@Michael Warinner given your current situation, I would say the best way to be productive is to start going to REI meet-ups so you can know others around you to partner with. Since you are new to this, it's important to really get a good team together. Partnering doesn't always mean someone providing capital, but it can also mean finding a realtor or contractor or even an attorney. Start networking and get your team so when you're ready to make your first move on a property, everything falls into place. Secondly, I would encourage you to really find out what you're awesome at when it comes to real estate and perfect it. Are you a numbers guy? Are you a sales person? Are you handy and good at construction? Find your niche, that way you have something you can use to sell people on when you're looking to partner. I.e. you may not have much capital, but you are great at finding deals. So if you find a person with money (and there is always someone with money) you can sell them on the fact that you can find the deals and flip the money quickly. So all the money person has to do is sit back and wait for a check in a few months with little to no work on their part. Your decision to leave school is on you, use this time to network, be a sponge, and find your niche. Best of luck !
Also, I’m a youngin’ in this too whose had to think creatively to be successful, reach out anytime if you want some advice !
