Should I even visit Phuket, Thailand?

In thailand for about 8 days. Definitely spending 3-4 days in Bangkok, should I make the trouble of heading over to Phuket by train? will then be heading back home from Phuket, which is a lot more expensive than heading home from bangkok. Since I am a student on a moderate budget, should I instead just explore beaches closer to bangkok? Will I get more bang for my buck that way? Or is Phuket worth the price tag? I definitely want some nice clean beaches to swim and dive, nice people and parties dont hurt either....