Totally biased opinion here LOL but I am a self proclaimed loyal Adobe fan/addict.. OK big geek
and it is worth every penny IMHO.
I purchased PSE3 a long time ago.. Adobe offered the $300 CS2 upgrade upgrade and I jumped on it. Haven't quite had the time so I haven't upgraded to CS3 yet.
Plus, if you qualify for academic software you can save a bundle.
Download different software and try them out though, determine your long term use. Personally, I wish I would have started with PSE because it is very similar to CS and the transition would have been easier.
In the end it doesn't matter the software as long as YOU are happy and comfortable with it!! Nothing worse than getting so frustrated that you can't finish your layout
whatever you choose, there is a ton of support here for ya!