Riverside student looking for advice/mentorship

[Aaron Nguyen]

Hey BiggerPockets! I'm an incoming freshman at UC Riverside and have been dedicating a ton of time recently deciding to get into REI and actually studying a lot of the basics. I was considering joining a local REIA at Riverside since I will be dorming at the school and it will be close by to network and meet some like minded people. I wanted to ask if joining a REIA would be a good idea or if there were people in Riverside on this forum that would be willing to assist me. Things like finding a good contractor, attorney, and valuable insight are what I'm hoping to mainly find. What do you guys think? Thanks in advance for the responses!

[Jonathan Wilks]

@Aaron your local Reia can be a great resource, however the ones i attend in orange county are usually a specific topic networking, and most recently a sales pitch at the end. I don't know how beneficial that aspect will be for you, and be a college student usually on a tight budget. I would recommending attending a few to get a feel for the group, and what their norms are.  A more beneficial opportunity you might have being a student is trying starting a club on campus, and trying to invite local brokers and things in to speak at the club. Most individuals will do this for free as you are students and it is a way for them to share their legacy. It would take some more effort but you will get so much more out of that experience.  i believe beyond your local reia.