Bama, now that was funny!
. Gotta love the filter!
To the OP, there is a lot of wisdom here and I applaud your effort to seek advice.
Recoil can be a very subjective topic, as perceived recoil is difficult to lay a value on. We can be objective and based on the weight of the rifle, the cartridge, bullet weight, etc and tell you the free recoil energy, but stock design, recoil pad selection, stock fit to your body, and your tolerance takes the objective data and turns it on its ear.
I own a .308 bolt and a .243 bolt. I will tell you shooting 165 gr Hornady interlocks on the .308 kicks a lot more than the .243 shooting 95 gr Winchester Silver Tips. I can shoot my .308 on the bench and do well, but enjoy shooting the .243 on the bench.
Without knowing you or your tolerances, us choosing the .243 is our way of betting that your experience will be better in terms of reduced recoil. All of us will tell you the key to making good shots is practice, and you are much more likely to practice if you enjoy shooting the rifle.
There is also truth to the .308 argument about cheaper milsurp ammo. But who cares if it's cheap if you don't like the recoil of the rifle? All we want to do is set you up for success in the long run.
As for your college budget, I've been there. I stretched my 4-year degree into 5, changed majors a few times, but mostly worked at a now defunct sporting goods store to maximize the discount on ammo, shooting and fishing gear.
And do some research on the rifle. There are other cost conscious choices ou there like the Savage Axis (see the current thread running on it), H&R Handi Rifles, etc. We can help guide you through it with the wisdom of folks who own or have owned the various rifles.