This is less of a relevant help question, and more just a request for advice, but I currently have Photoshop through my school. We have it set up through Key Access so that it can be downloaded for free from the school, but can only be used on campus. I used Gimp briefly before I found out about the free version at my school and liked it to a degree, but now I've fallen in love with Photoshop. Today is my last day on campus, so I won't have Photoshop for the summer (and my school is hundreds of miles away from my home, so there's no way I can finagle still getting access the same way). I'm a relatively broke college student, but I have a few hundred dollars in spending money from scholarships and gifts and I'm honestly contemplating using that money to buy Photoshop, but I'm not sure if it's really worth it.
How many of you guys use Gimp or have used Gimp, and do you think you can do pretty much the same stuff as on Photoshop? In general, do you think Photoshop is worth it, over Gimp, especially when funds are tight? Have you noticed any noticeable difference in the quality of your icons, et al?
I think my parents might be willing to pay for it if I can validate it as a legitimate academic/practical/professional expense, i.e. if it would be useful for general school projects or as a general computer skill that would look appealing to potential employers. Do you think there's a valid argument for more practical benefits of Photoshop, and that it could qualify as a generally useful school/professional/practical purchase?