I used to sell cameras at a Ritz Camera, and the best balance of price, quality and durability would be either Nikon, Minolta or Canon. Brands like Fuji, Kodak, HP, etc. use a lot of plastic components in the camera. I've seen a lot of them break, especially the zoom motor for the lens. They wont hold up well if you're going to be very avtive with them.

I'm also a photography student, all of the gear I own is Minolta. They all hold up very well and take excellent quality photos.