It's the most bang for the buck you can get in a tablet today. Kindles are probably also a good value, but you don't get a pure Android experience and ease of customization. It's very easy to hold for extended periods of time, so if you're being a couch potato while reading an e-textbook or something, you can do so easily. The screen is of excellent resolution and great for reading (and playing games and watching movies). Battery life is good, so if you go to classes in the morning with it fully charged, you'll get through all your classes, as well as some game playing and music listening (well, not during class, of course!) without a problem.
It doesn't have the highest possible build quality or aesthetic compared to much more expensive tablets, yet it's still very well made. But under the hood it's as powerful, or even more powerful, than more expensive tablets.
I think that for a student it's an excellent choice. It's price is such that if you lose it or drop it (which is more possible because you'll be leaving the house so much with it), it won't suck as much as if it cost an extra $170. It would still suck, just not as much! Go for it!!
Sent from my Nexus 7