I was torn between 8 and 16 and I decided on 8

It seems like unless you are in a really specific use case the 16gb is not needed

If extra $200 isn’t a huge deal  to you, then get 16GB for the peace of mind.

https://markellisreviews.com/8gb-vs-16gb-m1-macbook-does-it-even-matter/

You should be fine for almost anything. I use it for full software development with IDE and multiple programs running invluding more than 20 safari tabs and zoom running. It's more than enough

I'm about to buy my first MacBook and was wondering if I should get the 8 GB version or the 16. I plan on buying the air too. I plan on using it for college, so zoom and multiple tabs will be opened at the same time. Will the 8 GB be able to handle it or should I upgrade to 16?

8 GB VS 16 GB