Well, a while back I wrote a review on buying medium format cameras on eBay as they were going down in price and were worthy of trying for better photographical results.  Now, I'm writing to tell everyone about the advantages of buying an older 35mm camera.  Many photography schools still require beginning students to use a 35mm film camera for their coursework, at least in the first semester.  There's plenty of reasons for these schools to do this that helps students better understand the principles of photography and to learn the importance of film in photography history.  Now is a perfect time to spend that requisite $200 bucks or more on an older film camera instead of a new one.  Yes, the new ones come with features like auto-focus, multi-metering and exposure, as well as some digital-like features. However, for $200 (or a bit more), you can buy a really nice Nikon or Canon, Pentax or Minolta, ususally with a really cool manual focus lens, and it will end up being a collectible after it serves your needs in school.  These cameras were designed for the hardworking professional and will also take quite a beating.  Make sure you buy one from a reputible seller with good feedback and do a little research before you buy one.  My personal favorite is the Leica SL which is probably one of the finest 35mm ever made, circa 1960s.  These will pay you back if you find one in good condition and keep it that way, plus, you can't beat Leica glass.  So, if you have 200 - 300 dollars that you're going to spend on a film camera for school, before you buy a new one that will basically be worthless in a few years, think about buying an older model, something that will feel good in your hands and make you feel like a pro.

Good luck with those classes!!!