I'm going to disagree with most people and suggest you go with a wetsuit. I firmly am a drysuit diver year round now (except when i go on vacation). But i remember being where you were a several years ago when I first started. I was super gung ho and into it...but I got bored quickly in the area I lived and diving stopped becoming exciting for me (i've moved since then and am back into it). I suggest you stay with the cheaper option - especially just out of school - until you have knocked back a decent number of dives in your area and decide its something you want to continue. It looks like you'll be in the great lakes region and those will be accessible to you - so I bet you'll stick with it - but I really think you should be conservative while you are beginning - especially while you are sorting out student loans, new career, and other life changes - those things have a tendency to change priorities in ways you didn't think.