or single speed bikes are pretty popular for student style riding. Some people wind up building their own fixies with parts from a mix of sources including craigslist and ebay. They require a bit less maintenance (fewer drivetrain components), so are not too bad for leaving outside. If it's too hilly for that where you are, commute on whatever kind of bike you find the most comfortable that fits your needs. If you're going to be carrying a lot of weight, you might prefer to be more upright or to have a rear rack. That will limit your frame choices a bit. If you're going to be doing mainly road riding, don't get a mountain bike. You may want some wider tires than road tires if you might be hitting dirt or gravel frequently or riding in bad weather.

If you go out looking for used bikes, first go to a bike shop and get an idea of the proper sizing for you in different bike types and ride some to decide which type of bike you prefer. Check out their end of year sales, but then take all that info and go to a co-op or poke around online.