How to start Magic-ing on a budget?

[marathemara]

The more Friday Nights and Tap Tap Concede I watch, the more convinced I am that I would enjoy playing MTG and the more I want to try it. But I don't have money to spare on cards, and I don't know anyone at my university who plays (though I'm sure I could find them if I looked). How do I get started? What formats are good for beginners/casual play? How difficult/expensive is it to start out on MTGO?

[LokiTheLiar]

While I can't tell you much about MTGO, I can definitely give you some tips on starting your adventure with paper Magic.
You should find a local gaming store and ask them for a starter set. Most of the gaming stores have those free starter sets and are giving them away to new players. The starter set consist of a sample deck in one of the five colors and a small flyer with basic rules. If you ask people at the store they will probably teach you how to play.
There are also diffrent pre gen decks you can buy like Intro Packs which contain one ready to play deck and two booster and Clash Packs or Duel Decks which are a bit more expensive but contain two decks, so you can share it with a friend and play together.

The video game Duels of Planeswalkers is also a good way to get started with the game since it has a built in tutorial.

As a beginner you don't really have to worry about formats, unless you want to immediatly start playing in tournaments like Friday Night Magic. You can just build decks from whatever cards you want and play. It's commonly refered to as kitchen table Magic.

[MowDownJoe]

I know you're asking for starting on a budget, but one thing I've found helpful as a long timer on a tight budget is PucaTrade. I have a lot of draft chaff. It's hard to unload that stuff. But I'm always surprised about the number of people on PucaTrade who will happily take those junk rares off my hands so I can save up for something pricey like a Courser of Kruphix. This guy does a better job explaining it than I do. And here is a referral link, for my own greedy purposes.

[McGurganatorZX]

-Try going to yardsales or playing in drafts at a FNM.

-The latter is a great way to get cards, meet players/learn about the game, and have a lot of fun.
-You can also try Amazon for people selling cards in bulk. Just make sure you know somewhat of the contents you are paying for.

[iceaxe852]

Go to your local game store and see what formats are played there. I wouldn't advise drafting until you get used to the game, knowing which cards are good or bad is a tricky concept that gets easier to understand with experience. Once you figure out which format you want to play, go on YouTube or Reddit and look up budget deck techs, you should be able to find some good, competitive and fun decks for Standard and Modern for $30 or less.

Duels of the Planeswalkers is a great way to learn the actual mechanics of the game (you only need the Demo)

With the exception of the Commander product and the Modern Event Deck, most pre-constructed decks barely match their MSRP and are virtually unplayable.

[AdmiralMemo]

I wouldn't advise drafting until you get used to the game, knowing which cards are good or bad is a tricky concept that gets easier to understand with experience.

I've been drafting for like 3 years and I still have trouble with it. So, yeah.

[Duckay]

It's very much a format that some people are more attuned to than others. By which I mean, some people will start to get the hang of it quicker than others because of how they're inclined to approach the game and, often, how well they're taught. The best thing in my opinion is check out a local game store, see what formats are often played, tell them that you're new and want to learn and ask for help.

[McGurganatorZX]

I've drafted more in Khans more than anything, so I'd say 2 color creatures.

Barring that, Yard-sales and Amazon/Ebay are still good for getting cards. Definitely go to your local card shop and check out what the scene is like

[Kapol]

As one piece of advice, even though they might seem tempting, don't pick up any of the "500 commons/uncommons" type of deal. They're almost always pure garbage that stores bundle together and offload because they know they can. You honestly just end up paying for peoples' garbage. Yard Sales and similar are better, but not by a ton.

As for your university, see if there's some type of game club. It might not be Magic specific.