Hey rizzywrites,
I can't help you when it comes to Samsung tablets, but I can suggest you the Nexus 7 for variety of reasons which cover your needs.
It has great internal storage (32gb) which should be more than enough for ebooks, shows, movies, songs and even game apps.
It is very slim and can fit in some pockets making it easy to carry around, and it is VERY affordable. In fact it's dirt cheap for the punch it packs.
One more thing I would like to mention is that it is perfect for penetration testing and other such shenanigans should you be inclined/interested in that field. It can be customized to be a pentest device (while maintaining full android functionality)
I've had a total of 6 tablets in my life, and I can easily say hands down the best for School/work activities is the nexus 7. In terms of cheap price and durability (mine fell down like 10 times and it stills kicks flawlessly)
Now if you want to go over the budget then take a look into the Note series.
These are my two cents, I hope I've helped.
If you ever DO get a nexus 7 hit me up, I'll help you customize it.