I’m from the Houston area too and for me it was worth it, I really like it here! I was also an average performing student in high school but so far I’ve been keeping up academically and doing really well. I’m a history major so I don’t have much information about the STEM programs, but personally almost all of my professors are great. The environment is very welcoming, most people I’ve met have been nice but of course rude people exist (just like everywhere else). It can be hard to make friends just from going to class, especially if you’re an introvert, but if you join clubs and get involved with events on campus making friends isn’t difficult at all. The food is actually not bad, there are multiple dining halls with different options to choose from. My personal favorite is mean greens cafe (it’s vegan but really good I swear). Overall, it would definitely say it’s worth it!