Don't be browbeaten into an option that appears to coincide with the preferences or beliefs of others -- you are the one buying and driving the car.
Test drive it and go with that.
FWIW, unless you are personally determined to have a manual trans for one reason or another, I would be very surprised to discover you later regretted getting the 7AT.
It's an excellent trans, and on par with the performance of good dual clutch trans cars, both in terms of performance and feel. There is really no great reason to choose one over the other besides personal preference -- they perform equally well on the track and on the dyno, so qualia is the final issue to consider.
Good luck
EDIT: Okay, so you are taking classes?
Well, I say go for whichever one you want. Test drive both and decide once you feel ready.