They have 529s to use to pay their living expenses and school tuition. 

They don't want to worry about getting hassled or ousted mid way through a school year for example.

I would recommend all HS graduates join the military. 

The "house hacking" you CAN do is with your GI Bill: GI Bill BAH is based on the zip code of your school, not based on where you live.

I posted on FB that I was going to start buying rental property and this guy reached out to me from high school and said he had a property he had been trying to sell.

Right near the cool old downtown area and good schools and A rated area.

Hello, I am brand new to REI, I am currently renting an apartment with my brother, in college, and graduate next May.

Investing into something passive isn't going to teach you anything at your age.Go to or start a real estate investing club at your school as well.

Anecdotally for reference, a friend who graduated from the Citadel in 2020 paid $1k/month for a room in a house just off campus in Hampton Park Terrace (utilities included) around that time.

I’m just starting out in real estate and starting to believe the old school ways are not for me and STRs may be more my speed.