If you have numbers, reason and ration behind your offer the only thing the seller can do is accept, counter, or decline.

The most expensive word in the dictionary is "rationalization".

So if while your in college along the way you pracrice the principals I was talking about above (fiscally responsible, reasonable rational decisions) then when it comes time to actually starting to invest you have good decision making skills

Fear, for the most part, is provoked by emotions, not rational thinking.

Sadly You had a an easy out but you complicated and prolonged the problem by being emotional instead of rational .

I've seen so many of my friends start their corporate jobs making huge incomes, living in expensive apartments, spending all their money on avocado toast, hating their lives, and not actually saving much money year on year, which I've just never been able to rationalize.

I don’t care how you want to try and justify or rationalize it, it is what it is.  

It's more related to emotions and lack of rational decision making imo. 

In my experience the buyer sitting in the same room rationalizing why they gave an offer at 60% of asking is a whole lot worse than me as their agent presenting that same offer. 

Nope):1 - Learn how to analyze with real numbers2 - Learn what a plan is, and how to develop one for REI3 - Learn what is important to a REI...and then start thinking like one, instead of a homeowner.4 - Learn how Money Works5 - Learn how to analyze Markets (not economic...geographic) in order to find where the properties whose profiles match the criteria you need to execute the plan you developed.6 - Learn how to eliminate any emotions, both yours and the ones you think are driving forces for the buyers/renters that will be your clients7 - Learn how to eliminate any for of "rationalization" (most expensive word a REI can use) from your thoughts.8...and last, for now, learn how to describe yourself (when asked what you do for a living) as a "Successful Real Estate Investor".