[FSUZeta]

to ask for opinions from people "in the know", but remember they are just that....opinions. your best bet would be to do some hard core research into the programs that you and your husband are interested in and get expert advice.

when you are talking about state schools in florida, one is probably just about as good as the other, reputation wise. i don't think that a comp. science grad. from uf is going to make anymore than one from fsu, ucf or usf because they went to uf. now mit or ga. tech is another story. i would think that the individuals specialty and what they could bring to the company would matter more. visit the campuses to get a feel for them, visit the departments and check out housing while you are there. housing goes fast in all of the major college towns in florida-sometimes people must sign up a year in advance for an apartment.

as far as beaches go, which is best is a matter of taste. i think that the panhandle beaches are lovely--sugar sand dunes and clear aquamarine water and actual waves. the farther south on the west coast you go, the less wave action you see. for surfing the atlantic coast has better wave action, but the beaches are less attractive physically-hard-packed sand and flat, flat, flat. the keys have no naturally occuring beaches, and beaches you see there were trucked in. i lived in texas & oklahoma for a while, and the lower midwest is just as humid as the south, and the temp. can be higher in the lower midwest, so don't let that stop you. if weather were the only thing that mattered, we would all live in san diego or hawaii.